Orange County Beer Society annually coordinates a chili cook-off and bottle share at Peace Brewing in Anaheim and it’s one of my favorite events to attend. It’s not your typical beer event because it’s located at someone’s home and therefore it’s smaller and more intimate. Bradley Daniels and his wife, Daira, graciously hosted the event at their home which is also known as Peace Brewing due to the garage-turned-brewery-and-taproom. Brad has been brewing for years and makes the most delicious homebrew. He’s been featured in several magazines for his crazy rad backyard and homemade brewery. His beautiful home makes for an ideal bottle share venue and we were all lucky to be in attendance.

Brad and his wife Daira

Chase Dipple’s Arm

A portion of the bottles that were shared

Obviously there was several tasty chili’s to taste and an important vote to cast for the best chili, but besides that there was an abundance of appetizing side-dishes and desserts to accompany the spread of chili. I myself brought some buttermilk beer biscuits and chocolate beer madeleines which I will be posting about later this week. They turned-out very good and the feedback I heard was very positive! My buddy, Greg Nagel from OC Beer Blog, received the winning number of votes for his chili that he has adapted from the Sriracha Cookbook. I tried his chili and it was just as good as I remember from last year’s cook-off and this makes him raining champ two years running. The pressure is on for next year!

Greg is the winner!!!!

A special thanks to Ron Bland from OC Beer Society for planning and coordinating the event. Ron is always putting together the most high-class bottle shares. I always know that I will get to taste super rare beers when Ron is involved. I can’t wait for him and Andrew to open their highly anticipated BrewHouse in San Juan Capistrano, CA. It’s slated for opening in a few months (allegedly).

Left to right: Ron, Brad, Greg, Andrew

The evening was wonderful; bottles were shared, laughs were had, food was eaten. I had a lot of fun photographing Greg’s daughter and her frenzied energy. She’s so photogenic it was hard to edit the photos!

I have said this before but I will reiterate it to everyone, beer is great but beer people are greater. I could have drank diet coke all night and still had a blast because these people are truly outstanding and sensational people. I hope you all are lucky enough to meet them one day! Let’s meet-up at a beer event sometime, huh? I will be the one taking pictures in a beer and baking hoodie.