Brew Ha Ha

It’s funny how you wait so long for an event to happen and when it does…it just slips away from your fingers. That’s how fast Brew Ha Ha went. Jason, me, and our friend Kendra got to Silverado around 11:30am. Silverado is very well hidden among the arid wildlife of Orange County.  It’s a single lane road so there was a bit of traffic getting there. And it’s near Irvine Lake so ladies I suggest wearing flats or shoes cause the women who were wearing heels and wedges did not look like they were having a good time walking around the grass.

I was surprised that they opened the doors earlier than noon. Tickets at the door did sell out so try and buy them online if you can. And I didn’t realize how big the venue would be. It’s a HUGE lawn area with numerous booths dispersed.

There’s also a separate area where the food trucks line up. We got some samples of Slater’s 50/50 which were $2 for a quarter burger. Such a good deal AND it goes to a good cause to help Orange County’s firefighters! Some other samples we tried were mac ‘n cheese, pulled-pork sliders, and some free red bull!

If you take a stroll around you’ll find a veranda area with unlimited soda machines and a bridge over a small pond. Quite beautiful actually.

There’s also some giant jenga to entertain some passerby’s as well as some lawn games and mini put-put.

 Also bring a camera cause there’s plenty of photo opportunities around…

The bands were so phenomenol! After quite a few of tastings Kendra and I were tired so it was nice to sit down and relax to some awesome music. The Creepers played some badass cover songs and were quite entertaining.

After that the great Greg Koch blessed us with his presence. He gave a passionate speech regarding our transition from an organic food/farming society to a society focused on cheap-low cost ingredients and its correlation to increased healthcare spending. Greg then discussed the future of craft breweries and their ever increasing presence in the food industry. And ‘lo and behold he then picked up a guitar…

Remember that popular 90s ska band Reel Big Fish? Well they took the stage after Greg and they OWNED it! It was a trip down memory lane listening to Sell Out. The crowd definitely seemed to enjoy the show as some mad dance skills went down.

After that, we walked around trying some few tasters. The breweries were practically giving them away now since no opened containers can be in the car and why waste good beer when there’s a crowd of beer enthusiasts nearby? It was soon 4:00 and time to go home. Oh and there is a taxi pick up spot available.

After the event we realized that there really wasn’t a difference between a VIP ticket and a general ticket. I had tons of taster tickets leftover at the end of the day. Plus they were just giving away tasters for free. Everyone had access to the talks too since their given on a public stage in the middle of the lawn area. VIPs can enter the event an hour early but some of the tents weren’t even set up or ready till 1pm. So basically there was no difference, something good to know for the future.

All in all, I’ll definitely be back. In fact the same company is hosting a Brew Ho Ho in December at Anaheim. I may check that out…oh who am i kidding? I’ll be there!

Tips for Brew Ha Ha

• Save some extra cash and purchase the general admission ticket. There’s no big difference between VIP and the general admission ticket
• Buy the tickets online because tickets at the door sell out FAST
• Wear comfortable shoes, hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses. The sun is your nemesis for today.
• Drink water throughout the day. There’s plenty of water stations around plus you get a bottle of water at the entrance. Remember the importance of hydration.
• Bring cash! It’s easier for the food trucks and vendors.
• Explore the venue and see what’s around. You’ll find some cool lawn games and soda machines.
• Make a pretzel necklace! Many people were wearing them and said that it helped clean their palates between beer tastings.
• Pace yourself! You don’t want to be throwing up in a porta potty.
• If you’re going with a big group bring walkie-talkies! Cell phone reception is nonexistent there.