Excited guests alike enjoy a beer and a laugh at Bear Republic Brewing in Rohnert Park, hosting comedian Ronn Vigh and others for its first ever Lakeside Comedy Headliner Series on October 11th. Vigh certainly did not disappoint, keeping the crowd laughing all while Bear Republic kept the beers flowing. 

The show started at 8 p.m. and lasted one and a half hours, which was well worth the $15 ticket price. This also gave guests ample time to enjoy a glass or two of Bear Republic’s 14 beers on tap like their Red Rocket Ale or the always delicious Racer 5 IPA; which is one of the most award-winning beers in the United States.

According to its website, Bear Republic was established in 1995 by third and fourth generation Sonoma county residents. As Bear Republic says, it, “Is driven to bring you fresh, never filtered, hand-crafted beer.” Although the first Bear Republic Brewery opened up in Healdsburg in 1995, the Rohnert Park location just opened up in August 2017. 

The second-year anniversary has arrived of the 2017 wildfires that ravaged California. During this horrific time, the brewery shed some light on how great people can be amid disaster. According to an article posted by North Bay Business Journal, then-CEO Richard Norgrove teamed up with Aaron Levin of St. Florian Brewery to create the benefit label, named Mutual Aid. Bear Republic also donated $172,000 to local fire-relief funds. 

Bear Republic is another example of how amazing a community can be when we come together; the delicious Mutual Aid beer that was brewed was just a bonus to those wanting to donate and help. 

Comedian Vigh has used his influence as a comedian to bring people together, using the microphone as his medium. 

According to the homepage for the website of Vigh, he is compared to a young Joan Rivers, as he even later became a writer for Rivers on her E! Television show “Fashion Police.” Vigh also co-hosts the sports-comedy podcast, “Switching Teams: A Gay Dude & A Straight Dude Talk About Sports.”

Although Vigh was born and raised in New Jersey, he has lived in San Francisco for almost two decades and performs all over, in and out of California. Vigh does not shy away from talking about himself and his sexuality in his shows. The Manteca Bulletin, in reference to Vigh, says, “he looks forward to using his stage time not to be divisive, but to give people an outlet to forget about all of the other things in their life and just enjoy themselves. “ 

Vigh also made the crowd laugh with jokes about his time as a flight attendant, as well as cringe worthy online dating stories. 

Notably, Vigh produced “Gay Bash” at the famous Punch Line comedy club in San Francisco. These shows showcased Vigh’s talent as well as a lineup of gay and gay- friendly comedians. Vigh states in an article posted by BroadwayWorld, “It’s not just a comedy show. It’s going to be a real celebration of comedy and who we are.” 

Bear Republic Brewing also participated in The Freshtival in SOMO Village on Saturday, October 12. This was a non-profit event to help support and advocate for independent and local beer manufacturing. Bear Republic showcases events with guests all over the Bay Area, so there is never a wrong time to check out and support a fantastic local brewery as this.