Brews with Views: The 2016 Newport Beach Beerfest

I hate to be the one to say this but Shakespeare had it wrong: To beer or not to beer—that is the real question. The answer? Let’s have the 2016 Newport Beach Beerfest respond, because it’s happening at Newport Dunes this Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Newport Beach Beerfest, an O.C. tradition that brings quality brews beachside each year, will feature more than 150 breweries—many of them Southern California’s finest—pouring everything from pale ales to porters. And beyond the brews, Beerfest also raises funds for the Newport Beach 1/1 Marine Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the men and families of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines.
So yes, definitely to beer.
But if you’re more of a wine and spirits kind of person, the fest will have that too, along with delicious grub from 15 local food trucks serving up exclusive $3 and $6 sample items as well as their regular food truck fare.

What about entertainment, you ask? Yep, Beerfest has secured a lineup of homegrown California talent that will have you singing—OK, maybe screaming—while you sip. Performances include: Alien Ant Farm, Hoobastank, Kottonmouth Kings, dj ParaDice and more.

Still, if it all sounds like a hoppin’ good time but you can’t exactly plan a last-minute trip to SoCal, no worries, I’ve got you covered. Simply crack open a cold one, put on a classic Hoobastank tune, pull up the little word studio Instagram and let the magic of social media transport you from wherever you are in the world to the shores of Newport Beach. Cheers to that!
[MELISSA MARNI is a Southern California-based writer and the founder of little word studio. You can follow her musings on Instagram here.]