Forget for a moment about Baja's most popular craft beer expos and festivals; the second edition of Ensenada's barely known Summer Beer Fest had live music, food, and beer, lots of it. This, however, is to be expected in any self-respecting beer fest, so what makes this one so special? Two word answer: Free admission.

Despite only showcasing 20 local breweries, variety is this event's least concern. You can go from booth to booth, tasting each offering for just $0.53 USD until you decide to have one for real, which can cost from $2.67 to $3.21 USD

There are no official commemorative glasses or cups for this event, but La Casa del Lúpulo brewery offers some nice 2lt bottles that look good on any display, but are definitely better when filled with some kind of beer.

Located within a few feet of Ensenada's Playa Hermosa scenery, Tables and chairs are scarce, but there's ample space on the Doble C bar's parking lot for everyone to keep an eye out on the beer lines.

You could find well known brews such as the local darling Wendlandt, but most of them are just making a name for themselves in the scene, unlike other festivals from the region. The idea here is to give these young breweries a bigger chance to make an impression, especially with Tijuana's crowd.

The beers offered here make a great remedy for this summer's heat, such as Cachonda's Cahi Milk Stout; the Huapango, a malt ale from La Calaña; the Berry Saison from Zombie Brew Labs; the Cenicienta, a Golden Ale from Heisenberg Brewery; The Indian Pale Ale from 2.0; a Beenorexia Stout from Bruer, and other IPAs, Porters, Belgians.

Despite these breweries beers and barrels being sold at crowded places full of craft beer aficionados, they only offer one or two different styles produced by them. Some brewers are already planning on opening their own establishments next year, such as Bruer and La Calaña.

This year's Summer Beer Fest is the place to be if you want to treat your taste buds with the craft beer stylings of Baja's best kept secrets in brewing without spending too much. Keep your eyes open for next year's edition.

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miranda.garcia@sandiegored.com