Photo courtesy of We Love Long Beach.
Long Beach may be home to one of the most quickly growing craft brewery scenes in the country and, expectedly, there are a number of flourishing local homebrewing operations that have yet to bubble to the surface of the public’s consciousness.
The first-ever Long Beach Homebrew Festival put on by We Love Long Beach (We Love LB) will also serve as the nonprofit organization’s first ever fundraiser and draw attention to more than 20 local homebrewers from the greater Long Beach area, ready to gather to share their carefully crafted brews and compete for the votes of attendees on Saturday, December 10 from 2:00PM to 5:00PM.
The festival will be located in the backyard of a private residence near the Virginia Country Club area and feature a lineup of tastings, food, music, raffles, a VIP beer garden pouring brews from Phantom Carriage, Beachwood Brewery, Half Pint Ciders, Brouwerij West and Ballast Point and the homebrew competition, according to We Love LB organizers.
Photo courtesy of We Love Long Beach.
“The Long Beach Homebrew Festival is an exciting opportunity to highlight the immense creativity and talent of local homebrewers that exists in our city while raising money for our neighborhood-centered work across Long Beach,” said Scott Jones, We Love LB’s executive director. “This event is one more way for We Love LB to practice building sustainable together in our vibrant city!”
One local brewer slated to attend is Monte Weiss, who began brewing about two years ago, and is excited to share his chocolate coffee stout at the festival. He says the chocolate and coffee “won’t hit you with a ton of bricks, but [should] come through well-balanced with the rich and toasty notes of the base beer, an American stout that softly hides its 8.93 percent ABV.”
Weiss, a Long Beach resident since 1995 and teacher with over 20 years experience, said he always tries to bring the arts into his science classroom, and brewing is a way for him to bring the two together at home.
Photo courtesy of Monte Weiss of the homebrewer himself “oxygenating the wort [..]the beer before fermentation and pitching the yeast.”
“The marriage of art and science in the brewing process leads to endlessly fascinating results,” said Weiss, who is also the husband to accomplished local artist Lori Lamont.
“Like many homebrewers, brewing quickly morphs from hobby to a way of life,” said Weiss. “As we compulsively seek to build the perfect recipe and successfully brew and share it, naturally we dream of our own brewery with gleaming stainless steel. Brewing professionally feels inevitable, but for now my passion is still teaching and my students still own my heart.”
Photo courtesy of Monte Weiss.
This event is for ages 21 and over only, no children will be granted entry. All proceeds from the event will go toward We Love LB’s four citywide events, which include the popular annual Pumpkin Party, and the nonprofit’s ongoing effort to build a safer, healthier and more vibrant community in Long Beach.
“I can’t wait to taste the fantastic creations of my fellow brewers, as this festival is featuring the beer of some insanely talented brewers, most notably from the Long Beach Homebrewers,” said Weiss. “Anybody that loves great beer is in for a real treat.”
Photo courtesy of We Love Long Beach.
General Admission is $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website here.