Friday, July 29, 2016

7th Annual OC Brew Ha Ha

7th Annual OC Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival Returns to Oak Canyon September 24

I'm so excited that one of my favorite beer events of the year is just around the corner! I've
attended the OC Brew Ha Ha for the past there years and had a rad time each year! If you're curious what the OC Brew Ha Ha is all about, check out some of my previous recaps here and here. Information about this year's event is detailed below.

Cheers to rad beers and friends!
Silverado, CA--Brew Ha Ha Productions and the OC Fair produced another stand out
collaboration at this year's 3rd Annual Brew Hee Haw Craft Beer Round up, with record-breaking attendance and over 100 stand out craft beers served.  Following the successful Brew Hee Haw, the 7th annual Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival will return to the beautiful Oak Canyon Private Ranch on Saturday, September 24th.  This year's festival will present over 90 craft breweries sampling more than 250 craft and import beers as the festival continues to reign as "Orange County's Favorite Beer Festival."

The 3rd annual Brew Hee Haw returned to opening weekend of the OC Fair with a new, larger location and an additional tasting session, attracting record-breaking attendees while raising over $12,000 for local charities like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and Inland Empire.  In addition to over 80 different taps pooled from some of the best Southern California breweries and beyond, VIP attendees sampled seasonal and limited release beers including Greyhound Grapefruit IPA from Bottle Logic and Dusk Till Dawn Imperial Coffee Porter from Pizza Port San Clemente, Breaking Bud IPA from Knee Deep, Nom Nom Mango Hefeweizen from Barley Forge, and more!

This year's 7th Annual Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival will break their own record of the largest and best selection of craft beer in OC.  This Award Winning craft beer experience will offer all of the elements that have repeatedly earned it the title of OC's Best Beer Festival from the OC Beer Society.  Craft beer enthusiasts and 'seekers' will enjoy quality craft beer, gourmet food trucks and restaurant vendors, live music, and presentations by renowned beer experts including Anthony Chen: Lead Brewer and Brewing/Cellar Manager at AleSmith Brewing Co., and Jim Crooks: Masterblender at Firestone Walker Barrel Works.

The Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival highlights the rapidly growing craft beer scene in Orange County, with unlimited tastings from an impressive list of breweries that includes AleSmith Brewing, Bottle Logic, Stone Brewing Co., Mikkeller Brewing SD, Firestone Walker, Portland Cider, Founders Brewing Co. and many more.  While beer is center stage at this event, guests will also enjoy live entertainment from Groove Session and The Spazmatics and the always-anticipated Brew Ha Ha collaboration beer!

The 2016 collaboration beer will be brewed by two of Southern California's most exciting breweries, Bottle Logic out of Orange County and AleSmith Brewing Co. from San Diego.  The collaboration will be available in Southern California in both bottles and on draft.  Enthusiasts can sample the beer at the dedicated pouring station for it at the festival.  Can't wait to sample?  The collaboration beer will be available on shelves and in taprooms starting one week prior to Brew Ha Ha.

Returning to this year's event are crowd favorite games and hilarious exhibitors for guests to tests their skills in friendly competitions.  Attendees will also have the opportunity to relax in the Gray Cloud Cigar Lounge with cigar and beer pairing experts.

This year this iconic craft beer experience will be held the first weekend of fall, taking advantage of cooler temperatures and soft breezes at the beautiful Oak Canyon Private Ranch.  Also, new this year is a free shuttle service where attendees can get a ride out of the park to the Tustin area.  With limited cell service at this location, Brew Ha Ha productions team encourages attendees to arrive to the event via a cab, Lyft, UBER, family or friend and take a shuttle out.

Tickets for the 7th annual Brew Ha Ha on September 24th are on sale now.  Early Bird tickets sold out the day they went on sale.  General admission tickets are $45 and VIP tickets are $60.  Designated driver tickets are available for purchase upon entry and must be accompanied by a paid ticketholder.

OC Brew Ha Ha is a 21+, rain or shine event that kicks off at 12 p.m. for VIP guests and 1 p.m. for general admission guests.  Taps close at 4 p.m. but the festival goes until 5 p.m..  Staff members will gladly assist attendees with utilizing pre-ordered rides and FREE SHUTTLES to Tustin.  Oak Canyon Ranch is located at 5305 East Santiago Canyon Road Silverado, CA 92676.  
For festival information visit:  www.ocbrewhaha.com.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Brewers Association Mid-Year Metrics Show Continued Growth for Craft

Brewers Association Mid-Year Metrics
Show Continued Growth for Craft

Brewery Count Reaches Historic High

Boulder, CO • July 26, 2016—Craft brewers are still growing, according to new mid-year data released by the Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers. American craft beer production volume increased eight percent during the first half of the year.

“While the craft brewing industry is entering a period of maturation, most markets are not near saturation,” said Bart Watson, chief economist, Brewers Association. “As craft’s base gets larger, as with any industry, it becomes more difficult for it to grow at the same percentage rate. Yet there is still tremendous dynamism reflected in eight percent growth for craft.  Production growth of small and independent craft brewers continues to be one of the main bright spots for domestic beer in the U.S. Even in a more competitive market, for the vast majority of small and independent brewers, opportunities still exist.”


As of June 30, a record high of 4,656 breweries were operating in the U.S, an increase of 917 breweries over the same time period of the previous year. Additionally, there were approximately 2,200 breweries in planning. Craft brewers currently employ an estimated 121,843 full-time and part-time workers in a variety of roles including many of manufacturing jobs, all of which contribute significantly to the U.S. economy.

“The opening rate compared to closing rate for breweries remains incredibly strong, with a historic number of breweries operating in the U.S.,” added Watson. “As long as there is growing consumer demand, beer lovers’ thirst will continue to advance the category of craft brewed beer from small and independent producers.”
Note: The data set includes the small and independent breweries that the Brewers Association anticipates being included in the 2016 data set.
Craft brewer definition: An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional. Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships. IndependentLess than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.Traditional: A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

Friday, July 22, 2016

OC Brewers Guild Fest 2016 Recap


Last month, I had the chance to attend the inaugural OC Brewers Guild Fest.  This event was held in conjunction with OC Beer Week, and was a fantastic way to kick off a weeklong celebration of Orange County beer.





The OC Brewers Guild Fest took place at the Fullerton Arboretum, which is a beautiful setting on it's own, but it became even more beautiful with wonderful local beers!  Included with admission were unlimited pours of beers, including special releases, as well as food from local restaurants, live music, and of course, fun in a picturesque setting.  




The event started later in the day, which was nice since so it seems that so many beer events are during the hottest part of the day.  With a late start and cloudy weather, it really helped attendees enjoy themselves even more.  Having the event at the Fullerton Arboretum, which is a large outdoor venue really helped to spread out both attendees and vendors.  Even though it is a larger venue, it still felt as if you were at a friend's backyard, which made the event even more enjoyable.  The lines for beer were manageable throughout the event, there was plenty of seating which also helped attendees to take their time enjoying their beers, food, and the live music.




During the event, Gregory Nagel of OC Beer Blog hosted a seminar with local brewers.  It's always great to have the opportunity to learn more about beer, especially when the brewers themselves are able to answer questions.




It was very apparent that there was a lot of time and effort put into the planning of the OC Brewers Guild Fest which helped ensure that everything went smoothly and attendees had an amazing time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the inaugural OC Brewers Guild Fest, and am looking forward to attending next year!