FOR THE LOVE OF BREWING

By Angie Kay Dilmore

Beer and music enthusiasts in the Lake Area eagerly await the opening of the revived institution called Rikenjaks Brewing Co.

Owner Jay Ecker has been tirelessly working with contractors in hopes of opening the Ryan Street establishment some time this month.

Rick Nyberg, brew master and owner of Hardhead Beverage Consulting, has been busy brewing small batches of Rikenjaks’ original signature beers, Old Hardhead and ESB (Extra Special Bitter), in preparation for Rikenjak’s grand opening.

Rikenjaks is renovating the old Italian Villa on Ryan St. (Pictured in early Feb. 2016)

For those either not old enough to remember, or those who didn’t live in Southwest Louisiana during the venue’s heyday, Rikenjaks on Broad Street was the happening place during the early to mid-2000s. Ecker, manager of the original Rikenjaks, recalls those years.

“Rikenjaks was great because we became a hot spot. Everyone who played music wanted to play music there. It wasn’t the best venue, because it was small and loud, but we’d cram a lot of people in. We did a bunch of different kinds of music. It became one of those things that clicked. And we had a beer that nobody else had.”

Sadly, for their loyal patrons, Rikenjaks closed in 2006. But both Ecker and Nyberg held onto the dream of one day breathing new life into the popular place for beer, food, music and fun.

Fast forward to 2015. Plans began brewing last year to re-open Rikenjaks. Ecker sought out the perfect new location — a historic building that once housed the Italian Villa restaurant on Ryan Street.

“I always said I’d do it again,” says Ecker. “The timing was right.” (Ecker recently retired as Westlake High School’s band director.)

He plans to expand on Rikenjaks’ time-honored three-prong approach — beer, food and music — by adding extensive outdoor dining with an outdoor bar and fire pit. And of course, there will be brewery tours and tastings, once Nyberg begins brewing at the Ryan Street location. In Louisiana, it can take nine months or more to obtain a brewing license. The pair doesn’t expect to brew beer in their own brewery until late this year or possibly early 2017.

Brewing In A Temporary Location

Meanwhile, Nyberg has formed a partnership with Bayou Teche Brewing in Arnaudville, La. He supervises production of Old Hardhead and ESB (Extra Special Bitter) at their facility.

“The partnership is working out great,” says Nyberg. “Karlos Knott and I really hit it off. It’s rare to find two brewers who agree on so much. We have similar ideas on technique and flavors and brewing. I appreciate their methods. It was a perfect match.”

Rikenjaks owner Jay Ecker discussing blueprints with a contractor.

Once the brewery on Ryan Street is up and running, Nyberg and Ecker hope to offer six varieties of beer. At least initially, the beer will only be kegged and available on tap at Rikenjaks. Ultimately, they hope to outgrow the small facility and expand.

People sometimes wonder how the brewery got its name. Rikenjaks was founded by Rick Nyberg and his friend, Jack Little. They started brewing beer in a barn in Jackson, La., in 1992. Jack’s wife Theda is credited with coining the name by simply combining the men’s names into the German-sounding Rikenjaks. The business moved to Lake Charles in 1999, with Nyberg at the brewing helm.

Embracing Community

For Ecker, being involved with the local community and forming relationships are important aspects of his business plan. A month or more before the brew pub opened, with a muddy front lawn and sawdust covering the interior, he and his partners hosted a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras party to benefit the Jody Sylvester Cancer Fund.

For The Love Of Brewing

Nyberg has been brewing beer for 25 years. He says he loves the brewing process as much if not more than drinking the results of the process.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking. I like making things. I’m a tinkerer and a mechanical engineer by trade.

“There’s just something about brewing; you take this pile of ingredients that doesn’t look like beer, doesn’t smell like beer. It’s a pile of grain and a weird herb called hops. You add yeast and water, and you go through this process, and there are a million different variables and it comes out in an infinite number of ways.

Rick Nyberg at the Louisiana Winter Beer festival telling a story to a former student.

“I’ve always wanted to be an artist of some sort. I like expressing myself.  And I’m a technical person. Beer brewing brings the two together.”

Nyberg’s son, Jason Nyberg, has always dreamed of resurrecting Rikenjaks. He was born into a home where home brewing was as common as cooking.

“Jason is currently a chef at Harlequin,” says Nyberg. “Over the next couple years, he’s going to take over [the brewing business] for me. I’m happy to pass on the legacy.”

Two Signature Brews

Nyberg says his favorite beer is his ESB, which stands for Extra Special Bitter. Bitter in this context describes a craft beer, not necessarily a flavor. ESBs are generally lower in alcohol content than other beers. Nyberg describes ESB as a balanced beer.

“It’s a balanced copper color; a balance between maltiness and hops. It’s a recipe I continuously tweak and work on. We won a bronze medal for ESB in the 1996 World Beer Cup. We’re the only Louisiana brewery that ever placed in that competition.”

While ESB is his personal favorite, Nyberg says Old Hardhead has been the company’s flagship brew. “It’s strong; it’s dark. We never expected it to be so popular.”

Ecker describes Old Hardhead as “a dark Scottish ale, kind of like a Guinness without the bitterness and with a chocolate aftertaste. It’s a little higher in alcohol content, so it’s a sipping beer.”

The Importance Of Craft Beer In Southwest Louisiana

According to the Brewers Association, craft brewing is part of a profound shift in American beer culture. In 2014, for the first time, craft brewers reached a double-digit (11 percent) volume share of the marketplace.

And that number is growing. Savvy beer imbibers across the nation, including here in Southwest Louisiana, are demanding a higher standard in beer production.

Nyberg has his own thoughts on the importance of local craft brewing. “The beers we make right here suit our southwest lifestyle. Our food has a lot of flavor. It’s very spicy, and these beers complement our food. It also goes hand in hand with our culture of music, celebration and festivals.

“Louisianans are very loyal. We’re loyal to our music genres — zydeco, jazz, blues. We’re loyal to brands like Zatarain’s and Community Coffee. [At Rikenjaks] we’re making beer Louisianans can call their own and say yes, this is part of my culture, part of my community.”