One way for the kinda struggling festival format is to niche it out. Institution Ale Co. has done that with their upcoming festival devoted to the pale ale.
Pale Camarillo
LB Locals Only
Consider my head turned. This is a lovely list of breweries for those like me who are looking into attending a beer festival again. Plus it has an added benefit of having teo breweries listed that I have not had beer from.
Click HERE for further details.
Bring Out your Dead
Yorkshire Square is bring their ode to the cask back in 2019. Cask’s Not Dead Fest, will have real ale from over 30 of your favorite California breweries on November 9th.
Early Bird VIP Admission: $45 (VIP ONLY session from 12pm-1pm)
Early Bird General Admission: $35 (Session from 1pm-5pm)
Confirmed breweries
Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill
Arts District Brewing Co.
Bagby Beer
Brewery X
Cellador Ales
Eagle Rock Brewery
El Segundo Brewing Co.
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Freewheel Brewing Company
Green Cheek Beer Co.
HopSaint Brewing Company
Imperial Western Beer Company
Project Barley Brewery
Riip Beer Company
Sierra Nevada
Simmzy’s
Smog City Brewing
The Stalking Horse
State Brewing Co.
Stereo Brewing Company
Yorkshire Square Brewery
Need a reason other than cask + the brewery list? Well proceeds go to the Los Angeles County Brewers Guild.
CCBA 2019 – The Festival
Saturday comes and I am trundling down to Long Beach from Glendale for the third time for the festival that ends the California Craft Beer Summit…
First, the line of tents for this festival was an impressive sight. It just kept going off into the distance. So, yes, there was a lot of California beer being poured
Let’s dive into my best and worst of the small percentage of beers that I could safely sample:
My Best in Show
1. Temescal Brewing Belgo Belgian Pale Ale
2. Cellarmaker Wild Gooseberry Chase IPA
3. Original Pattern Scotch Ale
The Belgo was so good, that I almost wanted to camp at the Temescal booth and have all three of their beers (I did have the Pils which was quite good). It had a big Belgian yeast character married to a Pale and touch hoppy ale. Cellarmaker had a trio of IPA’s in cans. I tried two and again almost went back for number three. Gooseberry was a crushing hit of Nelson Sauvin hops. Lastly, Original Pattern brought a freshly kegged Scotch Ale that was lovely and balanced.
The M’eh List
1. Karl Strauss / Russian River New California IPA
2. Flatland Brewing Middle of Somewhere Else Sour
When you pair anyone with Russian River, the beer should be great. This IPA would have been boring for a British IPA. No hop presence at all. The dry hopped meets apricot sour from Flatland was just butter and apricot. Pastry sour?
Super Sour Friends
The L.A. County Brewers Guild teamed up with Eagle Rock for their Session Fest and now the Guild is working with Cellador Ales on their LA Beer Week sour spectacular on June 22nd. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
With just a few cool breweries tucked into the Cellador space…
Beachwood Blendery
Brouwerij West
Casa Agria
Cellador Ales
Craftsman
Dionysus
Highland Park Brewery
Horus Aged Ales
Homage Brewing
Long Beach Beer Lab
Mikkeller SD
Modern Times
Pure Project
Sour Cellars
The Bruery
+one Northern CA honorary guest, The Rare Barrel
& newly added, Central Coast honorary guest, Firestone Walker Barrelworks!
April Cerveceros
The SoCal Cerveceros will take over La Plaza de Cultura y Artes in late April with another gathering of their home brewing crew. The largest Latino brew club in the country and one that has been getting more attention not just in Los Angeles.
Plus proceeds from the ticket price benefit the Gumball Foundation and LA Plaza’s educational programs. Drink beer and help a good cause.
July United
The next iteration of the DTLA Brewers United Festival, # 4.0, is scheduled for Sunday, July 22nd from 4-8pm at the Triangle parking lot outside of Angel City Brewery in the Arts District.
Three items of note to help you decide to buy a ticket:
1. Each brewery will also showcase a themed fruit beer as well, perfect for the summer weather.
2. 100% of the proceeds benefit the Keep A Breast Foundation, a nonprofit breast cancer organization.
3. Highland Park – Chinatown has been added to the mix
Your list of breweries is this: Participating breweries include Angel City Brewery, Arts District Brewing Co, Boomtown Brewery, Dry River Brewing, Highland Park Brewery, Indie Brewing Company, Iron Triangle Brewing, and Mumford Brewing.
Here are you ticket details, General admission tickets are $45 and include unlimited tastings and commemorative glassware. Designated driver tickets are also available for $15. Guests must be 21+ to attend. RSVP and purchase tickets HERE.
Get Ready to Summit
This week, specfically this Tuesday, you can get your tickets to THE California beer festival….
Head HERE to get your tickets to travel the state in #independent beer without traveling from Yreka to Calexico.
Lagerville in Buellton
If you are nearing lupulin overdose, hold on. There is a festival coming in May that can help.
Figueroa Mountain will be hosting their 1st Lagerville event at their Buellton based brewery on May 19th. L.A. locals like Eagle Rock, Enegren and King Harbor will be in attendance along with TAPS, Chapman Crafted , Brewery Rex and other known names.
A portion of the receipts will benefit the Los Padres Forest Watch, a charity that FigMtn has been working with for years.
Keep up to date with new over on Instahoot @lagerville.
DTLA United – Year 2
In what has to be the smallest footprint of a beer festival, last year’s DTLA United Fest, occupied a teeny triangle sliver of space in the Arts District.
The fest is back for year 2. In the same small spot.
If you are available from 4-8 PM on Sunday, July 16th and are quick on the ticket buying draw, for only $45 you will get unlimited tastings featuring limited edition and specialty beers from the 7 DTLA Breweries (and other local libations and food).
The best part? 100% of the proceeds will benefit Keep A Breast.