The be-all, end-all of California brewing festivals made Long Beach the state’s go-to suds-site this weekend.
Thousands of saison, lager and IPA enthusiasts were treated to around 600 beers from more than 170 craft brewers at the California Craft Beer Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Marina Green Park. More than 2,000 attendees enjoyed as many brews as possible.
Brewdom’s barons and baronesses journeyed from up and down the coastline to attend the state’s largest craft beer festival, the malty-hopsy crescendo of the four-day California Craft Beer Summit. At the nearby Convention Center, the beer business showed off its buzziest brainstorms and the industry’s biggest thinkers huddled over how to delight more drinkers.
The summit, typically held at the Sacramento Convention Center, was moved to Long Beach this year due to construction at that facility — but also to show some love for Southern California’s breweries.
“Last (summit) was pretty rad because it was right in Sacramento by the Capitol building,” said Jon Cuthbert of Long Beach’s Ambitious Ales. “But being in our home, the response has been great.”
Taking advantage of a 2015 zoning code amendment that allows for tasting rooms, Ambitious Ales — a group effort of five friends — quickly became a citywide favorite in 2018, largely due to its popular Central Perk blonde ale. But the recipe for success had been in the works long before its opening, according to Cuthbert.
“We’ve been home brewing for about 10 years now, doing non-profits and weddings,” said Cuthbert. “We worked long enough to get the recipes just right before opening.”
Such perfected recipes were a main reason for the myriad breweries chosen to be featured at the event, including Lido-based Highwater Brewing’s Campfire Stout.
“We started off crafting IPAs but wanted to try something different, something that tasted like s’mores” said Ron Terry. “(Campfire Stout) has hints of chocolate, marshmallow, and graham crackers.”
From just across the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Brouwerij West was a popular stop among attendees. The San Pedro-based brewing company has been a staple in the city since opening its warehouse doors in 2016.
“(The festival) being set in Long Beach has been great,” said Vito Trautz, the brewery’s Marketing and Brand Director. “This is our backyard.”
On top of the beer festival, Brouwerij West also celebrated the end of summer with its final Popfuji summer concert series, Saturday at its warehouse.
While there were more than enough beers to try, one of the few complaints about the event — lack of time to try all of the beers, at least according to Long Beach residents Max MacLeay and Billy Delpit.
“We figured we’d start off hitting 60 breweries an hour,” said Delpit. “But we realized there was like 160 and it’d be impossible to hit them all so we’ve done every other [vendor] so far.”
A four-hour festival isn’t enough time, said MacLeay.
“This should be a full weekend of drinking,” MacLeay said. “And none of these three-ounce glasses. We need steins, German-style!”
Ultimately, every brewery was there to connect with a new audience and to form new relationships with others who share the passion for the craft.
“Craft breweries understand that this liquid we brew that brings us all together is about diversity,” said Teo Hunter of Crowns & Hops Brewing Co., a new brewery slated to open in Inglewood in 2020.
In true Long Beach style, Hunter followed his remarks up with a stage performance, along with a musical ensemble, of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice.”
