When it comes to beer festivals, there are those of the dime-a-dozen variety; the types that are just fine but basically mirror each other, offering the same beers and the same basic experience. Then there are the affairs that beer fans eagerly await each year for their next-level offerings and hard-to-get ales and lagers. Almost all of the latter have been sidelined indefinitely due to COVID, but one will be back come Saturday, January 15, when Burgeon Beer Co. rekindles the unadulterated beer-fest fire that is its annual anniversary celebration.
The theme for this year’s event is “thirst for adventure”, which the company says is an extension of its team’s exploration of new ingredients, beer styles and collaboration partners. Adventure-themed activities, a pop-up from outdoor outfitters Nomad Ventures Mountain Equipage, and the raffling off of a recreational sea kayak will stay true to the theme. Other value-addeds will include live music, food from mobile vendors Thumbs Up BBQ, Dos Bandidos / El Shrimp Bucket and Sticky Chicken, and a s’mores station.
“Hosting this event for our fifth anniversary is incredibly important to us because, not only is it a celebration of Burgeon being in business for five years, it’s also an opportunity to show everyone how special this industry is,” says Burgeon President and co-founder Matthew Zirpolo. “As a brewery, we couldn’t think of anyone better to celebrate with than our fans and brewing friends all over the nation. Without them, we would be nothing.”
Those “brewing friends”—breweries Burgeon has collaborated with over the years—are what set their anniversary festivities apart. Representatives from those interests travel to be present for the event and bring beers that aren’t typically available in San Diego County. Burgeon’s last anniversary festival in 2020 featured 32 guest breweries, and this year’s will include a whopping 36. Those invitees are as follows: Altamont Beer Works, Alvarado Street Brewery, Artifex Brewing, Boneyard Beer, Casa Agria Specialty Ales, Cellarmaker Brewing, Craft Coast Brewery, Faction Brewing, Fieldwork Brewing, Ghost Town Brewing, Green Cheek Beer Co., Highland Park Brewery, Horus Aged Ales, Humble Sea Brewing, June Lake Brewing, Karl Strauss Brewing, Kern River Brewing, Liquid Gravity Brewing, MadeWest Brewing, Mcilhenney Brewing, Moksa Brewing, North Park Beer Co., pFriem Family Brewers, Pinthouse Pizza, Pizza Port Brewing, Port Brewing / The Lost Abbey, Pure Project Brewing, Riip Beer, Ruse Brewing, Slice Beer Co., Societe Brewing, Tarantula Hill Brewing, Topa Topa Brewing, There Does Not Exist, Urban Roots Brewery, Wondrous Brewing.
“Having our brewery friends serve at the anniversary showcases the cohesive mentality and collaborative spirit that has made this industry so successful,” says Zirpolo.
Burgeon’s fifth-anniversary event will take place from noon to 4 p.m. at its Carlsbad headquarters. Tickets will go on-sale online at 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 8, and include unlimited three-ounce pours of rare Burgeon beers as well as beers from guest breweries, a keepsake glass, raffle ticket and first crack at purchasing cans of two anniversary IPAs and a new barrel-aged imperial stout. A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit the San Diego Brewers Guild.
Burgeon Beer Co.’s headquarters is located at 6350 Yarrow Drive in Carlsbad