Jessica Sines, 30, of Buena Park, Carlos Manzano, 29, of Buena Park and Henry Guzman, 27, of Pico Rivera, from left, taste beer in the shade during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The event, which took place in three four-hour sessions over the weekend, included over 80 tastings of craft beer from a wide variety of vendors. Though Brew Ha Ha Productions hosts numerous craft beer events throughout the year – including the Brew Ho Ho at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim near Christmas and its flagship event, Brew Ha Ha, which will take place at Lakeview Park in Silverado on Sept. 15 – new craft breweries are constantly popping up and existing breweries are continuously challenging themselves to create new and interesting beverages.
“It’s all about what’s new, what’s different and it’s about exploration,” Collins added as he pointed out that according to the Brewers Association, 40 percent of people over 21 now identify as craft beer drinkers, a statistic that’s up up 5 percent from 2015.
Jessica and Brandon McCary, of Long Beach, dance near the stage during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jessica Sines, 30, of Buena Park, Carlos Manzano, 29, of Buena Park and Henry Guzman, 27, of Pico Rivera, from left, taste beer in the shade during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
21st Amendment Brewing from San Francisco pours tasters of beer during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Chihuahua Brewing Company in Newport Beach pours tasters of beer during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cameron Collins, co-founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, pours a taster of C.A.M.P., a Hazy Double IPA featuring Amarillo, Citra, and Ekuanot hops, from Bottle Logic Brewing during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Emily Salazar, at left, loses a game of Jenga to Ricardo and Aurora Ambriz, at right, during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Felicia Cizek, of Huntington Beach, reacts as Deputy Mike Evans of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department announces a .250 B.A.C., after a voluntary breathalyzer test during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beer lovers dance in the sun during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Courtney Dudash puts on her pretzel necklace as she starts tasting beers during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mark Adams, of Yorba linda, left, and Mark Raddatz, of Orange, take a break during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A volunteer hands out tasters of Jai Alai IPA from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Florida during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With a Britney Spears-inspired name, “Wit Me Baby One More Time” was one of two beers being poured by Erica Thralls, co-owner of Lost Winds Brewing in San Clemente, during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
James Grierson goofs off during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Funkworks, a craft brewery in Ft. Collins, Colorado, participates in the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cameron Collins, co-founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, samples a beer from Wild Barrel Brewing during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Felicia Cizek, of Huntington Beach, snaps a photo with friends Tanya Meadows, of Buena Park, and Ashley Mansfield, of Eastvale, right, during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lots of new craft beer is coming out of the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cameron Collins, co-founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, takes a cool break in a refrigerated keg trailer during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Aurora Ambriz plays Jenga during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Friends pose for a photo during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Deputy Mike Evans of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, gives a voluntary breathalyzer test during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Cameron Collins, co-founder of Brew Ha Ha Productions, walks through the crowd during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beer lovers dance in the sun during the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Beer lovers fill the shade tent for the annual Brew Hee Haw at the OC Fair & Event Center during the first weekend of the annual OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Every year there are new trends in craft beer and while Mexican lagers and hazy IPAs are still on the rise, Collins said that brut IPAs, a beer that’s dry like champagne, are becoming increasingly popular. While no brut IPAs were on site on Saturday, there were plenty of new flavors to choose from, mixed in with a few festival favorites.
San Juan Capistrano-based brewery Docent Brewing impressed with its refreshing Infinite Zest. It’s a saison-style beer with a lemon twist and a subtle grapefruit aftertaste. However, the fruit doesn’t overwhelm the taste buds and it actually tastes like real juice instead of sugary syrup.
Sour beers, which were a huge trend a couple of years back, have come a long way from making everyone in the crowd pucker up. Funkwerks from Colorado (which has recently partnered with Brooklyn Brewery from New York with 21st Amendment from San Leandro) had a tasty raspberry provincial. Though it’s a raspberry sour, it does have a citrus aftertaste. It’s smooth and doesn’t dry out your mouth or make your lips pucker.
Speaking of sours, Wild Barrel Brewing in San Marcos scored with its San Diego Vice with Mango sour beer. It’s an extra special concoction as it’s a Berliner Weisse-style ale with mango and while it’s billed as a sour, it was really just more tart. It was definitely worth a second, or maybe even a third taste during the event.
Keeping with fruity beer, Lost Winds Brewing Company from San Clemente should win awards for the witty names of its brews alone. Its Wit Me Baby One More Time blackberry wit is a Belgian white ale brewed with actual blackberries. At first smell it’s super fruity, but has a hint of clove and a tart finish. It would go great with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Just three months ago the beer from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Fla., became available on the West Coast after being purchased by Colorado-based Oskar Blues Brewery, a regular at the Southern California Brew Ha Ha tasting events. Cigar City brought its Jai Alai IPA, which savvy craft beer drinkers took note of and made sure to check off their tasting list. Jai Alai had a citrus and tropical fruit flavor with the fruitier notes really popping with the hops at the finish.
There were also plenty of new Mexican lagers to try out. Brew Hee Haw was the first event Chihuahua Cerveza from Newport Beach has ever done and it went well. Folks were lured in by the company’s adorable tiny Chihuahua statue-topped taps and tasted its variety of Mexican-style lagers including the Rosado. The brewery will be officially opening its tasting room in September.
