2013 BrewGrass Craft Beer and Music Festival | Re-Cap & Photos

It was a real scorcher on Saturday for this year’s BrewGrass Craft Beer and Music Festival in Riverside, CA. Hosted by the California Riverside Ballet, the event drew in crowds in the hundreds at the Packinghouse Brewing Co. complex for an afternoon of live music, craft beer, and local vendors. Over 30 vendors were present at this year’s event including many up and coming Inland Empire-based breweries, popular food trucks, and even a handful of southern California home brew clubs.

While the excessive heat was at time unbearable, spirits were lifted by the musical stylings of Riverside’s very own The Original BladeRunners and out-of-town groups the Shadow Mountain Band, The Tail Draggers, and headliners The Salty Suites. Two-ounce taster pours kept a thirsty crowd going with appearances from more established breweries like Hangar 24 and Noble Ale Works alongside relative new-comers like El Segundo Brewing Co. and Riverside’s newest brewpub, Wicks Brewing Co.

A highlight of the event for me was definitely the homebrew element with groups representing the Brewluminati, Riverside Home Brew Crew, Long Beach Home Brewers, and Ripperside Brewpunx [full-disclosure: My first attempt at an all-grain brew with my friend and patient teacher Herbie Homebrew made a brief appearance at this event. Did you try the mango saison?] Friend of TFP, John Holzer of New Brew Thursday also made his beer fest debut with two delicious home brews while the illustrious Dr. Bill Sysak offered up his cigar knowledge throughout the day. Overall, a good event for an equally good cause.

For more information on the California Riverside Ballet, visit their site here.