Back in 1907, a brewery named Dixie Brewery first started producing beer in New Orleans. The company remained a productive business for almost 100 years until Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.
Katrina wrecked the brewery where Dixie Beer was produced. Without their building in tact, other breweries began to produce Dixie Beer, but the brand was less popular than it had been previously.
Then, in 2017, Dixie was purchased by New Orleans Saints owners Gayle and Tom Benson. They made plans to relaunch Dixie Brewery. Unfortunately, Tom died in 2018, but that was not the end of the plans. Gayle took over running the Saints and Dixie Brewery.
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Then, in 2020, things changed again. Not only did Covid-19 hit the United States, but so did Black Lives Matter protests and new conversations about racism. Multiple companies decided to change their names to remove any trace of potential racism. These companies include Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima. Gayle also announced that Dixie Brewery would be changing its name.
Jim Birch, the brewery manager, told NOLA that the name change decision was received by the public with a mixed response. Not everyone was happy about the idea of a company with more than a 100 year history changing its name.
In order to decide on a new name, the brewery asked the public for their opinions and conducted focus groups. Later in 2020, the new name for the company was officially announced – Faubourg Brewing Company.
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While the name Dixie alluded to the south and the Confederacy, the name Faubourg is more specific to New Orleans. Faubourg is a French word, and originally it was used for suburbs of France. Over time, the name was used for neighborhoods in New Orleans.
In 2021, the name change became a reality. The company updated their social media accounts with the new name, and they even changed the name on the sign on their tower facing interstate 10.
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Birch feels that most customers are more interested in drinking the beer than being too concerned about the name change. He explained, “We’re in this to make a New Orleans beer that New Orleans people drink. I want people to be hyper aware of buying local, especially considering the pandemic.”
Even still, Birch believes it’s important not to ignore the company’s history or the name change. He said, “Through the whole process we’re trying to be really transparent, it’s part of the story of this brewery and we tell that story in our museum.”
