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.