On Thursday evening, tasting the specialty crafted brews was a treat at the grand re-opening of the newest Huntington Beach location of celebrated SoCal brewery, Golden Road Brewing. After sips of Golden Road’s latest creations at the newly developed Peter’s Landing Marina, guests were treated to a beautiful sunset cruise in Huntington Harbor, to celebrate Golden Road’s partnership with luxury Prince Charter Cruises!

The evening began with some looks at the newly renovated brewhouse system where Golden Road brews local craft drinks on-site.

Brewmaster Victor Novak spoke about how he and his craftsmen focus on the infusion of SoCal street flavors into all of their brews – making their unique drinks highly localized and authentic. With his extensive background, ranging from experience in Philadelphia to Germany, Novak thoughtfully shared his passion for craft brewing and explained how the ingredients he pairs are inspired by novelty cocktails, Mexican cuisine, and California farm-to-table freshness.

Each brew was presented one by one, the first of which was my personal favorite – LA Style Mango Cart! I was also a fan of the strawberry-infused brew and the innovative coffee-infused brew, for their refreshing and sweet flavors and lightness! The unique IPAs, dubbed Ride On Tropical IPA and Ride on Session IPA, would appeal to those with a palate for IPA brews. Many guests also enjoyed the pale gold cerveza with lime concoction, called the Street Cart – named after LA’s famed Mexican street food carts.

The sips were topped off with the showstopper drink of the evening – the Mariner’s Dream – crafted especially for this one-night-only occasion. It was surely the achievement of the night, in presentation and taste! It was presented with an upside-down glass covering its top – and all at once on the count of three, everyone raised the top glass to reveal a smoking, savory drink that wowed us all! It took Novak and his team over one month to craft this creamy, smoky Mezcal-infused waterfront IPA dream – made with rare caviar limes and a zesty flavor.

Executive Chef Joseph Torres gave guests a culinary tease after drinks were served. We all enjoyed a tapas-style plate with a slow-cooked kalua pork skewer topped with a sweet and smokey soy ginger glaze, a zesty shrimp tostada, and a tembleque (coconut pudding.) Everyone would have loved to indulge in more of his delicious cuisine!

And finally, the night was made when Golden Road treated guests to a sunset cruise on Huntington Harbor, aboard a private chartered yacht by Prince Charters. Canned Golden Road fruit-infused drinks were bountiful, and the sunset views were unforgettable! The charter company will be cruising Golden Road guests in a new partnership, coming soon.

It was a perfect Huntington Beach evening for this LaLa girl – and when venturing down the coast on PCH, Golden Road will be a must-hit for creative sips, stellar maritime views, and lots of fun!