HOT DUBS & COLD SUDS VW SHOW & 48 IPA BEER LAUNCH!

VW Trends and Chapman Crafted Beer

release the VW-themed beer you’ve been waiting for!

by VWT staff

photos by Larry Bohannon and Rich Crafton

All of us at VW Trends love going to Volkswagen shows. And a nice cold beer is a perfect pairing for wandering around checking out cool VWs. Until now, there wasn’t a beer that embraced the VW culture. Now, Budweiser, Coors Light, and Modelo are fine, but man, why couldn’t someone come up with an awesome beer that captures the spirit of the VW community?

We shared our thoughts with VWT social media manager and street team leader Larry Bohannon, who said, “I got a guy.” After meeting with the folks at Chapman Crafted Beer in Old Towne Orange, California, we discovered that they aren’t just expert beer crafters, they’re VW people as well! That sealed the deal right there, and the collaboration started.

We already knew the name was the bomb. I mean, come on: 48 IPA? That was a no-brainer. But we needed a brew that matched the awesomeness of the name. So, Dave, the master beer brewer at Chapman, came up with a unique India pale ale that was easy to drink, crisp, refreshing, and not too hoppy — perfect to drink at car shows! Now we just needed the perfect event to launch 48 IPA. How about a car show? That’s how Hot Dubs and Cold Suds came to life!

We picked Saturday, June 10, for the event, since it was right at the start of the three-week VW event extravaganza in Southern California. There were people from all over the world in Southern California for the events, so the show had an international flair! We spoke to people from France, Belgium, and Sweden.

The car show area was exclusive and filled up fast! There was an amazing selection of Volkswagens on display: full-blown race cars, vintage masterpieces, cool customs, rat rods, dune buggies, Buses, Westies, and more. VIP pre-registrants got a 48 IPA T-shirt, key chain, stickers, and a 4-pack of 48 IPA beer! EMPI came out in force with a booth and their fresh-off-the-press Meyer’s Manx Buggy. If that weren’t enough, they brought out VW Trends cover model Shannon Rae to sign posters! EMPI was also kind enough to donate a set of EMPI 8-spoke wheels that we raffled off to one lucky car show entrant. On the other side of the brewery, people could grab a 48 IPA, eat some awesome food, hang out and talk shop. VW Trends had a booth and was selling subscriptions and T-shirts to the eager crowd.

At the end of the day, we had to narrow down the amazing show VWs and pick three winners. It was a VERY tough decision, as all of them were top notch.

All in all, it was an amazing day! The event went off without a hitch, people had a great time (such a good time that loads of people stayed to hang out long after the event was over), and 48 IPA got rave reviews from everyone in attendance. In fact, we had such a blast, we’re gonna do it again next year! See you in 2024!

We’ll be back next year!