Beer Festivals are hard to do right. There are some that occupy rarefied air like the Firestone Walker Invitational and others that are well organized with well curated beer lists while others simply bring a shrug of indifference. And then there are some that are intriguing such as this November Festival staged by Shelton Brothers in Long Beach at Crafted….
The brewery list is foreign focused which is a rarity but the smaller California list is amazing and I would go just for those 7. Below is the full list with my highlights, highlighted
International Breweries:
Baird (Japan) ▪ Be.Er Brewery (Belgium) ▪ Birra Toccalmatto (Italy) ▪ Blaugies (Belgium) ▪ Brekeriet (Sweden) ▪ Brewfist (Italy) ▪ Ca L’Arenys/Guineu (Spain) ▪ Cantillon (Belgium) ▪ CCM (Catalonia, Spain) ▪ De La Senne (Belgium) ▪ De Ranke (Belgium) ▪ Dieu du Ciel! (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Drie Fonteinen (Belgium) ▪ Het Nest (Belgium) ▪ Jandrain-Jandrenouille (Belgium) ▪ Le Cheval Blanc (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Le Trou du Diable (Quebec, Canada) ▪ Magic Rock (UK) ▪ Mahr’s (Germany) ▪ Mikkeller (Denmark) ▪ Oersoep (Netherlands) ▪ Oliver’s Cider and Perry (UK) ▪ Page 24 (France) ▪ Pays du Flamand (France) ▪ Rappi Bier Factory (Switzerland) ▪ Renaissance (New Zealand) ▪ Ribela (Spain) ▪ Siren (UK) ▪ Struise (Belgium) ▪ Thiriez (France) ▪ To Øl (Denmark) ▪ Trois Dames (Switzerland)
U.S. Breweries:
AEppelTreow Winery (Wisconsin) ▪ Allagash (Maine) ▪ Arizona Wilderness (Arizona) ▪ Artisan Beverage Coop (Massachusetts) ▪ Cambridge (Massachusetts) ▪ Crooked Stave (USA) ▪ Hill Farmstead (Vermont) ▪ Jester King (Texas) ▪ Jolly Pumpkin (Michigan) ▪ Oxbow Brewing (Maine) ▪ Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma) ▪ Pretty Things (Massachusetts) ▪ Saint Somewhere (Florida) ▪ Shmaltz (New York) ▪ Upright (Oregon)
Local Breweries:
Bagby Beer ▪ Beachwood BBQ (CA) ▪ Brouwerij West (CA) ▪ Cellarmaker (CA) ▪ Faction (CA) ▪ Rare Barrel (CA) ▪ Tahoe Mountain (CA)
The only odd, off item is the pricing structure. You pay $40-$45 plus fees just to get in with an empty glass. Then you pay as you go. And I know that imported beer is going to cost more. I get it. But to charge $45 entry seems steep even though the 2oz tasters are a buck a pop which is fair to low.
Now I prefer the pay as you go compared to unlimited tasters because it does cut down on over imbibing and forces fest goers to make wise choices. The only issue is now you have created another line or two inside the fest. It can be done but I think most beer folk are more used to the common, pay once up front and get your fill.
I also am concerned how they are going to work crowd management for multiple sessions over multiple days. Will people be ushered out in time for the next batch to show up? Again, it can be done but it is extra work for a large festival.
I will be very interested to see the reaction and recaps in the days after.