Gabf 2012

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nwmarach

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This is the first year I'm planning on going to the GABF:rockin:! Seeing as how I don't know what goes on at the GABF I'm looking for suggestions of what sessions to go to. I've heard that the members only session Saturday morning is the best to go to, but what else is there that goes on? Any suggestions?
 
This is my first year too! I'm super pumped, so I'm just signing on for updates.
 
i moved to denver 2 years ago and haven't gone...partially b/c it sounds like a s**t show. so i'm subscribed to find the best session as well for this year.
 
Definitely Saturday members-only. That's where more of the "special" pours will happen. I remember having my Cuvee de Tomme actually poured by Tomme Arthur while there :)

And make sure to check out the Falling Rock Tap House while you're in town. It's a short cab ride (or medium-length walk) from the convention center, but it's excellent. Probably my favorite beer bar I've ever been to.
 
last year was my first GABF, and i thought it was a lot of fun. I can't recommend one session over another as i only went to the general saturday night one, but i learned a couple of things for future ventures.

if you're going to a regular session, my pointers would be to 1, pick out which breweries and which beers you want to sample, and hit those first. 2nd, i didnt see any necessity in getting there early to wait in line for like 2 hours before the joint opens. 30-45 minutes after opening, the line was completely gone. None of the brews were tapped out at that point, and i was s-faced (which i normally try to avoid) in like 2 hours. I didnt even make it 2/3 of the way through the timeframe of the night before i was ready to go back to the hotel. 3rd, bring lots of pretzels. 4th, the line for the bathroom gets STUPID long. whatever zen techniques you can learn to avoid having your bladder fill up before you go will serve you well.

My favorite part wasnt the beer festival itself, though. I really liked eating out at the various bars and brew-pubs that had one-off beers from the local breweries, or limited quantity releases. Theres some good food and drink to be had in the area, which i greatly enjoyed.
 
+1 for the Thursday and Saturday member's sessions. I actually saw more of the brewers in their booths at the Thursday session than the Saturday members session, but there's no guarantee and it can be really hit and miss. One recommendation, go in with a plan including a list of the breweries that you really want to visit. For some of the real popular ones like New Glarus, go straight to their booth as soon as you get your tasting glass. Last year I waited too long and I think they ran out of everything halfway through the session. If you like cheese, be sure to check out the American Cheese Society booth. It's pretty awesome for cheese lovers but the line gets long really quick.

Another +1 for Falling Rock Tap House, definitely my favorite bar. You don't even have to take a cab to get there from the convention center, just jump on the free 16th Street Mall bus and take it to Blake Street, then walk a couple blocks. The beer selection is awesome and they have some of the best wings I've ever had anywhere. A lot of the brewers hang out there and they often bring special one-off brews with them. Speaking of special brews, Falling Rock does a kill-a-keg event with Sierra Nevada Harvest Release. They basically see how fast they can drain an entire keg. It's kinda cool and it comes in a special Sierra Nevada pint glass that you get to keep.

Another cool thing that I heard about but haven't had a chance to attend yet is the Rare Beer Tasting. From what I hear it's awesome and you'll get to taste beers that you can't find anywhere else. It costs extra and tickets go fast but I'd recommend checking it out if time and budget permits.
 
I went to GABF last year and to tell you the best stuff going on that weekend are the one offs the session it self was a crowded drunk fest. I got tickets to the rare beer tasting and it was off the hook. I am going back for that this year more then GABF. Also most craft bars and the tons f breweries in Denver area have take the tap over by the major players and the breweries have their best stuff on display. I am not saying don't attend GABF but be sure to do your research and attend the one offs
 
This is my first year too, used up all my honors points for four nights at the Curtis across the street. So excited!

We stayed there last year. Very nice, and it's a stone's throw from the convention center. Those doubletree cookies are so good when you're going back drunk from the GABF. It's also right across the street from Sam's no 3(good food).

IMO, Thursday is the best day to go. Saturday night is a drunkfest. Friday kind of is too. I'd recommend going Thursday, and spending Friday and Saturday attending local breweries, beer bars, and GABF related events around town. All the local breweries have special release beers they tap for GABF weekend.

Also Falling rock is a blast on Friday and Saturday night, and it's nice to get there early before GABF get's out. The Saturday member's session is also cool, do it if you have time.
 
I plan to go to GABF for the first time. I'm excited to go and need a little vacation also lol. The drive is going to suck but its going to be worth it and be able to pack some awesome brews before I head home to Texas
 
just finished renewing my AHA membership to make sure and get in on the Members session again:ban: 5th year in a row going now and always an awesome time. Book hotels now, check out the surrounding events through the week and drink LOOOOTS of water.
 
GABF and what to do when you get there

There are basic things required to attend the GABF in Denver.

1. Book your hotel. This is becoming more important than booking the flight. When I lived in Colorado going was no big deal and when I moved away first to work in Eureka, CA and then all over the country getting a room was easy. Only a few years ago I would wait until a month before the festival and usually get the hotel I wanted.

But the past few years have had hotels booked in February and the prices going up. Last year I stayed at the Embassy Suites across the street from the festival entrance for ~$150 a night, this year its $300 plus taxes. I found one just down the street (Crowne Plaza) for ~$170 including taxes.

You really want to be downtown because there is so much within walking distance you don’t need a rental car.

2. Get your flight and don’t short change yourself on time. If you want to go to Fort Collins (New Belgium, Odells, Fort Collins Brewing, Coopersmiths, Equinox, Funkwerks, Budweiser, and others) you have just shot a day.

I used to show up on Wednesday or Thursday, but found that I screwed myself out some events because of late flights.

I’m going to Boulder this year to catch some new breweries on Tuesday.

Asher Brewing, Upslope Brewing, Twisted Pine, and Avery – got a hotel near Avery and I will have a cab company on speed dial as Avery usually has the Beast (~18%) on tap.

Next year, because if I’m still working I’ll go again, it’s Fort Collins, Loveland…

3. Look for events outside the GABF. A couple of years ago I hooked up with Oscar Blues Brewery in Lyons, CO for a tour of the original brewery (including lunch) and a tour of their new brewery in Longmont. The transportation was a short bus and what a trip. It took a week for my innards to settle back into place. At the new brewery we were allowed to add hops to the brew kettle for a batch of Ten Fiddy (Imperial Stout) and if I remember I’ll bring the can of Dale’s Pale printed off the canning line with the phrase on the bottom “Came on the short bus”. They gave us a can to record the visit. Neat stuff.

There is a homebrew club, The Keg Ran Out Club (KROC) that has an event on Thursday night. From last year;

The Keg Ran Out Club™ sponsors and organizes the world-famous World Brewers Forum™, an educational seminar held annually during the Great American Beer Festival, "the" Thursday night event, a must to attend.
The 17th Annual World Brewer's Forum™ (WBF™) themed "2011: A Lupulin Luau," was be held Thursday, Sept. 29th, 2011 at the Marriott City Center Hotel, 1701 California St. 8pm - Midnight.
The speakers this year were Gordon Strong, President of the BJCP and the world's only Grand Master Level V Beer Judge and Garrett Marrero, Founder and owner of Maui Brewing Company in Lahaina, Hawaii.




Lots of great homebrew, they must have at least 40 kegs and it’s just what you need after the Thursday session.


Friday afternoon is Pints for Prostates


This is a wonderful event the past two years they had Sam Adams Utopias on tap. Two years ago I had Dark Lord. There are 30 beers and most are made for the event or very rare. I consider this a must if you go to the GABF.

Last Year;

The Denver Rare Beer Tasting 2011 served 30 rare and exotic brews. Here is the list of participants and beers:

1. Alaskan Brewing - 2009 Baltic Porter with Cherries and Vanilla Beans;

2. Avery Brewing - Dihos Dactylion Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel-Aged Sour Ale;

3. Big Sky Brewing - 2006 Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Belgian Triple;

4. Boulevard - Love Child #1;

5. Brooklyn Brewery - Cuvee de la Crochet Rouge;

6. The Bruery - The Wanderer Dark Sour Ale;

7. Cascade Brewing - Borbonic Plague;

8. Cigar City Brewing - Neilsbohrium Imperial Raisin Sweet Stout Rum Barrel-Aged;

9. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Olde School Vintage 2004;

10. The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery - The End of Reason;

11. Foothills Brewing - 2009 Sexual Chocolate (A wow beer);

12. Firestone Walker - Agrestic Ale;

13. Full Sail Brewing - 1998 Old Boardhead Barleywine;

14. Great Divide Brewing - 2008 Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout;

15. Highland Brewery - PSA Pilsner;

16. Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales - Lúpulo de Hielo;

17. Laughing Dog Brewing - St. Benny’s Labby Ale Bourbon Barrel-Aged;

18. Left Hand Brewery - Fade to Black Vol. 1 (2009);

19. Lost Abbey/Port Brewery - Deliverance;

20. Nebraska Brewing - Inception Series #1;

21. New Belgium Brewing - Eric’s Ale;

22. New Holland Brewing - Rum Barrel-Aged Pilgrim’s Dole Wheatwine;

23. Odell Brewing - Rare Blend;

24. Rogue Ales - Charlie 1981;

25. Samuel Adams - 2011 Utopias;

26. Sierra Nevada Brewing - 30th Anniversary Rum Barrel-Aged Fritz and Ken’s Stout;

27. Stone Brewing - 2010 Stone Imperial Russian Stout Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Barrel-Aged;

28. Thirsty Dog Brewing - 12 Dogs of Christmas Bourbon Barrel-Aged;

29. Weyerbacher - Idiot’s Drool;

30 Wynkoop Brewery - Metacool Maltuwanna Imperial Amber Ale



4. The best sessions are Thursday night and if you’re a member of AHA you can pay a little extra and get into a line for members only. Gets you in a lot quicker. All the beers are available and the crowd is there to taste, not guzzle beer. Oh, if you want to go to beer festival to just get drunk, do the rest of us a favor and don’t go.

Another event inside the GABF is the Farm to Table at the back of the hall. This is an additional $50.00 or so and there is food from Chefs all over the country matched with craft beer. I got a really good meal last year including oysters on the half shell, rabbit stew (freakin’ wonderful), and a bunch of desserts. And you can enter as many times as you like. There is always a small gift from the AHA; last year it was a spiffy opener.

Saturday afternoon is when the medals are given out and the only session where you get a real glass tasting glass. I always take my plastic glass from Thursday night to the Saturday session and use it for tasting and protect by ‘real’ glass. Just the geek in me, I have glasses from 15 GABFs.

5. Of course you have to go to Great Divide and Falling Rock, it really is a tradition. If you’re lucky you might sit in Don Younger’s stool at the end of the bar.

6. Don’t forget;

Cheeky Monk – Belgium beer bar

Wynkoop – site of Pints for Prostates

Great Divide – just a few blocks from Coors Field

Dry Dock – I’ll do this on Wednesday, wonderful brewery in Aurora with a homebrew store in the same building.

There are new breweries (or new to me) in Denver and I plan to try them on Wednesday/Thursday;

Caution: Brewing

Pint’s Pub Brewery

Prost Brewing

Wit’s End Brewing

Strange Brewing

Copper Kettle Brewing

Denver Beer Company

Renegade Brewing

Leieritz Brewing

Big Nose Brewing…

See attached Colorado brewery list.

7. Remember, have fun, drink a lot of water and walk, walk, walk. And if I can remember the breakfast place, oh yes Sam’s #3. Very good green chili omelet. And that’s not Chili Verde, it’s Colorado Green Chili so much better.
 
RosewaterFoundation said:
Thursday night and Saturday member session are where it's at.

Yep, did both Saturday sessions last year. Members was awesome, public, not so much
 
All of you out of towners got hotels yet? I was just looking at the GABF page to see when tix go on sale and the hotels rates listed there weren't bad.

Tix go on sale in 3 weeks!
 
In that case, I'm staying with the old guy with the long white hair and epic beard that you see roaming around Idaho Springs.

I'm not really going to GABF. Just being silly.
 
This is the first year I'm planning on going to the GABF:rockin:! Seeing as how I don't know what goes on at the GABF I'm looking for suggestions of what sessions to go to. I've heard that the members only session Saturday morning is the best to go to, but what else is there that goes on? Any suggestions?

I have been told that the member session on Saturday is the ONLY one to go to. My best information (and I have relations living in the area who have been to GABF) is that the regular sessions have deteriorated.

(NB: I freely admit that this is strictly hearsay, never having been to GABF.)
 
Having been several times i would say that I prefer the Thursday night and Sat afternoon sessions. I have done the Sat sessions the last few years and that's probably what we'll do this year as well. I was a keg runner last year on Friday night...don't know if I'll do that again though.
 
I'm super jealous I can't go this year. I'm heading to Denver next month to visit friends but it's not the same. One beer I can recommend, if you're into it, is Copper Kettle's Mexican chocolate stout. It's usually a little pricey but it's damn good and has a running record of winning gold medals in the vegetable category (it's chocolate, chile and cinnamon). If you are a fan of chile beers, there are definitely plenty of chile beers made in Colorado that range from spicy to non-spicy. Good stuff.
 
I think im gonna get to go this year! This will be my first GABF... I've been wanting to go for years! Thanks for all the info homebrew friends... please keep sharing if you have anything to add, must attend events, or must visit places while in town! :mug:
 
Going to the members only session on Saturday, and then another session if my friends can sort their s out.

Definitely make sure to hit up all the local breweries in town, especially the smaller guys. Denver Beer Co, Strange, etc.

Man, do I love living in Denver :rockin:
 
I have been vounteering for the GABF for 10 years now and the Saturday members session is the best by far Unless you are looking for a frat party style session then I recommend friday or sat night sessions). As someone else noted, there are a lot of side events a lot not related to GABF, that are well worth the time to go see. there are also brews cruise and brewery tours where you a driven to different breweries. There is a lot to do in Denver and I hope you all have fun! I'll probaby be pouring your beers when you go. Cheers in advance!

P.S. I have a list of things to do in the area and places to eat that I gave to someone last year, if you would like it then PM me and I'll shoot it over to you.
 
Try the mobile site if you can. It seems to be the only thing working. I talked to a customer service rep who gave me the standard "We're working on it, keep checking back".
 
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