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Microbrewery launches funding for Downtown Lafayette location

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John and Jessica Paul are two Ragin Cajuns whose lives have taken them all over the country.

But as the saying goes, "there’s no place like home." So deciding to mix South Louisiana with their passion for beer, an idea for a new business was born.

"We really wanted to come back home, so we did," says John Paul.  "At the same time period, we were exploring how we might start a beer business, checking out different breweries you know getting a feel for that vibe which is something we didn’t really encounter in Louisiana."

From that idea, the Sawbriar Brewery brand was born. The two began by brewing beer in their garage using their own materials. John says the tools they use to make their brews are basic. The lineup includes a glorified crawfish pot, converted Igloos, and converted water coolers to make their beer a reality. 

And, of course, a beer is nothing without its ingredients, which John says are local.

"Whatever we can find that is kind of unique and local I’ll throw it in a beer and see what happens. it’s a great way to experiment."

Some of those ingredients are literally grown in their backyard.

After winning several craft beer honors the Pauls have set their sights on a much larger location, a warehouse in the Downtown area that will house Lafayette’s first taproom-only microbrewery.

The Pauls say that the microbrewery location will be focused on selling on-site with canning and packaging available for those who visit to take home and savor the finished product. 

"You won’t see it in a store or restaurant," says John. "This is the only place you can get it."

With the idea and the space all ready to go, the Pauls say all they need is funding. 

John and Jessica have turned to Kickstarter.com to raise the $25,000 needed to help make their dream a reality.

The Pauls say the campaign will go on for 30 days.

 "It’s an all-or-nothing campaign so we meet our funding goal or we don’t," says John. "Nobody’s money goes anywhere if we don’t meet our goal." 

Those who decide to make a donation could have their name featured in the taproom’s "Name of Thrones." It’s a part of the Kickstarter campaign that includes funders adopting a toilet and giving it a name. 

The campaign went live Friday, June 1 and will end on June 30. 

Check out all of the campaign details and brewery information by heading to the website sawbriarbrewery.com