As the clouds parted on a drizzly Saturday afternoon, dozens of beer enthusiasts flocked to the scenic Rancho Los Cerritos Estate for Craft LB’s 3rd annual Homebrewer Invitational.
Long Beach is a city that is rich with great craft beer. The yearly invitational is an opportunity for local homebrewers to show the community what they’ve been working on.
Attendees are given souvenir tasting glasses and are free to mill about the grounds where homebrewers eagerly offer up sample pours. Via QR codes, guests are able to vote for their favorite beer. The competition is split into two categories, “the people’s choice” and “the judge’s pick”.
One homebrewer who was hoping to secure a top spot was Michelle Buck of Screw Loose Home Brew. She’s been homebrewing since 2017, specializing in fruit-forward ales made from fruits she grows in her garden.
“I’m the only single female brewer here today,” Buck said, smiling broadly. “It means a lot to be here today, representing myself.”
Buck was sampling two beers, a raspberry chocolate porter, and a blackberry wheat ale, each named after famous pinup models.
The 30+ homebrewers who participated in the invitational were in good company with Long Beach favorites such as Altar Society, Ism Brewery, and Syncopated serving up pours as well.
As revelers sipped on brews and milled about the scenic grounds of Rancho Los Cerritos, live music echoed from underneath the famous 100-year-old tree.
For Long Beach local, Jenny Garcia who was attending with her husband, the homebrew invitational is something they look forward to every year.
“We’ve been coming every year and it’s the vibe,” Garcia said. “Everybody is just so friendly.”
For co-founder Dennis Trellis, seeing the Craft LB brand continue to grow is a fulfilling experience.
“It’s awesome to see the community come together and share their passion,” Trilles said. “It’s not so much about current beer trends, you know. It’s just about good beer.”
The top three homebrewers, in the People’s Choice category were Jeremiah and Yaneli Rivera for their Spicy Melon beer, Eric Dennis who poured a brew called, El Draque and Michael Carroll and Beth Ca who poured up their Majestic Jack.
Jeremiah and Yaneli Rivera also came out on top in the Judge’s Choice category, along with Chris Sotelo with his Captain Nectaton, and Steven Padfield’s Rational Behavior.
Bragging rights aside, the opportunity to participate in a community-centric festival, dedicated to the love of craft beer had the grounds abuzz with excitement, with brewers and attendees already looking forward to next year’s event.
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