Craft Brew and Music Help Beat the Summer Heat

With the start of summer warming all of the Inland Empire to 100 degree weather, residents from all over the area were able to make it out to the first BrewGrass Festival hosted at Packinghouse Brewing Company to cool off with ice cold brew served from breweries all around Southern California last weekend. The event was a fundraiser for the California Riverside Ballet and hosted approximately 1,600. Tickets were $35 pre-sale and $40 at the door. In order to keep driving safe after the event, designated driver tickets were also available for $15. The event was given a total cap of 2,200 people since it is the first beer festival highlighting the Inland Empire’s Craft Beer Scene. Scot Koury, Director of Sales for Packinghouse Brewing Company, believes that the California Riverside Ballet is an essential part of the community in Riverside. “We are the city of fine arts. It’s important that we keep them funded and this is a great way to do that,” he said. The team running the festival consisted of 20 members and, despite it being the first time that this event has taken place, the event ran smoothly and plenty of people were able to try out some of the Inland Empire’s best brews. Hangar 24 Craft Brewery was also serving at the event. Hangar 24 is stationed in Redlands and offers seven different types of brew year-round, including their Orange Wheat, Chocolate Porter, Alt-Bier Ale and Columbus IPA brews. The event was not limited to only craft brew, however; gourmet food trucks and even wine stands were also found scattered throughout the long rows of vendors and breweries. A cigar stand could even be found hiding in the shade behind a few of the local breweries. As the title of the festival would suggest, live bluegrass music was being played throughout the event, courtesy of the band named The BladeRunners, as attendees filled their glasses with the countless varieties of beer. One group that attended the event, Jake Tolford, Rebecca Meeks, Sean York, and Skarlet Gonzales, identified a coconut porter by I & I Brewing and a raspberry wheat from Valiant Brewing as their favorites. Derek Bougie, Brewer for the Newport Beach Brewing Company, pointed out “Funky Monkey” amongst the five he was serving. Funky Monkey starts out as a Belgian ale and is then let to sit in a zinfandel barrel for an entire year in order to get it to the taste and tartness that Bougie desired. Bougie has been brewing for Newport Beach Brewing Company for three and a half years. Newport Brewing Company has been in business for about 18 years. With over thirty breweries and caterers available, the event had plenty to offer and kept the crowds busy from open to close.