Top L.A. brewers pouring into Long Beach for Drink Good Beerfest

Sometimes, a beer festival offers little more than a bunch of breweries pouring their usual suspects with nothing really exciting on offer. And the goal of many attendees is simply to see how many samples of beer they can fit into a three-hour window.

This Saturday, the second annual Drink Good Beerfest bucks that trend by bringing more than 30 breweries together at the Factory Gastro Bar in Long Beach, and the line-up is heavily skewed toward L.A.’s local breweries, which will be pouring special release brews that should demonstrate the breadth and variety of the growing craft beer culture in and around Los Angeles.

Breweries big and small, from the Southland’s regional powerhouses such as Golden Road Brewing and Hangar 24 Brewery to the small cult-favorites such as the South Bay’s Monkish Brewing and Smog City, will be serving brews alongside merchandise vendors, games, and -- a rarity for craft beer festivals -- educational demonstrations.

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Everything from sought-after barrel-aged beers, to sours and wild ales, to seasonal specialties will be on offer, and a $35 ticket ($40 at the door) includes 10 taster pour and, the requisite commemorative glassware. Several food options will be available to keep you fueled up while you taste brews.

Beer fests are a dime-a-dozen this time of year, but the Drink Good Beerfest looks to be a departure from the run-of-the-mill festivals and a good opportunity to meet the local brewers who are keeping the craft beer flowing in Los Angeles.

The festival runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available online or at the door (if they don’t sell out), and designated driver passes are available for $15.

The Factory Gastrobar, 4020 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, (562) 595-4020.

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