The Dixie Brewing Company, LLC. has announced today the company's restoration of brewing operations to the city of New Orleans as part of a multimillion dollar project on the Industrial Canal in New Orleans East.

Dixie Beer, which was established in New Orleans in 1907, had developed into one of the Gulf South's iconic craft beer brands, but has been brewed out of state since Hurricane Katrina. Intending to return the beer to its former glory, the late Tom Benson and his wife Gayle, purchased Dixie Brewing Company in 2017. Since the purchase of the brand, Mrs. Benson and her late husband's intention has been to return the Dixie Beer's production to New Orleans.

"We are thrilled to be announcing this development here in New Orleans East, as we renovate a building no longer in commerce and turn it into a center of vibrant economic development," said Gayle Benson. "This is the realization that my late husband Tom (Benson) had and his goal was to bring business to New Orleans and to be able to bring such an iconic brand such as Dixie Beer back where it belongs makes it that much more exciting."

With today's announcement, Dixie Brewing Company will renovate and equip an 80,000-square-foot-portion of the former MacFrugal's building on the Industrial Canal. The brands include Dixie, Dixie Light and Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager. With brewing operations returning to New Orleans, Dixie Brewing will create jobs for the region in bringing the unused New Orleans East facility back to commerce. As well as creating the manufacturing center for Dixie Beer products, development plans of the project will aim to make the site a consumer destination as well, through the establishment of a brewpub, tours and other recreational amenities.