I can think of a whole lot of reasons why one would attend a beer festival, and not all of them include beer. 

For example: If you’re about that gourmet, one-of-a-kind fusion food truck life, then cool, come on down and have yourself a Hawaiian pizza burrito. If you want to listen to cover bands named Red Hot Chili Poppers or Mariah Hairy but also want to be outside in the fresh air and not smashed into the underbelly of a sweat-dampened music lounge called “Mist,” well, you’re in luck and a festival of beer is for you. If you’re a single girl in search of a veritable bro-smorgasboard (bro-gasboard?) of guys dressed in Saved by the Bell t-shirts and American flag board shorts, just tell ‘em, “Beerfest me, please.”  

Because at a beer festival, there’s really something for everyone, even if you aren’t the least bit in it for the beer.

But if you are, there’s of course that too, poured by breweries small and large, with flavors ranging from the distinct to the reminiscent. You’ve got your custom ciders, daring fusions–spicy beer, citrusy beer, olive oil and onion beer (maybe)–and your time-tested favorites, the crisp blondes, the hoppy IPAs, plus whatever else falls into the barley-malted between.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUnm_jll3Ef/?taken-by=littlewordstudio

This Saturday, I was hanging with 15 or so friends at Rock Star Beer’s Newport Beach Beerfest for a combination of all the reasons listed above, including but not limited to the outlandishly outfitted bro-gasboard of patriotic, Saved by the Bell enthusiasts. (Honorable mentions go to the one dude and his buddy who donned matching, bright red “Goonies Never Die” shirts.)  

Newport Beach Beerfest fashion.

Now, I’m no beer aficionado but I’ll never turn down an opportunity to sample craft libations from 150 local breweries, delve into the dishes of 15 of Orange County’s finest food trucks and listen to the sweet musical stylings of Black Eyed Tease and No Duh, (cover bands for Black Eyed Peas and No Doubt, respectively, if you couldn’t guess).

Left Coast Brewing Company serves up their custom creations.

Sampling from ACE Cider, California’s original cider company.

Plus, adding views to the brewstravaganza, the whole festival took place right on the water-lined, sandy shores of the Newport Dunes Resort. Then, to pile news on top of the views and brews (yikes to this rhyming), a portion of the proceeds from Beerfest were donated to the Newport Beach 1/1 Foundation, which provides community and financial support to men and families of the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines. 

The line-up at the churro and ice cream truck.

So, let’s recap: Good beer, good food, good tunes, good times, good cause. I mean, good grief, what’s not to love? 

See ya at at Beerfest in 2018, folks.

Sunset at Newport Beach Beerfest.