GABF

[ChzHead]

I've got my ticket.....and I'm working on getting some brewmaster tickets too. Has anybody been to the Great American Beer Festival? Any pointers for a first timer?

Cheers!

[pete ganz]

Where/when is it? I actually went to a beer festival in Burlington, VT a couple weeks ago. It was a great time, and they had some really good micro-brews, but the lines to get your 3 oz. sample were huge.

[ChzHead]

Hi Pete!! It's in Denver every year. This is the big 'daddy' of beer festivals here in the US. This is the festival where all the breweries bring in the good beers to be judged for metals. It's September 25-27.....144,000 sq ft of beer heaven! 320 different breweries......1400 different kinds of beers!

From what I hear all breweries are only allowed to bring in a controlled amount of kegs. This is done so the big, crappy breweries can't dominate the entire show. Although I did see Miller and Plank Road brewery as participants.....do they actually think that beer drinkers are that dumb?

Here's the link http://www.beertown.com/events/gabf/participating.htm

Cheers!

[pete ganz]

Sounds like a good time. Definitely hit the Dogfish Head tent. And remember to pace yourself!

[Rich Pawlak]

I've got my ticket.....and I'm working on getting some brewmaster tickets too.  Has anybody been to the Great American Beer Festival?  Any pointers for a first timer?

Cheers!

Ive been to GABF 5 times so far, and its been a blast every year without fail.

Pointers:

DRINK WATER, for two reasons; the altitude will dry you out, and the beer will also dry you out; you're in for some extremely painful hangovers if you dont drink as much water as you do beer.

GO TO PARTIES! Always a good gathering of beer folk at the unofficial bar of GABF, FALLING ROCK TAP HOUSE, 1919 Blake St., near Coors Field in the LoDo section of Denver . Owner Chris Black always brings out some incredible beers for the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights of the festival. And he has 64 amazing taps on which to put those beers!

Also on Wednesday night there is usually a very nice open party at the host hotel (www.beertown.org should have the name of that hotel soon) as well as at the WYNKOOP brewpub just a few blocks from Falling Rock. Owned by the new mayor of Denver, too, so this year the party should be extra fun!

EAT REAL FOOD! The Convention Center has typical fast food and sandwiches, nothing special, and that is just not fair. So get out to Denver and environs and have some GOOD food. Denver has the largest number of Vitenamese restaurants of any city in the country, and several of them are close to the Denver Convention Center. Right across from WYNKOOP BREWPUB is our favorite Denver dining spot: RODIZIO GRILL, a meat-lovers fantasy, done in the Brazilian style, with a gargantuan, and very well appointed hot-and cold salad bar, followed by cheese biscuits and the endless parade of rotisserie meats, fowl, seafood and veggies. Worth every penny of the $17.95 or so they charge, and a smart finish to a day of beer sampling. Take it slow here, take simply a slice of everything, and you wont be visiting the porcelain god.

RENT A CAR and drive out of Denver during the day, to Boulder to the northwest (REDFISH is an amazing brewpub with all Belgian style ale and Cajun food and MOUNTAIN SUN brewpub is like stepping back into the 60's all tie-dyed and hippies, but VERY good ber and organic food) or Colorado Springs to the south (PHANTOM CANYON and NICHOLS brewpubs are top-notch, and the drive to Colorado Springs is spectacular) or Ft Collins to the north (home to the impressive NEW BELGIUM and ODELL'S breweries, both great visits and tours). Our small group has done day trips every year, and the amazing hospitality and bounties of free beer are very forthcoming that weekend. But remember, DRINK WATER, and pace yourself, you'll be driving!

PACE YOURSELF! 1700 beers are just too many to drink in 3 days, so try sampling regions (how the festival is organized) of the country and beers you've never had, that's the fun of it. But drink that water, and pace yourself, or you'll get quite ill quite quickly. Friday nights at GABF they have been calling "Kids Night" with a much younger crowd attending with the purpose of drinking their money's worth. Lotsa vomitting after the first couple of hours, a good enough reason to cut out early that night and enjoy a nice dinner somewhere and beers at FALLING ROCK after dinner.

BRING SOME CIGARS if you smoke 'em. There will be some terrific barleywines served at places like FALLING ROCK and they are a perfect companion to a good cigar.

ENJOY!

Edited August 8, 2003 by Rich Pawlak (log)

[ChzHead]

Rich,

I cannot thank you enough! I didn't think that the altitude was going to be a problem, thanks for reminding me! Thanks for the great suggestions on places to eat, I was going to get some ideas of places from this board.

Is it best to stay at the host hotel?

Thanks!

[Rich Pawlak]

Oddly enough, Ive never stayed at the host hotel, but have been to a bunch of gatherings and receptions there. It doesnt matter; wherever you are the place will be CRAWLING with beer geeks! Nicest people in the world , and GABF weekend proves it.

[beerguyjim]

Sounds like a good time. Definitely hit the Dogfish Head tent. And remember to pace yourself! 

They don't have tents; it's indoors.

[beerguyjim]

I haven't attended since the festival moved next door from Currigan. I used to always have breakfast nearby at Vic's Yankee Dollar, an old breakfast/lunch joint (can't recall street offhand), but I hear it disappeared a couple years ago. Don't know where I'd get my sausage and eggs now.

[ChzHead]

Thanks for all of your advice Rich!! I found that the best session was the Saturday one that they gave out awards at. We were able to still get some metal winning beers then.

This festival is a MUST for all people that like trying new beers!! We decided one day to taste stouts only. After 3 hours (and many ounces after) we only hit 40% of all the booths!

Anybody else go?