By Robin GOLDSWORTHY

Rainy weather didn’t discourage the 600 people who took part in Sunday’s Craft Brew Fest held in Montrose and produced by the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce with main event sponsor 911 Environmental. Ticket holders were greeted by about 35 vendors who were eager to share their wares and information regarding their company.

This was the first time that the Agency Brewing Co. was pouring its IPA for guests.

“It’s a very drinkable IPA,” said Victor Hernandez, director of Operations for the downtown LA brewery. “We’re also working on a Mexican lager.”

Old Stump Brewery, located in Pomona, served up its Honey Blonde, one of its top sellers.

Steve Almaraz of Mad Whale Beer Co. poured tastes of the distinctive Helles Lager and Whale Islands Wine. 

“We’re a new company to the U.S.,” Almaraz said, detailing the bottling details of the Whale Islands Wine. (The red wine boasts a combined 75% cabernet and 25% merlot.)

One welcome returnee was Frogtown Brewery, a Los Angeles brewery. Marco Botaroco was seen pouring tastes of the brewery’s ware. 

“I came ready to pour today,” he said. “This is a good opportunity to introduce people to the brewing industry.”

Brendan Morelli was one of the hundreds who braved the cloudy skies to enjoy some of the area’s best tastes. He had been to the Craft Brew Fest a few years ago and was happy to see so many vendors on-site.

“The rain certainly didn’t scare us away,” he said. “We were invited by a friend this year and are thoroughly enjoying ourselves.”

Among the vendors that passed out samples of their wares was Katherine “Kat” Orbach and Amanda Murphy of The Cozy Cookie. The pair have extensive experience in the food industry; according to the website thecozycookie.co, Murphy is a trained pastry chef. This was the second year The Cozy Cookie was at the Craft Brew Fest.

Pizza Man also passed out samples of its pizza, which were eagerly gobbled up by Craft Brew Fest attendees. 

According to Molly Burke, executive director of the Montrose-Verdugo City Chamber of Commerce, there were several new vendors at the event as well as familiar faces.

“For food, we welcomed back Giuseppe’s and Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizza, introduced new vendors Ubatuba Açaí and Kneady Bakery LA, and featured familiar faces from the Montrose Harvest Market, including LOATA Baked Goods, The Brutal Baker, and MJM Savories,” she said. “For music, local band Hardcastle performed and did a fantastic job. We also had several familiar faces from Oktoberfest join us with informational booths, including 3-2-1 Acting Studios, Holy Redeemer/St. James School, and Forest Lawn. New additions like Level Up Health and Wellness, which provided water for attendees, and Archive Contents Restorations, that supported our brand new Brewmasters Lounge VIP tent, also participated.”

Members of Elks Lodge #1289 were on hand, volunteering to monitor traffic in the crosswalks as it has for the last eight to 10 years it has attended the Fest.

“We also make sure no alcohol leaves the event,” said Joe Allen of the Elks Lodge #1289.

In addition, the Elks Lodge members were pouring tastes of Everywhere beer as members of the Orange brewery were unable to attend Sunday’s event.

Those who missed Sunday’s event can earmark the date next year.

“You’ll definitely see us back next year!” said Burke. “Despite the rain, attendees and vendors shared how much fun they had and we love putting on events for our community.”