Lost Coast Brewing Company turns 25 this year, and the folks at Lost Coast are understandably excited. We were invited to the Eureka brewery’s birthday bash at Cicada Cantina on Hilltop, complete with music from DJ Travis B and the bands the Lost Roots and Hollow Lane, some giveaways, birthday cakes, and a special Silver Anniversary Belgium Strong Ale. Way better than those backyard birthday parties in junior high.

With the event being held at Cicada, good food was doled out on platter after platter piled high with tangy sauces, bold meats, and spicy offerings all around. We inhaled the Barbacoa street tacos, verde smothered enchiladas, and the spicy cream dip with hot table chips. Lost Coast brewed a Silver Anniversary Ale specifically for the event, with the signature orange citrus dominating the unfiltered beer’s crisp body.

Their Raspberry Brown was also on tap, a rich and creamy brew with sweet raspberry infusion that paired well with the party. The anniversary brew is the latest in a great variety of suds from the coast, like Great White, a the summer staple up here. Above all, the Silver Anniversary Ale was the star of the beer show: its unfiltered orange notes are light and sweet enough that you might not notice that it’s a 9% beer. Until you try to stand up, that is.