RECAP: 2nd Annual San Diego Brew Festival | What More Could You Ask For?!?


July 24, 2012

We at SanDiegoVille pride ourselves on enjoying the simple pleasures in life and always getting home early.  That's why, to us, the prospect of unlimited beer, various food truck offerings, and 90s cover music at the 2nd Annual San Diego Brew Fest made for an ideal Saturday afternoon in sunny San Diego.

We didn't think we'd be able to drive home from a beer festival, so we decided to take a car2go to Point Loma's Liberty Station to avoid the cost of two cab rides.  Parking was no hassle (especially with a micro machine), and we entered the Brew Fest about half way into the VIP pre-event that started at 2pm.  We scoffed at the little plastic mug they handed us when we walked in.  "Is this even four ounces?!," I exclaimed to my thirsty partner as we sauntered into NTC Promenade.  Alas, that little guy would hold its own and be filled many, many times, resulting in a nap of epic bliss on the sprawling lawn.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, first, we skipped merrily from brewer to brewer, with the events mantra "Drink. Eat. Play." on repeat in our heads.  At first, during the VIP pre-event, movements were made with ease, and brewers took the time to bullshit with us about their latest and greatest.  Local favorites Ballast Point poured Sculpin IPA while Green Flash tapped its tasty Imperial IPA, two local favorites.  Participants were calm, relaxed, and enjoyed sipping their cool crafts.  However, as the day tilled on, the demure calmness vanished, and the raucous began as the beer samplings tallied and the drunkenness creeped.  

OB Seafood Truck is fresh!!!
For $40 ($50 for VIP) festivalgoers were invited to sample unlimited local and international craft beers from over 50 familiar and never-seen-before breweries!  And once the beer soaked in, the food truck lines lengthened.  If you're local, you know how San Diegans love their food trucks.  Lobsters and jumbo shrimp cocktails were flying off Ocean Beach Seafood's truck, which we were especially impressed with the fresh seafood display encased under the counter, promoting fresh fluke and live lobsters for the choosing.  Other interesting sightings included food truck Two For The Road's Cap N' Crunch Crab Cakes and Thai1On's chicken satay.   The diverse array of smells filled the air, tantalizing our taste buds with sausages, burritos, BBQ, pierogis, and more! You name it, you could find it and eat it, and be happy.

When you were full of beer and food, and the afternoon sun had taken its toll, you could find a square of grass to lay in front of  the stage to soak up awesome 90s music, or rock out like it was 1999, either way, there was plenty of room for everyone's agenda.  People set up chairs and umbrellas like they were on the beach and just relaxed, while others gained energy with each sample.  We do not gain energy when we drink beer.

If unlimited beer isn't enough, knowing that your ticket purchase supports a good cause should be the icing on the cake.  The San Diego Brew Fest’s proceeds went to benefit Noah’s Bark Pet Rescue, whose aim is to rescue dogs from shelters and find permanent homes for rescued pets.  Proceeds from the event go towards funding food, shelter and veterinary bills for rescued pets.

We're consistently moved by San Diego's craft beer community and the general fun-loving, feel-good vibes that always seem to pervade such beer-focused events, and this festival was no exception.  We ate, drank, played, and napped - and couldn't have asked for anything more.  We highly recommend this event for next year.  We'll be the one's catching z's behind the big rock!

For more information on the annual San Diego Brew Festival, check out their website, the Facebook page, and see what you missed by watching the video below.