Art, Brews, and Bites

Last weekend couldn’t have been more perfect: strolling down The Strand overlooking the Huntington Beach pier, bright sunshine replacing the June gloom of earlier, watching artists conjure beauty from  slabs of concrete while sipping cold craft brews  and munching on – you guessed it – hot dogs, all for a genuinely worthy cause!  This delightful day of Art, Brews, and Bites was coordinated by ChrisAnn Richards of Wine Lab Newport and CIM Group to benefit the The Boys and Girls Club of Huntington Valley, the largest provider of youth related services in our community.

Artists began their sidewalk creations in the morning and in another area the Boys and Girls Club,  with the help of Patty Schwartz who does Craft Events for Kids,  had a table of fun giveaways and  chalk for the younger set to share their creativity. Upstairs in the Shorebreak Hotel courtyard, adults enjoyed the fine IPAs and ales of craft brewers, Stone Brewing Co. and Green Flash Brewing Co.

Stone Brewing, known for “big character” beers, located in Escondido, CA offered tastings of their Stone IPA, a Southern California interpretation of a classic British pale ale, and Arrogant Bastard, billed as an aggressive beer “which you probably won’t like because it is quite doubtful that you have the taste of sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth”. 🙂 From Green Flash Brewing we had Hop Head Red Ale, and Le Freak, a zesty “out of the box” convergence of beer styles where American Imperial IPA meets Belgian Trippel.  We also were able to taste Devotion and Lost and Found Abbey Ale, described as “rooted in the Monastic and artistic Belgian brewing traditions each of these beers is available year-round for the enjoyment of Sinners and Saints alike”,  from The Lost Abbey by Port Brewing Co.

Did I mention the band? While sipping brews, noshing on dogs, and basking in the sunlight – the sensual sounds of Sombra Quieta filled the air.