Zac Caramonta on craft beer, skate culture and community at Gnarly Barley
Gnarly Barley Brewing Co. in Hammond, Louisiana, began with homebrewing beside a backyard half-pipe. In this POP nakaro video interview, co-founder Zac Caramonta shares how he and his wife, Cari, turned their passion for craft beer into a Louisiana brewery shaped by skateboarding, live music and community. He explains the Gnarly Barley name, the influences behind its identity and the work of building both a beer manufacturing business and a welcoming taproom.
The couple came to Hammond to attend Southeastern Louisiana University and stayed after graduation. As homebrewing became a larger part of their lives, they began exploring whether their hobby could become a career. Their interests in beer, music and skating helped define the business they wanted to create.
That connection continues through Skater Aid, an Italian-style pilsner whose sales help support skateboarding initiatives across Louisiana, and a taproom that brings musicians and audiences together.
For Caramonta, authenticity means putting something of yourself into the business. He and Cari met at the Howlin’ Wolf, and music remains part of the experience they have built in Hammond. Performances ranging from rock and metal to singer-songwriters give visitors another reason to gather alongside the brewery’s beer releases and events.
Caramonta also explains the two sides of Gnarly Barley. Behind the taproom is a manufacturing operation that brews, packages and distributes beer throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. Visitors experience that work firsthand through brewery tours, fresh pours and releases that are not regularly distributed.
The conversation explores the challenges of entrepreneurship, the importance of investing in people and the community support that helped the brewery grow. What began as an ambition to make and sell beer became a gathering place—and earned recognition from the Louisiana Travel Association as Attraction of the Year.
