Ye Scallywag

I am SO excited for this year's debut of Ye Scallywag!, a day-long music, craft beer, wine, and food festival, to take place on Saturday October, 22nd at Waterfront Park in San Diego, CA.  Produced by premier musical festival production company Synergy Global Entertainment (SGE), Orange County, California's most successful and respected craft beer festival producer Brew Ha Ha Productions, San Diego's leading alternative radio station 91X, and California's top rock radio station KFM-BFM, the festival will feature over 100 craft breweries and artisan wineries, along with a full day of music led by NOFX and Bad Religion.

"Scallywag! will be unlike any legitimate craft beer or wine event ever produced," says Ye Scallywag! co-producer Cameron Collins of Brew Ha Ha Productions.  "We are bringing in some of the most sought after and award winning breweries in the country as well as some incredible wineries from Paso Robles, the Napa Valley, Central Coast and beyond all set to the music of artists like Bad Religion.  We've really got something special here!"

91X's Halloran adds, "Ye Scallywag! will be the perfect San Diego event to make one truly grateful for this wondrous California lifestyle.  The craftiness of the beer, wine, food and bands will prove that indeed, San Diego has the best.  I am looking forward to an amazing day."

Fat Mike of musical headliner NOFX says, "When I started NOFX in 1983 I dreamed of being a scallywag one day, at least by the time I was 50.  Well, not only am I a scallywag, but I'm also playing the Scallywag Festval!  

P.S. What's a scallywag? Is that like being a pirate?"

Some of the breweries participating include: Left Coast Brewing, Mikkeller SD, Modern Times, Coronado Brewing, Fall Brewing, Good Beer Co, Figueroa Mountain Brewing, Ska Brewing, Artifex Brewing, Bottle Logic, Burning Beard, Chapman Brewing, Bootleggers Brewing, 101 Ciderhouse and many more!

I know where I'll be on October 22nd, what about you?  Tickets are available while supplies last here.

Game Day Snacks Featuring Sartori Cheese

Last week, I was asked by #FoodieChats to create some game day snacks using Sartori Cheese.  I was so excited to participate!  A package arrived on Friday with three types of cheese from Sartori Cheese as well as a Green Bay Packers hat.

My boyfriend and I quickly started brainstorming ideas for what we would create.  Of course, we also had to make sure that we included beer with our game day snack foods.  We decided to make three items, featuring the three cheeses that were sent from Sartori Cheese.  We also decided to make sure to include the San Diego Chargers as well as use a cutting board in the shape of the great state of California!

First, we made cheese football crackers using the Chipotle Bellavitano cheese.  

Next up, we made bite sized grilled cheese sandwiches with apple slices, Sartori Montamore cheese and drizzled it with honey.  

Finally, we used chicken apple sausages with marinara sauce topped with Sartori Reserve Tuscan Blend Shaved cheese.

Cheese Football Crackers

Ingredients:

8 ounces Sartori Chipotle Bellavitano

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup flour

5 tablespoons Left Coast Amber Lager Una Mas

1 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with dough hook.

Once a ball of dough is formed, roll out the dough and cut into desired shape.  In this case, we used a pizza cutter to create the football shapes as well as to score the lines on the crackers.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Chicken Sausage with Marinara

Ingredients:

One container of Sartori Reserve Tuscan Blend Shaved cheese

One package of chicken apple sausages

One small container of marinara sauce

One package of hot dog buns

1 can Oggi's Tomlinson 21 SIPA

Directions:

Boil sausages in beer, finish off on grill.

Top sausages with marinara sauce and cheese.

Grilled Cheese with Apple

Ingredients:

Sartori Montamore cheese 

2 slices sourdough bread

Butter

1 Granny Smith apple

Honey

Directions:

Preheat skillet over medium heat.

Butter both slices of bread with desired amount of butter.

Place bread butter side down in skillet and add slices of cheese and apple.

Butter the second slice of bread and place butter-side up on top of sandwich.

Grill until lightly browned and flip over.

Cut sandwich into small slices.

Drizzle with honey as desired.

Firestone Walker's Oaktoberfest Returns!

A FALL CLASSIC RETURNS

Firestone Walker’s “Oaktoberfest” Reborn This Month in New 16-Ounce Can Format

Paso Robles, CA: After a one-year hiatus, Firestone Walker Brewing Company’s seasonal Oaktoberfest makes its packaged return this month in a dashing new 16-ounce can format.

“We brewed a single batch of Oaktoberfest for select draft accounts last year, but that was it,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s cool to have this beer back in the package, particularly in this new four-pack. You might be tempted to retire your stein and quaff it straight from the can.”

Oaktoberfest is a “Paso Märzen Bier” made to honor the classic Märzen style while exhibiting just a hint of extra West Coast hoppiness. All of the ingredients are sourced from Germany, including Vienna and Pilsner malts as well as Hallertau Tradition hops.

“Malty sweetness and subtle honey-like aromas take the lead on this beer, but there’s also a subtext of noble hop spiciness,” Brynildson said. “It’s mellow and rounded, and has a beautiful autumn orange hue.”

Oaktoberfest is a seasonal offering for late summer and fall, and will be available in all Firestone Walker markets starting in mid August. While Oaktoberfest has long been a fall staple at the brewery, this latest release marks only the second time it has been packaged.

The name Oaktoberfest is a nod to the brewery’s hometown of Paso Robles—Spanish for “Pass of The Oaks”—as well as the longtime presence of oak barrels as a central part of the Firestone Walker brewing operation. The checkered blue and white pattern on the label echoes the Bavarian flag and pays homage to the Oktoberfest style.

Also on the homefront, the third annual 2016 Madonna Inn Oktoberfest presented by Firestone Walker Brewing Company takes place on October 1 in San Luis Obispo. As always, Oaktoberfest will be racked to oak barrels and ceremonially tapped to punctuate the festivities.

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.