On September 30, 1,200 guests, dozens of staffers and volunteers, and over 70 breweries filled the Union Station courtyard for the fourth annual L.A. Beer Week Festival, braving blazing heat to help further craft beer’s cause. The former Fred Harvey Restaurant housed a trio of breakout sessions, including “Sour, Bitter, Funky” and “How to Get a Job in the Beer Industry,” which focused on education, but most people opted to imbibe and socialize.

Eagle Rock Brewery poured the official L.A. Beer Week brew, Unity, made with green prickly pear.

Kinetic Brewing took the prickly pear challenge, utilizing the chosen L.A. Beer Week ingredient in their Prickly Saison.

Monkish Brewing brewmaster/co-owner Henry Nguyen flavored their Sueño de Los Angeles with prickly pear.

The Factory owner Natalie Gutenkauf and Monkish friend Henry Nguyen caught up at L.A. Beer Week fest.

Smog City Brewing Co., from Jonathan Porter and wife Laurie, brought Weird Beer spiced five-grain saison brewed with oats, barley, wheat, rye and spelt.

Surf Brewery brewmaster Chas Cloud brought beers like County Line Rye.

Noble Ale Works brewer Evan Price, TAPS brewmaster Victor Novak, Food GPS Beer Editor Sean Inman and friend Rich Rosen united for photography’s sake.

Boneyard Bistro‘s crew rolled deep at L.A. Beer Week fest, including chef-owner Aaron Robins and bar manager Rory Snipes.

Caroline Job and Seth Bialick were in focus throughout L.A. Beer Week fest, though not everybody could say the same thing by the end of the day.

Portola Coffee Lab’s Jeff Duggan and Beachwood BBQ’s Gabe Gordon collaborated on System of a Stout for Dionicess X with Beachwood brewmaster Julian Shrago.

System of a Stout, which Beachwood BBQ and Brewing produced for Dionicess X, included green cardamom, blackstrap molasses and Portola Armenian coffee.

Portola Coffee has become an L.A. Beer Week fest staple. They brewed Ethiopian Sworka, hot and cold.

Since it was 95 degrees at Union Station, most people opted for Portola’s cold brew.

Diana Davis and husband/Maltose Falcon Cullen Davis celebrated their anniversary at L.A. Beer Week fest.

Since homebrewers couldn’t serve their beer, they made sodas. Maltose Falcons homebrewer Cullen Davis contributed Spite Soda, a play on Sprite with lemon, lime and ginger.

Maltose Falcons member Drew Beechum made Szechuan cherry soda for L.A. Beer Week fest.

LA AleWorks is working on releasing their first beer. In the meantime, co-founder John Rockwell poured Ketsara Soda, flavored like Thai tea.

Strand Brewers Club contributed several sodas, including cucumber, mint, basil and lemongrass soda.

100% of sales from Maestro Sausage benefited Real Medicine Foundation, $5 a link.

Maestro Sausage served Bratwurst with demiglace prepared using Lost Coast Brewery Eight-Ball Stout.

Food trucks at L.A. Beer Week fest included The Grilled Cheese Truck, Border Grill, Mandoline Grill and Fry Girl.