NEWS

Very early Tuesday morning, January 13, 2009, an Abita Brewing Company employee was cleaning an empty beer-aging tank.  As part of the cleaning process the tank was being filled with carbon dioxide when the tank ruptured creating a loud sound that could be heard in the immediate area.  

No one was injured as a result of the rupture and no product was lost.  Abita employees on site worked with St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies to respond to the incident in conjunction with Abita’s safety training protocol.

Brewery production has been temporarily suspended and should resume shortly.  Abita Brewing Company president David Blossman says they expect to return to full normal operations Wednesday.

"Safety is a first priority at our brewery. Our teams followed safety protocols and as a result no one was injured,” said Blossman.  “We apologize if we startled our neighbors or disturbed their sleep.  For 23 years our brewery has been free of any incidents such as this.  With safety as a priority we plan to investigate what happened and implement procedures that continue to improve our safety procedures.”   

The Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs, Louisiana in 1986 and is the oldest and largest craft brewer in the southeast. Abita is the 30th largest commercial brewer by production volume in the nation and the 17th largest craft brewer in the United States. Sales for the company should exceed 85,000 barrels and $16.5 million this year.