When it comes to the independent Long Beach beer scene, Craft Beer LB Fest is an essential cog. Founded by beer lover and all-around stellar human Dennis Trilles, the festival has not only continually uplifted the local craft beer community but has defined what a beer festival could be in the city. On its eighth year at the historic Rancho Los Cerritos, the 2024 version showcases one thing: How incredibly deep and vast the Long Beach craft beer scene is.
In other words: Craft Beer LB Fest is the OG of Long Beach beer festivals—and it returns to Rancho Los Cerritos Saturday, Sept. 7.
As with many things Long Beach, Craft Beer LB Fest was birthed out of the desire to uplift our own.
Sitting at Dutch’s Brewhouse shortly after launching his Craft Beer LB brand, Dennis brought up to Dutch’s owner and loveable curmudgeon Jason Van Fleet one very feasible idea: There should be a beer festival dedicated to brands that are just as dedicated to Long Beach.
“And he told me, ‘You should start it,'” Dennis said. “And really, that’s how it all started: At the bar at Dutch’s.”
It would be befitting that the owner of Syncopated and a then-bourgeoning-in-the-beer-world Dennis would eventually lay down the blueprint for Long Beach beer festivals, then ushering in a slew of varying iterations. There’s Dennis’s homebrew invitational—always a hit and always welcoming those obsessed enough with beer to tackle the making of it at home. Then there is his Halloween Hootenanny event, a collab with fellow beer lovers (and also stellar humans) Martin and Ryan Svab and arguably the best beer event in the city. There’s the newly minted Sake Day, certainly the city’s most underrated food festival and a gem on its own.
If there is anyone to thank for the local craft beer scene beyond the people who directly make it, it is Dennis Trilles.
What, exactly, is in store for Craft Beer LB Fest 2024?
As always, the Craft Beer LB Fest lineup for 2024 is nothing but pure Long Beach love:
- Altar Society
- Ambitious Ales
- Beachwood Brewing
- Belmont Brewing Co
- Dutch’s Brewhouse
- Everywhere Beer
- Ficklewood Ciderworks
- ISM Brewing
- La Jara Brewing
- Long Beach Beer Lab
- Sake Secret
- Smog City
- Syncopated Brewing
- Ten Mile Brewing
- Trademark Brewing
- TrustedGut
- Long Beach Homebrewers
- Steinfillers
Confirmed Food Vendors:
- Shady Grove BBQ
- Leaf Over Beef
- Long Beach Lumpia
- Torishu
A last hoorah for Ficklewood Ciderworks at Craft Beer LB Fest
After going up for sale in July only to be permanently shuttered the following month, Long Beach’s sole cidery, Ficklewood, held onto a few kegs solely for this event. Yup: This will be your formal last time to taste the mighty apple concoction that had far too short of a life in Long Beach.
Even better? There will be a preview for this year’s upcoming Long Beach Sake Day
Showing up to the annual celebration of Long Beach brewing will be a different champion of brewing. Greg Beck of Sake Secret.
“Excited to be included in the Craft Beer LB Fest,” Greg said. “Not many people realize sake is its own unique alcohol—and even more, it’s brewed from grain, water, and yeast, with a fourth ingredient to balance the sweetness of the mash. Which is just like beer. My initial love of craft beer helped me recognize the craft and depth sake has to offer as well.”
Dennis and Greg partnered on what was easily the most underrated food event of last year, the Long Beach Sake Day, also hosted at Rancho Los Cerritos. Exuding a cool factor that is hard to explain, Greg’s sampling at Craft Beer LB Fest will allow you to understand the depth of sake and just how different it is from your typical beer festival.
That being said, let the unlimited pours begin.
Craft Beer LB Fest takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Rancho Los Cerritos, located at 4600 N. Virginia Rd., from 1PM to 5PM. Tickets are available here.
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