Festivals are probably the most engaging type of event you can attend to get to know your friendly, neighborhood local beer. If you are anything like me, getting to know what new flavors are brewing around town, finding out who is behind them, and simply just creating your own go-to-beer list is super exciting and festivals bring them all to one location for our enjoyment.
My favorites are those who also include a good musical lineup but that’s not even the best part about them. If you ask me, my favorite part of beer festivals in general is the fact that you can sample the best beers from breweries in other parts of the country FROM THE TAP! Yea, sure you can stop by a place like BevMo for a nice bottled beer from a town nobody further than 30 miles from it has ever heard of, but I always wonder how long those cans or bottles have been sitting on the shelf… and in what condition they have lived through before I came along. You can never rely on the freshness of the product if it has been fluctuating in temperature while it was being transported to your local store but, at festivals, there it is… all nice, cold, and keg’d up.
With all the different annual festivals coming into San Diego, some have had to step up their game and be unique in their approach. Everything from beer pairings with desserts to unlimited tastings between designated hours, there is one for just about everyone. I will be highlighting three festivals coming up within the next couple of months so be on the lookout for ticket sales and promotion codes leading up to the shows.
BEST COAST BEER FEST MARCH 10, 2018
Located in the Embarcadero Park South, general admission goes from 2pm – 5pm, includes unlimited beer samples from a souvenir tasting cup and and is currently showing six different food trucks with more breweries being announced weekly.
What’s interesting about this festival is the cause it is supporting. Cuck Fancer is a non-profit organization that raises awareness of young adult cancer by helping survivors get back on their feet. Proceeds of this event will go to families of young adult cancer survivors to help them move forward from their courageous battle. This will help provide assistance with necessities such as medical bills, tuition and school supplies, rent, and other obstacles they may be facing.
For more information on this event, check out bestcoastbeerfest.com and cuckfancer.org
MISSION VALLEY CRAFT BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL MARCH 31, 2018
That’s right kids… FOOD is included with this ticket! Their website states “…you cannot be festive if you’re not feasting…” so I’m gonna take their advice and be festive AF that day! Hours for general admission are from 1:30 – 5:00pm with the last pour/serving being at 4:30 so I suggest to get there early. If you wanna be REALLY early, VIP tickets are available and offer early admittance into the festival at 12:00pm
SDCCU Stadium (formerly Qualcomm Stadium… I know, right?! Weird) will host this event and proceeds will go to Its All About The Kids. IAATK is a non-profit organization dedicated to child development through music and the arts to less fortunate children and their families. For more info, check out their website at mvcbf.com and mvcbf.com/charity
SABROSO CRAFT BEER, TACO & MUSIC FESTIVAL APRIL 7, 2018
This one had me at tacos. Sabroso is a touring craft beer and music festival that offers probably one of the most unique experiences I have ever seen… a Lucha-Libre style wresting match! The winner of said match will have the honor of being crowned the Sabroso Champion and, I have to say, I am super excited to see this match go down!
Sabroso is set to kick off the tour at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, Ca hosting over 100 craft beers, including local favorites, and is headlined by none other than The Offspring, Festival times are set from 1pm – 9pm with four hours of unlimited beer tastings and VIP entry as early as noon. Other acts will include Pennywise, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and Unwritten Law for the Dana Point dates. Pennywise and The Offspring will be headlining every date on the tour.
VIP experiences are almost all sold out so check out their website for this plus all other dates on this tour at sabrosotacofest.com and we will see you there…at the taco line.
If over 12 different gourmet taco vendors and a good variety of craft beer wasn’t enough, a great headlining band plus a good old Lucha Libre style matchup just sounds like an amazing time AND you will also be helping a good cause. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County is a charity that offers several different programs aimed at mentoring and nurturing children, strengthening communities, and building futures that are promising and fulfilling. If you would like to enroll your child, donate, or help in some way please visit their website at ocbigs.org
What is YOUR favorite beer festival? We would love to hear from you! Please subscribe and comment below or shoot us an email at thepubcrawlers@yahoo.com and we will read your email on an upcoming podcast! Cheers!