Last night the 5th Annual Brew at the L.A. Zoo, one of summer’s most popular events for guests 21 and over, returned featuring an after-hours visit to the Zoo with beer samples from 55+ local craft and microbreweries and an eclectic music lineup. We had the pleasure to attend this unique event, and we are glad we did!
Location
As far as beer festivals go, it doesn’t get any more unique than at the LA Zoo. Where else can you drink among elephants and orangutangs! The zoo’s massive sized proved perfect for the festival. As one searched for the next beer through the labyrinth, one also got to explore the LA Zoo. The Zoo’s huge size allowed the different breweries to spread around the entire park, never seeming too crowed. Every time you thought the zoo had to end soon, you’d turn a corner and find a whole new section and beers! Brew At The Zoo allowed attendees to sip on cold brews at they watched different animals that were awake at the late hour. Highlights included the reptile cage and elephants. And no, the animals were not drinking too!
Music
Along with delicious beers and a multitude of food stations set up, Brew At The Zoo provided quite the music lineup. The lineup included “the best of the worst of the ’80s” with The Spazmatics; The Noble Gasses surf band; The Black Canyon dance band; live karaoke with Casual Encounters; and something completely different from Der Burgermeister Boys, a German Polka band. They were spread out around the zoo, so each section had its own feel. Attendees could be found enjoying these different artists and even getting down to them and breaking out some epic dance moves. Great beer, animals, and music and dancing- does it get any better than that!
Beers
There sure were plenty of breweries to choose from. Generally each brewery chose two of their beers to sample. There were so many breweries present that it was impossible to try all of them. Which ones showed? Well here is the full list!
Participating breweries included 805, Absolution Brewing Company, Ace Cider, Allagash Brewing Company, Alosta Brewing Company, Anchor Brewing Company, Angel City Brewing, Angry Orchard, Ballast Point Brewing, Barefoot Wine, Belching Beaver Brewing, Black Market Brewing Co., Bootlegger’s Brewery, Claremont Craft Ales, Common Cider, Coronado Brewing Company, Craft Beer Kings, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Fireman’s Brew Company, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Four Sons Brewing, Golden Road Brewery, Goose Island, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Hess Brewing, Humboldt Brewing Company, I&I Brewing, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Kinetic Brewing Company, King Harbor Brewing Co., Knee Deep Brewing Co., Left Coast Brewing, MacLeod Ale Brewing Co., Mad River Brewing Company, Mike’s Hard Lemondade, Mother Earth Brew Co., Oskar Blues Brewery, Pacific Plate Brewing, Palm Breeze, Phantom Carriage Brewery, Pizza Port Brewing, Port Town Brewing Co., Reel Brewing Company, Ritual Brewing Co., Samuel Adams, San Pedro Brewing Co., Shock Top, Sierra Nevada, Speakeasy Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Company, Surf Brewery Co., Telegraph Brewing, The Bloody Cure, The Dude’s Brewing Company, Three Weavers Brewing Company, Traveler Beer Co., Trumer Pils and Shiner Beers, Uinta Brewing Co., Venice Duck Brewing and Wolf Creek Brewery.
Of the breweries that attended, of course we had our favorites.
Bootlegger’s Brewery’s Gold Chaos– This was a Belgian style golden ale made from fresh imported German and English hops and brewed with rock candy, which gives the beer its fruity aroma and taste. One could tastes hints of plum, apricot, pear, and spices to give this fruity beer the perfect balance.
Three Weav3rs Brewing Company’s Southbounder Coffee Stout– This stout was perfectly named, as it had a very rich coffee flavor to it. It almost tasted like you were drinking a delicious iced coffee. You might want to try mixing this into your Starbuck’s order!
Four Sons Brewing Going (Coco) Nuts- This beer doesn’t just have a clever name, it lives up to it as well! This American style amber actually had the taste of coconuts. Each sip packed in a full bodied taste with a hint of caramel.
MacLeod Ale Brewing Company’s Jackie Tar (Brown Stout)– This stout has a strong roasted malt flavor with just the right amount of hops that doesn’t take away from the delightful taste.
Overall
Brew At The Zoo was definitely a success, and logistically it took place flawlessly. The crowd was full of nice and friendly people, and you never knew what great beer lay around the corner. It was also a great excuse for adults to go check out the Zoo, as we rarely find ourselves there. If you’re in the mood for a beer festival then this is a great one to check out next year. The event also took place at night providing a comfortable temperature outside to stroll around. And besides, where else can you enjoy a beer next to an elephant!
