Fest Review – L.A. Vegan Beer Fest

First time Vegan-Fester, that’s me. I walked past a gaggle of soccer games near the Rose Bowl on Saturday afternoon towards a backdrop of the San Gabriel’s and the entrance to the Vegan Beer Festival 2015.

This is an impressive venue for a beer event. There is something about being at the 50 yard line of a stadium that most usually see just on a TV screen. As we all filed onto the field through the stands the layout was simple. Food and beer vendors (some trucks, some not) along the side with shaded beer booths down the middle.

There were two breweries that I specifically wanted to sample. The new Solarc as well as Wicks. Solarc was pouring their Gruit and a hatch pepper black IPA which was easy on the spice. The trio of flavors worked well for me. I chose the cream ale from Wicks which was fine. Not to the level of TAPS or Beachwood but certainly tasty.

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Of course, I started the day easy with the Firestone Walker Easy Jack which still stands out in a festival crowd. But the other beers that caught my attention were the Ambler from Phantom Carriage. A very refreshing and almost entry level farmhouse ale. Pacific Plate’s Spring Ale was a delightful blend of ginger and other spices. Three Weavers had their Bogemian Bao Bao IPA which had a bright citrusy character to it. Lastly the newly bottled, I Love It from Noble Ale Works worked hop wonders too.

Don’t be surprised that there isn’t much Vegan food talk. I had Mac and cheese waffle. Both odd and quite good. A little on the puny side for five bucks but it was a well executed mash-up. Past that there were plenty of options from pizza to tacos to pudding. You could drop some money and be well fed.

I posted photos of the field in a before and after fashion. The VIP hour and for an hour into the general admission, the lines were not bad at all. By 2:30 when I had my fill of beer, the lines were working their way to too long status. The VIP lounge in the UCLA locker room was full and bottlenecks were 405’ing in pockets.

I heard that the total number of tickets were in the 6k range. Maybe even 7k. That is an impressive amount of people. And one that makes me wonder if the organizers would be better served to make this a two session event. I, for one, would enjoy drinking under the stars in a night session.

That suggestion aside, this is a well run festival where you get your money’s worth. Especially if you go the VIP ticket route. The setting and the more fun- less beer bro nature of the vegan and beer crowd make for a good afternoon.