OC Brew Ha Ha Craft Beer Festival

Great beer and great food; horrible value. $ 55/​ticket is a lot of money for an opportunity to attend what is essentially a craft brewers’ marketing event (most are happy to give free samples if the ABC allowed it). But then finding out there’s an additional $ 10 parking fee (giant dusty dirt lot with no clear exits), long queues to get in, long queues for tastings, long queues for food, long queues for bathrooms, etc… Grounds are so dusty it will take my sinuses a few days to clear. I did get a few amazing samples of some baked goods but that was it. Never did see any wine. This was a $ 25 event, not a $ 55 event.

Brew Ha Ha represents among the best that OC has to offer in terms of beer festivals. This last one had pretty much everything that one could ask for:
— Cool location
— Great beer selection
— Great cider selection
— Great organization (with short lines)
— Many food trucks to choose from
— Friendly crowd
Why only four stars? Well, I hate to quibble, but I wish that this festival was more accessible to public transportation. I can’t help but think that there may have been a couple of people DUI after the event. Also, I didn’t get cell phone service here. Oak Canyon Park is beautiful, though.
Please be safe, everyone!

I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2^nd annual OC Brew Haha Sabroso Craft Beer & Taco Festival at Irvine Lake. The OC Brew Haha festivals are the ones I look forward too every year. They really are the best ones to go too. This festival was put together and spaced perfectly. The beer tents and taco vendors were all around the outside area forming a circle and the luchador wrestling ring was in the middle area near the mini golf and giant jenga. The stage with the band was towards the back area.
The brewery list is always outstanding and they list which breweries are attending well in advance.
This year there were a lot more tacos to choose from. The taco competition was fierce. Iron Press brought their delicious waffle tacos again. All tacos are $ 3 each.
I buy the early bird tickets for $ 43 when they go on sale so the price is well worth it. This is an unlimited pour festival which lasts 4 hours.
The beer pours are in a nice commorative glass so you get about 2 – 3 ounce pours. There are so many breweries there that I never have a chance to try them all. They provide free water and have discounted tickets for designated drivers. I usually just Über there and back.
The setting is very scenic and park like with beautiful views of Irvine Lake. There are outhouses and bathroom buildings as well.
This festival and the one they throw in December are my two favorite festivals each year.

This was a great event. Large location on grass which made the hot day feel a lot cooler. Cool live bands were playing continuously on the stage and there was even a bagpipe brigade!
I paid extra for the VIP entry and it was well worth the extra hour. I had loads of fun with my two friends and I was impressed with the selection of beers they offered. The people working the stands were extremely friendly and happy to answer any of our questions.
There was so. much. food. Yes, you have to pay for the food at the food trucks but this food was worth it! Most of the trucks were gourmet or famous in the area and the service was quick for how many orders they were taking in.
The only complaint I have is that this location has no cell service (which might actually be a good thing for people who are drinking), but I understand it can be difficult for people calling a taxi or Über. Would love it if Silverado could invest in a tower for the Irvine Lake area.
I did go to their December event, OC Brew Ho Ho and had just as much fun. I feel like that event had a lot less selections (in beer and food) and there was no 1-​hour early entry as there was with Ha Ha. Also, a lot of the same breweries attended both events, so I didn’t feel like I was trying as many new brews during Ho Ho.

Just attended my second OC a Brew Ho Ho. So glad the weather was clear unlike last year’s. Everything was more spread out and not all crammed in the tent like last year when it rained.
My only complaint would be that the food should be accessible during the check-​in period before the event actually starts while you’re hanging around waiting. It would be nice to be able to eat during that time so that you’re able to have something in your stomach before consuming beer. Plus it would give you something to do other that standing around waiting.

Thanks to Unilocal for the comp tickets!
This event certainly was a fun experience. The location is large so it didn’t feel overcrowded even though there was avoid turnout. There was a great selection of beer and even the longest lines had a reasonable wait time. There were also decent food vendors (wings, pizza, sandwiches)
SERVICE
NO mobile phone data here.
PARKING
The VIP lot was ok. The lot is dirt and rocks so keep that in mind if you plan on driving a nice car. We got there late so we had to park further out but it still wasn’t too far. While we were leaving, we saw people walking pretty far out (apparently to their cars). So paying extra for the closer lot might be a good idea.

Great beers and people working the breweries… however, the good is shaded by two negatives: food truck lines are ridic and so slowest service ever… and there is absolutely no cell phone service so anyone trying to get a taxi at the end of the event is essentially stuck in a 100 degree canyon (this has happened 2 years in a row). In the future, I’d recommend that the organizers arrange a service with either taxis or Über (who is a sponsor?) to get people out of the area. Frustrated drunk people without any available cell reception are not a fun bunch.

Great festival last Saturday! Love the variety of beer and the random games around, human fooseball. The venue is awesome! Music by the Creepers was great, bagpipes, the guys playing for VIP early birds folk rock were a great start to an excellent time. This is my fourth BHH event — they just get better and better. Can’t wait for the Brew Ho Ho in December!

So, if you’re a fan of craft beer then you probably have been to this event! You at least know about it. The 2014 version had an amazing line up of breweries. 80 BREWERIES!!! There was more beer than one could possibly hope to sample. It was a great event. Really well planned and organized. My only issue is that the location has no cell reception so it means that using apps like Über or Lyft are not options. Ever beer fan knows how much of a blow this is as it makes drinking responsibly that much more difficult. My other huge complaint is that it was 100 degrees! I know they can’t control the weather but this is So Cal! You can hold the event a little later when the weather cools off. Other than that it was great. Lots of water stations. Lots of food options. Plenty of shaded seating. If you are a beer fan you have to come to this event!!!

Best birthday EVER!
Great beer, fun activities (there were communal lawn games, how cool)! All of the brewers were outrageously friendly and it was so nice to see my favorite places as well as breweries I’ve always been meaning to try. What an awesome event for the price.
The temperature was ridiculous, but there were misters, fans, water stations, and a lot of shade. Still, I’m glad I remembered the sunscreen before we got there.
The only unfortunate thing was that there was no cell service, which I really didn’t mind at first — it was nice to be there without everyone buried in their phones updating their statuses, etc. — but when it came time to schedule our Über pick-​up, we had to walk down the road just to get a single bar of signal. Maybe in the future, there can be a better partnership between Über, Lyft, or other companies to get a stand-​by area of rides for people!
Thanks to the organizers of the event! I really enjoyed myself and I know my boyfriend did too. I definitely want to go back next year!

First time here this year, and it was a lot of fun! So much beer for the price! Just because the glass was little, doesn’t mean you can’t get a good amount of beer! The food, music, and beers were awesome!!! Can’t wait to go next year!!! Iron Press was so good!!!

4 out Of 5 years for me and this beer festival just keeps getting better and better! First Class breweries and quite a few bring something special for the fest! Nice variety of food trucks and other dining options. Theres always Jenga set ups spread out throughout the fest and each year new games are added. The site, though a little out of the way is idylluc, nice shady spots spread out throughout the venue. Great bands, easy ticketing, laid back security. Nothing to complain about!

My first time… a must for any craft beer lover. The venue was fantastic and those running the show were professional and courteous. Lots of shade in 100 degree weather. Some food truck lines were too long, but the beer lines weren’t! Great music playing all day and other forms of entertainment. What’s not to like in a kilt-​wearing firefighter?!?
They allowed cars to stay overnight if you were too drunk to drive your own. Very smart! Just a matter of finding the right person the next day to get the gate open again to get your care out.
As mentioned: no cell service at the venue. Make your plans to meet friends in advance.

I’ve attended more than my fair share of beer festivals over the years. Let me just say that most of them are very poorly organized. OC Brew HA HA was a complete 180 from most festivals. It was the epitome of how these kinds of events should be run.
The day of this festival was probably the hottest, most humid day of 2013. The location (Oak Canyon Park) is out in the middle of no where, between Irvine and Corona. It’s hot there. But the park has plenty of shade and the organizers set up misters that pretty much covered all the real estate.
There are three ticket types available: designated driver, general and VIP. General tickets get in at 1p with 10 tasters at 4oz each. VIP gets in at noon and get 4 additional tasters. The VIP was totally worth it. They started ‘processing’ VIP ticket holders at 11a, moving them out of a line in the sun and into a more comfortable holding area with free water and restrooms. By 12:01 I had my first beer in my hand, due to the great organization.
At this event they had free soft drinks (self serve soda dispenser) and water, bottled, in coolers and at the soda dispenser.) Again, there was plenty of shade, both from trees and many umbrellas and tents set up around the park. We never had trouble finding a spot to enjoy our beer or food.
There were plenty of porta-​potties and they even had a real bathroom with real running water!
They had about 70 breweries (mostly from SoCal). The booths are staffed by volunteer firefighters and all the proceeds benefit the fallen firefighter relief fund. Pretty hard to argue with that. One thing I really, really liked was that the event wasn’t oversold. We never had to wait in a line (except for some very rare beers) and I didn’t feel like I was getting stepped on or claustrophobic in the crowd, ever. To compare, it was 100x better than the Fair in that aspect. Kudos to the organizers for that. The tickets for tasters were tabs on plastic bracelets. I think that is much better than the usual raffle ticket style you get at these kinds of events. (A pocketful of cash, raffle tickets, cell phone, ID, keys… you get the idea).
They had food vendors onsite, including about 6 food trucks and about 10 other food booths. Lots of burgers, sausage, bbq and other festival foods.
The organizers had a taxi stand set up and when we left (around 3) there were more than enough cabs waiting. (Not sure how it was later, around the 4p close.) They also had another transportation service, called Über, onsite. They were definitely encouraging people not to drink and drive and allowed overnight parking.
Looking forward to the next event, this was just awesome. Well done, can’t say enough good things. The beer was great, the venue was perfect and we left very happy.

Yes!!! So worth it, very well planned and put together!
Tons of Craft beers
Perfect amount of food trucks
A couple vendors
Misters & shade
Cold water
Live bands
And… HELLO… FIREMEN!!!
$ 45+ to get in (buy online ahead of time, event sells out!)
Comemerative glass
Make yourself a pretzel necklace and you’ve got yourself an awesome afternoon!
Cheers!!!
See you at the Brew HoHo in December!

I finally got to attend the OC Brew Haha as a guest and not as a vendor! Last year I worked the Unilocal booth when it was located at the Wild Rivers area. I actually thought it was there again this year until my friend told me it was at Oak Canyon Park, which is right next to the Irvine Lake.
Thanks to Vy T. and the special code she gave me, I was able to get a VIP ticket ($ 55) upgrade for a price of a general admission ticket ($ 43 with the convenience fee charge). With the VIP ticket, we were able to enter an hour earlier at 12 and we were also given four extra drink tickets. In total, we were able to drink from 12 – 4 and given a total of 14 drink tickets. It was pretty crowded when we got in line at a little before 12:30, but security tried to go as fast as they could with checking our tickets and IDs. We were also given commemorate pint glasses with a line that marked the 4 oz. pour
Walking into the area, we immediately took notice to the five food trucks that were there. Good to know ahead that we could get food to soak up all the beer. I believe the trucks that showed were the Viking Truck, Chomp Chomp, Bacon Mania, and two others that I can’t recall right now. Blame it on the beer.
With live music coming from bands playing on the stage, my friends and I had a pretty good time walking around the park with our drinks in hand. We were able to get our picture taken with one of the sponsors, Farmer John, who in addition to having a photobooth area, were giving away sausages and Farmer John sunglasses and fans! We didn’t get the sunglasses because while we were taking our picture, this guy swooped in and got the last pair. Boo. Maybe next time. Managed to buy some beer cupcakes from Brewcakes and a cocoa puff flavored cigar too.
There were over 70 breweries there, to serve over 150 different craft and import beers. I was like a kid in the candy store because I couldn’t figure out which breweries I wanted to try out. Though I had tickets and offering the off duty firefighters to take them whenever I got a pour, they more often than not didn’t even take them! And even though there was an indicator line to how much they should pour, these guys were awesome to pour way past the line — sometimes even the full pint. Win in my book! I’m pretty sure I made it through about 10 different kinds before I got way too full from all of the beer.
We had been drinking for a while, but I’ll try and remember some of my favs:
Widmer Brothers Marionberry Hibiscus Gose
Okay, so that was a short list. I’m sorry, I can’t remember the specific breweries I tried out. Haha. I know I had a lot of IPAs and hefes though! I took a bunch of business cards and like coasters from the breweries I tried out, so I’ll put them on this later.
The location itself was okay. I’ve been to his park before for other events (e.g. Munchathon), and I liked how there was plenty of shade offered by the many trees. Even though it was really crowded, I didn’t feel overwhelmed like I would be at a festival or something, since the park is huge and there was plenty of space for people to roam. Plus, free soda and water! Win! The only downside I could see was the lack of reception. My phone pretty much died by the end of the four hours because it was trying to get a signal (alright — I was also trying really hard to Instagram some pics too so that might have been a factor as well).
Overall, I had a great time at OC Brew Haha. It’s definitely something to check out next year. They have tons of different breweries to try from and everyone’s really nice (although, it could just be the beer, but still, a great crowd nonetheless). The cause is awesome too! I’m definitely glad I was doing my part to help out with the Fallen Fighters Fund!

Expectations. Exceeded.
Your thoughts … It is a scorching 100 degree day and I am suppose to wait in long lines, deal with drunk people, drive to BFE, just to enjoy samples of beer? Um, no thanks.
The reality … It IS a scorching hot day, but where are the lines? And hey aren’t you suppose to take my ticket and only pour me 4 oz. Turns out the breweries here are generous, rarely sticking to the 4 oz rule. The parking was a bit of a cluster … and the bathrooms were pretty gross, but hey, the beer was flowing and the crowd was mellow.
As a sworn hater of large outdoor festivals, I must say that this one is cut from a different cloth, if you like beer, this is a must-​go.
*Warning* There was no cell service at this park, too remote.

My friends and I scored the VIP upgrade from a special code that gave us a VIP ticket (regularly $ 55) at the regular ticket price ($ 40+tax). We were able to get in an hour earlier than the usual 3 hour event time (12−4pm), and in addition to the 10 pours that came on the wristband, we got 4 additional tickets to enjoy more beers from the 70+ breweries that were on hand to serve over 140 different types of beer. Pretty stellar selection! The event was held at Oak Canyon Park, which is near Irvine Lake and not too far from my house. I heard that it was near Wild Rivers last year — the main qualm I had with the location was just the parking situation — handicap parking for one of my cohorts was kind of designated on a whim.
We loved the awesome local band that performed some favorite OCMS, The Band, and Bob Dylan songs — and there were plenty of food trucks on hand to keep the masses fed.
Everyone got a commemorative glass with a line that indicated a 4 oz. pour — though many of the off-​duty firefighters that were pouring the beers were more than generous with their pours — they’re in the profession of keeping us from catching on fire from the blazing 90 degrees — I myself made it through possibly 10 pours (same as Stone Brewing Event a few weeks earlier.)
Oak Canyon Park did have some shining qualities, mainly the giant trees and shady areas that many of us took advantage of. There were nice shady seating areas, cigars for sale, Farmer John sausages for enjoying and even a Farmer John’s photo booth.
Overall, OC Brew Ha Ha was a great beer event because you got to try so many beers from top craft brewers all over the country, there’s plenty of live entertainment and lively crowds to keep the party going, and despite how many people were present, it didn’t feel as crowded as I expected it to be. Free soda and water is also a major plus!
All proceeds going to the Fallen Fighters Fund, cool people, lots of beer — aside from the parking situation and the long line I waited in for the food trucks, this was a solid event and one I’d likely attend again!

I really enjoyed the OC Brew Ha Ha and I look forward to returning next year. First of all, the proceeds going to the fallen firefighters of ⁹⁄₁₁ is a huge plus. Having firefighters serve us beer was wonderful, although in this case I would have come to serve them beer. I received a wristband with 10 tastes, 4 extra taste tickets (VIP) and a beer glass. I added a pic because that Beer glass was adorable (or should I say Manly).
I had some Firefighter brew right off and then headed to the Unilocal booth to say my hellos and thank yous (I happen to win my tickets via Unilocal). The set up was great with booths all around, lots of seating and even better, LOTS OF SHADE. We hit the Stone brewery food booth, because we are no fools. Everyone who enjoys beer knows that if Stone has a food booth, you get your butt over there for a pretzel. I had a total of 5 generous tastings and then found some beer lovers who were low on tickets so that I could provide the gift from the heavens, the gift of beer. The guys who took our gift were very thankful and we considered our good deed of the day well received.
I have to also say that the firetruck with the pizza making capabilities, solar panels and beer tap on the front of the rig, was absolute genius. I want to know where that bad boy is going to be next, because I would stand in a long line to have some more delicious pesto pizza and beer =)
Good job to all those hard working organizers, volunteers and beer drinkers, I had a great afternoon. See you next year!

Thanks Unilocal for the free ticket to my personal hell.
My personal hell meaning…
— disorganized upon arrival as the gal that checked us in said not one person that «won» Unilocal tickets was on the list. tisk tisk Unilocal as we all know Unilocal is good with lists. She let us in no problemo with an upgrade to VIP but I really felt bad for her as she seemed kind of lost and annoyed and pretty much hoping it all worked out in the end.
— I HATE BEER!
— I am not a fan of large crowds
— Not a fan of being out in the heat
— Not a fan of being out in the heat for a long period of time
— Not a fan of being out in the heat for a long period of time in a large crowd
As soon as the devils rays starting beating down on my warmest shoes (ugg boots) we knew it was time to leave.
Beer was drunk. Tickets were not collected after every pour so we made some friends, gave the great gift of beer by giving them our tickets and we were outty before it got rowdy.
I’m not rating an A-​OK bc it wasn’t my kind of pour I’m rating it this bc IF we were to have had to actually purchase tickets to this event the cost would have been $ 35 (advance) or $ 40 (day of). That is just redic!
ALTHOUGH after reading a review from scott e. I was educated some on that the proceeds for the tickets supported a fund for ⁹⁄₁₁ which is AWESOME. I am still (sorry scott I’m not going up a star) going to have to have to knock them for not marketing the hell out of that bc it is such an awesome cause (says the girl that has worn an I heart NY shirt every year on ⁹⁄₁₁ for the past 9 years).
Plus, the event was not long enough either when deciding via the good ol cost-​benefit factor. It was a three hour event only. When you break this event down by per hour, paying $ 11.66 for 3−4oz pours of beer seems redic to me still. AND YES I would even say this if it was wine! For a $ 11.66 an hour at a wine event where you would get smaller pours 2oz I would want to be drinking some caliber wines. Beer is cheap people and at the end of the day, charity fund or not, the price was still on the up and up.
I gotta give it to the fellow beer drinkers as all the ones we chatted with were über cool.
They had a variety of eats for purchase and I saw a booth or two that were offering up free eats so a plus to them. I was digging the free fountain sodie available and complimentary bottled water at the exit.
I loved the idea of actual firefighters pourin the beer but they didn’t know ish about what they were serving so forget asking them any questions about anything. One guy didn’t even know how to vote. Not sure if anyone is winning «People’s Choice» at this event.
I had a great day at a «free for us» event (thanks Unilocal!) with a great friend so I can’t complain about that. We drink responsibly so DD CG drove her beer drinking ass so you better believe when we make it to Napa one day she will be driving my wine drinking ass.
At the end of it all, a day in hell has never been so cool.