OC Beer Fest 2011 – Photos / Review

Review Posted May 15, 2011

The Third Annual OC Beer Fest by Drink Eat Play went off without a hitch, providing thousands of Southern California beer connoisseurs with no shortage of beer choices.

Stealing the show were the dancing, blow-up beer bottles from Evans, providing no shortage of entertainment for the audience. Of course, the formal entertainment of the mock-80′s band Metal Shop drew large crowds to the concert stage throughout the afternoon.

On the beer front, the selections were an eclectic mix of local, national and international brands. Plenty of Orange County breweries were in attendance, with the Inland Empire breweries including local favorite Hangar 24 (serving Orange Wheat and IPA), Main Street Brewery in Corona and Inland Empire Brewing Company tapping a fresh keg of their well-liked Victoria. We observed no shortages throughout the afternoon, though a few distilleries had some hiccups getting started.

The food trucks provided an excellent assortment of hot dogs, fries and more, all of which were a tasty compliment to the beer offerings.

Irvine Lake provided a superb backdrop. Hidden in the hills between Irvine and Corona, Irvine Lake provided plenty of grass to rest in and views of untouched scenery.

While the sky remained ominous throughout the afternoon and occasionally brought a few sprinkles, there was no rain. The only downside of the day was getting out, as those who didn’t opt for the $10 VIP parking were at the back of the line facing a 30+ minute wait to get on the road.

Overall, the event was well executed. The crowds were happy, the offerings were plentiful, the music was upbeat and the food trucks were well selected. Many in the crowd looked forward to the next OC Beer Fest and to the other events organized by Drink Eat Play.

Preview Posted March 7, 2011

Drink Eat Play’s Orange County Beer Fest on May 14, 2011 will be just five miles outside of the Inland Empire, if you could fly over the hills behind Corona- But don’t tell those behind the Orange Curtain that!

This one-day event will cost just $40 for unlimited four ounce pours in addition to live music. Food is sold separately, with 7 food trucks confirmed. This marks the third anniversary of this festival, though that is a bit deceptive as Drink Eat Play has extensive experience organizing these events throughout Southern California.

The real reason to attend is the beer- with 100 breweries providing their fermentations on tap. While most of the breweries are American craft beers, many are imports. The Inland Empire breweries represented will include IE Brewing Company from Riverside and Hangar 24 from Redlands, as well as The Bruery and Bootlegger’s from nearby Fullerton, in addition to numerous beers from San Diego.

The full beer/breweries list, as of early May, is slated to include:

• Hangar 24
• Sierra Nevada
• Wingman Brewers, Tacoma, WA
• Lagunitas Brewing Company, Petaluma, CA
• The Original Fireman’s Brew
• Samuel Adams
• Grand Teton Brewing Co. (Pursuit of Hoppiness, Bitch Creek and Fest Bier)
• Skyscraper Brewing Company
• Coronado Brewing Company
• Pabst Blue Ribbon
• Shock Top
• Ballast Point Brewing Company
• Kona Brewing Co.
• The Bruery, Fullerton, CA
• Mendocino Brewing Co.
• Bayhawk Ales, Irvine, CA
• Pyramid Breweries
• Bootleger’s Brewery, Fullerton, CA
• Joser Bierbitzch Golden Pilsner
• Xingu
• Franziskaner
• Triple Moine
• Blue Moon
• Peroni
• Stone Brewing Co., North County San Diego, CA
• Cismontane Brewing Co, South Orange County, CA
• Singha Beer
• Sudwerk Lager Beers
• Karl Straus Brewing Company
• Lhasa Beer
• WittekerkeBelgium Wheat Ale
• Backstreet Brewing
• Gulden Draak
• Magic Hat Brewing Company
• Monk’s Cafe
• Piraat Ale
• Primo, Hawaii’s Original Beer
• Duvel
• Ommegang Brewery
• Airdale Brewing Company
• So Cal Beer Company
• S’Peter’s English Ale
• Kooksoondang
• Dundee Original Honey Brown Lager
• Asahi
• Inland Empire Brewing Company, Riverside, CA
• Alaskan Brewing Co.
• Session Lager
• Cerveza Modelo Especial
• Flying Dog Brewery
• Cosmic Ales, California
• Full Sail Brewing Company
• Kronenbourg 1664
• Ladyface Ale Company
• Left Coast Brewing Co.
• Grimbergen
• Cerveza Pacifico Clara
• Victoria, Monoff’s Black Star
• Steelhead Brewing Co.
• Brouwerij 5 West
• Napa Smith Brewery
• Fox Barrel

The entertainment will be Metal Shop, a humorous Spinal Tap type parody on the 80′s and early 90′s Hair Band era. Group covers material by: Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Quiet Riot, Poison, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister and many more.

Invite your friends to come on Facebook and they’ll thank you after! Be sure to bring a designated driver- they can purchase tickets at the door for only $15. If you plan ahead, you can even camp at Lake Irvine.

OC Beer Fest 2011: May 14th, 2011: 3pm to 6pm. Lake Irvine, 4621 Santiago Canyon Rd, Silverado, CA 92676-9757