Julian Mountain BrewFest 2026

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You know the friend who insists the drive is part of it — who makes you take the long way because the view matters. This is the day they get to be smug, and you will not have an argument.

Up at elevation the air smells like pine and pie, and something is different about how a beer lands, whether that is real or the altitude talking. The lineup reads like a road trip through the county's small producers: Burning Beard, Calico Cidery, Julian Beer Co., San Diego Brewing Company, Smoking Cannon, plus wine and cider makers who never bothered opening a coastal tasting room. The Sun Valley String Band plays while you wander between pours.

Entry buys a commemorative cup and eight tastings — enough to find a new favorite without losing the plot. Hollow Glen Road, an afternoon in August, grown folks only.

Go up for the beer. Come back down arguing about which cidery was actually best.