With the warm months of spring here and summer right around the bend, Southern California’s top breweries are kicking their marketing efforts into high gear for beer festival season. Over the weekend, thousands of craft beer aficionados swarmed the 2016 Newport Beach Beerfest, known as THE must-attend spring celebration of SoCal’s independent breweries. Held on the the picturesque sandy beaches of the Newport Dunes, the beer festival featured over 150 different kinds of exquisite beer, wine, and spirits, as well as jaw-dropping performances by Hoobastank, Whitney Peyton, and Alien Ant Farm.
The beer festival had countless awe-inspiring brews for every kind of beer lover. From hoppy ales to zesty hard fruit ciders, to smooth wheat brews, full-bodied amber ales, and I.P.A.’s with a bite, the options were truly endless. It was almost impossible to check out every booth because there were so many present. Thankfully, this meant that the lines were short, quick, and manageable for everyone! Some of the top picks of the evening were the Wolfskill I.P.A by San Fernando Brewing Co., the ale by Four Sons Brewery, Best Damn Root Beer, Baja Brewing Co., The Lost Abbey, Stone Brewing Co.’s IPA’s, and Beach City Brewery in Huntington Beach.
While sampling the various brews, festivalgoers were treated to an array of exhilarating music acts. Rapper Whitney Peyton slayed the beginning of the festival with her witty and intelligent lyrics and fantastic beats. Later, Hoobastank brought everyone back to the early 2000’s with their popular ballads. Everyone in the audience had a blast dancing and singing along to Reason, widely considered one of the top songs of our generation. It was a memorable experience for everyone. After the performances, hungry beer lovers flocked to the many food trucks in attendance and indulged in a vast array of eats, including artisan burgers and brats.
The 2016 Newport Beach Beerfest was a marketing powerhouse for SoCal’s many breweries. Independent beer labels were able to get the word out about their new beer launches, connect with current fans, network with other like-minded brewery owners, and acquire an even greater following. If you manage a brewery startup and are looking to expand awareness of your craft brews, definitely keep the Newport Beach Beerfest at the top of your Spring/Summer 2017 marketing plan. Managing a booth at this future event will guarantee a whole new level of recognition and success in the independent brewing industry.
