ABeer and brewery lovers are coming together next week and weekend for the country’s biggest beer festival & competition, The Great American Beer Festival . Back in 1982, when the festival was held at the Harvest House Hotel in Boulder, there were 24 breweries present and over 800 attendees. Last year, in 2018, the festival saw 800 breweries & over 62,000 attendees. It looks like as the trend of breweries and craft beer grows, so does the GABF. They are on tap to have another record setting year. Most tickets for next week’s events are sold out but there are a few left here. It’s going to be a great time, be sure to check out our tips to help you make the best of it!
Hangout Spots
You aren’t going to want to miss out on the GABF hangout spots. They are all the goodness wrapped into one spot. From entertainment to award-winning beer, it’s the place to be. You have all kinds of options:
-The Backyard
-Collaboration Beer Competition Booth
-The Designated Driver Lounge
-GABF Pro-Am Booth
-Heavy Medal Booth
-Ikon Pass Stage presented by WinterWonderGrass®
-The Jameson Caskmates Barrel Aged Beer Garden
-Meet the Brewer
-Silent Disco sponsored by Oskar Blues
Check out more about each of these cool hangout spots here.
It’s a Week Full of Fun
Of course, the GABF is the big event in Denver next weekend but here are some other beer themed events going on around town that you will want to plan for.
–Thirst’s Tour of Colorado joins together the work of good brewers with the Colorado Alzheimer’s Association. Go try some one-of-a-kind brews while supporting a good cause and one of GABF’s charity partners. This event is open to the public and will take place on Tuesday 10/1 from 4-8pm at Tap Fourteen (1920 Blake Street). Here’s a list of the breweries who will be serving up their finest:
-Boulder Beer
-Bruz Beers
-High Hops Brewery
-Meridiem Spirits
-Strange Craft Beer Co.
-Fossil Craft Beer
-Hoilidaily Brewing
-Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales
-Upslope Brewing
-Wiley Roots Brewing
-Bristol Brewing
-Gilded Goat Brewing
It wouldn’t be a GABF without a pretzel necklace. Join the Pretzel Necklace Workshop at Strange Craft to create your own! Bring $10 and get the supplies to make your very own necklace for the festival and a pint of your choice. You can even bring non-pretzel snack choices if you have your own trusty option. This event is open to the public and will happen on Thursday 10/3 from 12-9pm at Strange Craft Beer Company (1330 Zuni Street).
The list of beer lovin events goes on and on. Really, check it out here.
Get the app!
Of course there’s a GABF app. It’s a good one too. Use it to navigate the GABF like a pro. You’ll be able to find beer tours, keep track of the beers you rated & tasted over the weekend, make a list of all of your favs, look at festival maps and get all the extra info you need to make it an unforgettable weekend!