Honolulu Avenue will be filled with beer connoisseurs when the beer fest returns to Montrose. 

By Mary O’KEEFE

On Sunday, April 12, the Montrose Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce (MVCC) will sponsor the Montrose Craft Beer Fest from noon to 4 p.m. in the 2200 block of Honolulu Avenue.

The event, formally known as the Brewfest, will be celebrating its 11th year. 

“[The event] is a closed, beer garden–style event for attendees 21 and older,” said Molly Burke, MVCC president/CEO. “Everyone checks in at a single location to have their ID verified and tickets scanned. There are two ticket types: Designated Driver, which includes all food samples and non-alcoholic beverages, and All Sampling, which includes all food, non-alcoholic drinks, and alcoholic drinks.”

There will be a variety of brewers, many who are returning from years past. 

“We focus on small, independent craft breweries,” Burke said. “Each year we’re lucky to connect with new local breweries, some through personal connections with the event planners. When the stars align, they join the festival.”

One of those breweries is local favorite Frogtown Brewery, an independent craft brewery and taproom located in northeast Los Angeles along the LA River. 

It started in 2016 with home brewers, Chicagoans Adam Kestel, owner and master brewer, and Mike Voss, owner. Along with Gustavo Rojas, LA native who is involved in the brewery’s development, the brewery has been steadily growing for a decade. 

Ian Brown, head of sales, said he feels the success of the brewery is in part because of its “slow and steady approach.” The owners started out renting a location to sell bottles and cans of their brew but as its popularity spread the company began to grow. The location they started in was bought and they expanded to the parking lot creating a beer garden. They have created a comfortable place where people can sit, talk and drink beer. For those who want to eat, they have invited food trucks to the location. 

They are now looking to expand to include Frogtown Brewery’s pizza kitchen, which hopefully will be completed by the end of the year. 

Brown said the company has set its own standards and is always working to maintain those high standards, so if a beer is created that just doesn’t pass the taste test it won’t be sold. 

“We don’t compromise on quality,” he added. 

He also added Frogtown is in their community and they support other businesses, schools and community events. 

Frogtown Brewery has participated in the Montrose Craft Beer Fest for about three years and enjoys coming back to the event and seeing familiar faces. Those who have visited their booth in the past know Marco Botaroco, who will once again be at the event this year. 

“Guests with the All Sampling wristband receive a 5 oz taster glass to visit all the pouring stations. There are no additional costs once inside the festival,” Burke said. “We’re excited to feature local band Hardcastle this year! They will be performing near the lawn games area. In addition, we’ll have ambient music throughout the festival to keep the vibes going.” 

Pre-sale tickets are available until midnight the day before the event and are offered at a lower price, so purchasing early helps save money. Including fees, the pre-sale price is $28.52 for a Designated Driver ticket and $60.54 for an All Sampling ticket, according to Burke. 

“Tickets will also be available on the day of the event and we encourage guests to purchase them through our website (montrosechamberofcommerce.org) or via a QR code at the entrance. We use the Eventbrite app for check-in and can process ticket sales if needed. If someone prefers to pay with cash, we accept exact change only. Day-of pricing is $30 for a Designated Driver ticket and $75 for an All Sampling ticket when paying cash. Online day-of pricing is $33.85 for the Designated Driver ticket and $81.88 for the All Sampling ticket,” Burke said.