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A Craft Beer Event Serving the Community

Upland is a beautiful destination located 36 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles. The community of over 73,000 people offers visitors the ideal location to begin a great California adventure. The city has an activity for every traveler, whether you're taking in views of the majestic San Gabriel Mountains or participating in one of the top tier community events.

 

Brews & Bros has been rising to the top of the California craft beer circuit since 2014. It’s an annual celebration of the founding of Last Name Brewing. The event is held at the Cable Airport, located on the western edge of town. Patrons will have the opportunity to sample craft beers, ciders, and wines from 40 different producers. There will also be an assortment of alcohol-free drinks available. It’s a family-friendly gathering and attendees will find a variety of entertainment options that include music and vendors. Brews & Bros is also a major fundraiser for the Claremont Educational Foundation, which strives to improve public education in Claremont. We got the chance to interview Karen McMillen, representative for Last Name Brewing, to talk about this unique celebration of craft beers.

 

RAL: How long has the event been running?  

KM: This is our 4th annual event. It celebrates Last Name Brewing’s (formerly Dale Bros. Brewery) anniversary. We originally launched in 2014 when the brewery’s first anniversary party outgrew the parking lot.

 

RAL: How many annual participants do you draw and what is the typical demographic makeup of the event? Children? Families? Couples?  

KM: This year we expect 2,500 patrons of all ages. While the event is for craft beer drinkers, we also offer a selection of craft soda, wine, and cider for those who don’t drink beer. There are games like corn hole and Giant Jenga, music and an all-around good time!

 

RAL: What makes this event unique?

KM: We currently hold the event on the grounds of Cable Airport in Upland. It’s very fun to drink beer and watch the planes take off – the airport also always parks a plane or two on the grounds of the festival for people to get an up-close look. Our first year it was a B-52 bomber!

 

RAL: Take me through the activities of a day at the event.

KM: The event starts with a special Rare Beer Hour for our VIP guests. Select breweries bring a limited quantity of a rare beer for our VIP ticket holders to sample. At 1:00 pm, the event opens for general admission attendees who will have over 40 different breweries, wineries, and cider makers to sample. We will even have some craft sodas available, too! There are also music, games, straight razor shaves and haircuts, cigars, and a selection of vendor booths.

 

RAL: What dining options will there be?   

KM: The event hosts some of the best food trucks and “pop up” food vendors in the area!  We’ll have nine different vendors this year offering everything from lobster to craft beer infused ice cream!

 

RAL: Tell me about the overall environment?

KM: The festival transforms a stretch of tarmac at Cable Airport into a fun zone! The entire festival is outdoors, so rain or shine, come prepared. Most years our guests get to soak up Southern California’s January sunshine.

 

RAL: What can an attendee expect to find for local lodging?

KM: Visitors will find an array of accommodations to take advantage of within a 30-minute radius of the event. There are cabins at Mt Baldy, RV parking and campsites at Bonelli Park, boutique hotels in Claremont, and national hotel chains in Upland and Ontario.

 

RAL: Does this drive business to your local economy?

KM: This event has helped expand the craft beer culture in our area. It brings together some of the finest craft beer in Southern California and introduces attendees to the growing number of hyper-local breweries.

 

RAL: Does the event support a special cause in the community?

KM: The event is a major fundraiser for the Claremont Educational Foundation, whose mission is to protect and enrich quality public education in Claremont through community involvement. It also gives other local nonprofits the opportunity to provide volunteers for beer pouring and to generate tips for their charity. In all, the event has benefitted over a dozen local non-profits over the years.

 

RAL: Why should people come to your event?

KM: Where else can you drink great beer, eat innovative food, and get your groove on in the company of historic airplanes. Doing good tastes great at Brews and Bros!


For more information about Brews and Bros, please visit their website.