- Location
- San Diego
It's taken three years to get tickets for this festival, being as they sell out at the speed of light, so it was with great anticipation that we drove up to Carlsbad on Saturday, tickets-in-hand.
Last year, it rained the whole time. The year before, it rained so hard that Burgeon gave out umbrellas to attendees. Not so this year - we've had no rain in this region since March of last year, so we enjoyed a sunny day with a coastal breeze.
45 breweries were on hand with their brews. Some brought kegs, others poured from cans. With our tickets came unlimited 2oz pours for the day: However, that idea went right out the window, as breweries were pouring way more than that, with some filling our glasses up to the brim. It was going to be that kind of day.
I just went for IPA's and stouts for the entire festival and what really made this one stand out was the large number of breweries that came in from Washington State, Oregon and Colorado, the majority of which do not distribute to SoCal.
Stand outs were Superpower WCIPA (7.2%) from Comrade Brewing Co (Denver CO); Pistol Fingers WCIPA (6.9%) from Stoup Brewing (Seattle WA); Dystopia WCIPA (7.0%) from Grapes of Wrath Brewing (Camas WA); Nostalgic Vibes Pastry Stout (10.0%) from Radiant Brewing (Anaheim CA) and Phases of Darkness Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (15.9%) from Ruse Brewing (Portland OR).
Next weekend, Pure Project Brewing celebrate their 9th Anniversary Festival in San Diego. We snagged VIP tickets for that one, so that should be a ripper!
Last year, it rained the whole time. The year before, it rained so hard that Burgeon gave out umbrellas to attendees. Not so this year - we've had no rain in this region since March of last year, so we enjoyed a sunny day with a coastal breeze.
45 breweries were on hand with their brews. Some brought kegs, others poured from cans. With our tickets came unlimited 2oz pours for the day: However, that idea went right out the window, as breweries were pouring way more than that, with some filling our glasses up to the brim. It was going to be that kind of day.
I just went for IPA's and stouts for the entire festival and what really made this one stand out was the large number of breweries that came in from Washington State, Oregon and Colorado, the majority of which do not distribute to SoCal.
Stand outs were Superpower WCIPA (7.2%) from Comrade Brewing Co (Denver CO); Pistol Fingers WCIPA (6.9%) from Stoup Brewing (Seattle WA); Dystopia WCIPA (7.0%) from Grapes of Wrath Brewing (Camas WA); Nostalgic Vibes Pastry Stout (10.0%) from Radiant Brewing (Anaheim CA) and Phases of Darkness Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout (15.9%) from Ruse Brewing (Portland OR).
Next weekend, Pure Project Brewing celebrate their 9th Anniversary Festival in San Diego. We snagged VIP tickets for that one, so that should be a ripper!
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