A huge crowd attended the 2019 Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival powered by Gringo Bandito at Doheny State Beach this past Saturday and Sunday. Attendees feasted on delicious and imaginative tacos of all types with plenty of Gringo Bandito hot sauce available to spice up the day. Lucha libre wrestling delivered a colorfully fun diversion. Live punk rock bands, including headline acts The Offspring and Flogging Molly, sizzled. And to top it off, the weather was perfect!
Lucha Libre Ready
But honestly, I was there for the craft beer. With about 50 participating breweries serving 200+ beers, I was thrilled to sample familiar craft beer friends and seek new gems. For up to four hours, the breweries offered complimentary tasters. Almost every brewery had four different beers to sample. And the 2019 Sabroso Festival featured the strongest line-up of breweries I’ve ever encountered at any of the Brew Ha Ha Productions festival events.
Breweries Lined the Beach at the 2019 Sabroso Festival
This year’s line-up of breweries provided a spectacular array of craft beers. Check out three of my favorites:
- BEST OLD FRIEND: Russian River Pliny the Elder – First released in 2000, Pliny the Elder Double IPA is one of Russian River’s flagship beers and is recognized by prestigious publications such as Beer Advocate as world-class. This beer pours a slightly hazy copper gold color with white foam that leaves a beautiful lace down the glass. Pliny the Elder has a big aroma of evergreens, cut grass, and citrus. The beer is medium-bodied with a rich feeling on the palate and delightfully mild carbonation. Pliny the Elder is very smooth with sweet malt and biscuit flavors that are accompanied by assertive but integrated hops flavors that include pine resin, citrus, floral notes, nuts, and tropical fruits. There is a great dry finish with lingering bitterness.
- BEST NEW DISCOVERY: The Shop Beer Co. Yo-Yo – My friends at Ashton-Magnuson Media tipped me off to this brewery and beer. Located in Tempe, AZ, The Shop Beer Company is a rising brewery star. Brewed with El Dorado, Citra, Huell Melon and Cashmere hops, Yo-Yo hazy IPA produces a smooth, citrusy burst of refreshing flavor. What a perfect pairing for a warm, sunny festival day at the beach! I’m already planning a road trip to visit The Shop.
- MOST UNEXPECTED DELIGHT: Acoustic Ales Cask-Conditioned Witte Snake w/ POG – I wasn’t expecting to find any brewers serving cask conditioned ales. So I was delighted to find one. At 4.5% ABV, Acoustic Ales’ Belgian-style Witte beer provides easy drinking pleasure. This cask-conditioned version incorporated pineapple, oranges and guava to deliver tropical flair.
2019 SABROSO – MY FINAL TAKE
With such an amazing line-up of breweries and delicious beer, the 2019 Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival outperformed my already lofty expectations. Sabroso was pretty fly for this craft beer guy!
