Ensenada Beerfest 2019, Mexico (22-23 March)

Afterwards, we went to the subsequent two-day (sold-out) Ensenada Beerfest. For the more than 120 Mexican breweries exhibiting, it was naturally easier to cool the beer with ice blocks hammered from ice using screwdrivers than to use electricity. The venue was a former casino that had its heyday during the Prohibition. The huge area had 3 stages, 2 DJ areas, and who knows what else. It was just so big that I couldn't see everything in the 2 days. Of course, the fact that I was constantly receiving free beer as a judge and everyone wanted my opinion on all the beers also contributed to this. It became quite exhausting and almost annoying over time, and even all the delicious food couldn't make it better 😉. There were also tequila and mezcal exhibitors and producers, as well as exhibitors of kombucha, which is also very popular in California. The department for homebrewing clubs and hobby brewers was also very interesting. This allowed me to meet various people from the industry and around Mexico. In the evening, the celebration continued after the festival ended. We returned to San Diego in the most comfortable bus I've ever ridden in, with a one-hour wait at the border. I truly had a unique, exciting, and fun time!