And The Valley Drinks: Liger! A Tin Roof and Gnarly Barley Collaboration

Before LSU took on Southeastern on September 8, it was announced that Tin Roof in Baton Rouge would collaborate with Gnarly Barley from Hammond on a beer. Two breweries representing the respective home towns of the universities coming together to make a great tailgating beer. The beer release was planned at Tin Roof for the day before kickoff with a band, two food vendors, and plenty of beer – 160 cases total of the beer. What they brewed was named Liger, a combination of the school’s mascots and a mythical creature made famous by the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

The release party kicked off at 4 p.m. and working in downtown Baton Rouge I made it out of work a few minutes earlier than 4:30 p.m. to make my way to Tin Roof. I arrived outside the brewery around 4:45 and the place was already packed. It took me a few minutes to park my truck but I finally did and made my way to the back of the creeping line.

People were buying in bulk that day. Person after person was leaving the brewery carrying case after case. I wasn’t expecting to but when I went to place my order I blurted out “case” and there I was with 24 freshly brewed beers. Next was to actually taste what I bought. I met a few friends there, had them watch my beer, and got in another line to buy more beer.

I ordered a cup of Liger and a cup of Honey Cut, a special small batch honey infused IPA, both on draft. Double fisting beers on a Friday? Isn’t that why Fridays were created?

Liger is described as a juicy pale ale and lives up to the description. It tastes very similarly to Gnarly Barley’s Jucifer. It was creamy and smooth in your mouth with loads of tropical fruit flavors like papaya and tangerine, perfect for tailgating on a hot day. Honey Cut was also incredibly smooth made so by the honey infusion and delicious. I’ve heard it’s drinking even better now than it was on the day of the release.

The following day I brought a six pack of Liger with me tailgating along with some Gnarly Barley Catahoula Common and Tin Roof Voodoo. Liger drank even better from the can. The flavors had on draft were intensified in the can. It was deliciously crushable and with it being as hot as it was I found myself hoping I would pull out a can of that than any other beer when I reached in my ice chest. If Liger was available year-round it would stay in my fridge.

Rating: 4.25/5 stars.