Second Line Brewing names Shalanda Jackson lead brewer in New Orleans

Second Line Brewing named Shalanda Jackson its new lead brewer, bringing a brewer with experience in beers, seltzers, THC beverages and quality lab testing into the Mid-City brewhouse. The July 1 move gives the 433 N. Bernadotte St. brewery a new production lead. Jackson had been at Urban South Brewery, where she also represented the company at festivals and events.

Her path runs through Village Brewing Company in New Jersey, a Brewing Science Certification from St. Joseph’s University and the World Brewing Academy’s Concise Course in Brewing Technology through the Siebel Institute. The program gives students comprehensive knowledge of the brewing process and brewery operations.

She helped curate Barrels on the Bayou, Louisiana’s first Black beer festival, built as a two-day event featuring 30 Black breweries and collaborations, live music, art and New Orleans-specific activations. She also took part in a Multiculturalism in Tap panel at the Craft Professional Brewers Conference and had an ESSENCE Festival panel scheduled. Jackson is a Michael James Jackson Foundation scholarship recipient and a Pink Boots Society member.

At Second Line, Jackson will work closely with head brewer Gar Hatcher as she learns day-to-day brewhouse operations and gets exposure to the business side under managing partner Karen Logan. “We’re thrilled to welcome Shalanda to the Second Line family,” Hatcher said, praising her brewing experience, passion for the craft and commitment to community. Second Line, founded in 2014 by Mark and Karen Logan, is independently owned and women-, veteran- and minority-owned, and its name nods to New Orleans second line parade traditions rooted in jazz funeral customs. By 2015, the brewery had opened a 12,000-square-foot Mid-City brewhouse and was brewing an IPA among its anticipated flagship beers.