The inaugural Socal Suds Beer Fest went down in history this past Saturday, August 21. If you were one of the hundreds of South Bay beer afficiandos that turned out, I hope you'll agree with me when I say it was a great event!
Here's a quick look back at the event along with some pictures. Be sure to check out the details that follow for a chance at some cool swag!
The Venue
When I arrived at the location around 1 PM, checking in was a breeze. There were no lines at will call so a quick look up of my name had me wearing my bracelet and in the door in no time.
All attendees were given a cute little tasting glass to use during the event. Kudos to the organizers for keeping the event green — no trash from paper cups! — and for adding a branded souvenir to take home.
As advertised, the event took place at Aviation Park in Redondo Beach near the corner of Aviation and Manhattan Beach Blvds. In reality, the set up was next to the park in the parking lot of the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. This wasn't a big deal for me as there was plenty of space just the same.
In fact, space was never an issue. The tasting booths were spread out evenly and there was plenty of room for people to walk around to get their pours.
The Vendors
More than 40 local and national brands were represented at Beer Fest. In an attempt to be thorough, I did my best to try all of them! I was glad to see some old favorites (Blue Moon, Woodchuck Cider) and taste some new ones (Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas). I wanted to pick a best in show but it was tough; there were too many good beers there to pick just one.
The Food
Even though this was a beer drinking tasting, it was expected that some good food would be on hand to wash down the beer. Silvio's Brazilian BBQ of Hermosa Beach was there to cover that aspect, dishing up bowls of seasoned fries and plates of BBQ sandwiches.
While I was there during the first session — there were two sessions, 1-4 PM and 4-8 PM — Silvio's was the only option for grubbing. I was hoping there would have been more, though, just to have one or two more choices. There may have been more options later as food trucks rolled in (I saw the Big Swirl truck arriving as I was leaving).
The Music
For the attendees listening pleasure, Upstream played some great reggae and soca music. It was a perfect fit for the laid back, beachy vibe of the event. The afternoon session was attended to by Whispering Pines.
Thank You, Sir. May I Have Another?
Getting feedback from the folks at the event, there seemed to be a general consensus that Socal Suds Beer Fest was a success; an event done right. My friends and I left happy that we came and hopeful that there will be another, similar event sometime soon.
You can help bring Beer Fest back, by letting me know right here!
Share Your Thoughts and Get Entered For a Beer Fest Swag Bag
There was no official swag bag for this event. Everyone — even the VIPs — came on the same terms and were treated just as well as the person next to them. There were vendors giving out goodies though, and I managed to scoop up a few to take home.
Fortunately for you, I'm giving these goodies away! Leave a comment below and I'll enter your name to win some Beer Fest swag including an XL-sized tee shirt from Four Loko, various bottle openers, and some beer-themed refrigerator magnets. Here's the deal:
- If you went to Beer Fest, let me know what you liked and what you didn't like about the event. Would you go back again? What would you take away or add?
- If you didn't go, tell me what you were drinking last Saturday afternoon. Was it beer? If it wasn't, why not!?
- Seems like everyone wants a Twitter option with a give away so here ya go. Follow this link to send a tweet for one extra entry.
- If you'd rather have an anonymous entry, send an email to info@southbayfoodies.com or use the contact form.
I'll use Random.org to pick the winner at 5 PM PST on Friday, August, 21. US Residents only, please. I'll contact the winner via email for a mailing address for shipping.
Cheers and good luck!
[UPDATE: The give away is closed! :D]