NHC or GABF: If you could only go to one?

The wife and I want to do a beer vacation of sorts. Since $ is tighter than usual this year, we won't be going far. If you could go to the NHC or GABF with the intention of trying great beers, listening to great speakers, and meeting fellow beer lovers...which would you choose?

I especially would like to hear comments from those that have been to both!

Even SWMBO had a great time at GABF....and she's neither a beer fan nor a brewer. we will be there again next year....she said it's ok.

GABF, definitely

BigKahuna, would you recommend being there Thursday through Sunday or what? I heard sometimes the most prized brews (For example Alaska's Smoked Porter) run out the first day.

Brewme said:

BigKahuna, would you recommend being there Thursday through Sunday or what? I heard sometimes the most prized brews (For example Alaska's Smoked Porter) run out the first day.

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The best sessions are thursday and saturday afternoon. Friday and saturday night are just too busy, I only stayed for a little while those nights.

Some beers run out quickly, I recall only a few that did last year. I'm sure there were more than I noticed, but with that many beers to choose from its hard to complain.

Some of the really popular stuff runs out early in the session but breweries have some for each session. Like New Glarus or Deschutes and their specialty beers.

I've been to both and I prefer NHC. GABF is fun, but there are far more people there, which can be fun but also annoying. With NHC you have the pro-brewers night which is like a mini-GABF, but usually with the local region's beers. The following night is the club night, where you get to taste beers from clubs across the country. Both of these nights have far fewer people than GABF, but still has a great vibe. Add to that great sessions from top notch homebrewers and pro brewers alike, and that tops it off for me. Additionally, the hospitality suites are filled with all the vendors of the products you use and they are a great resource for answers. I learned a great deal from the Five Star guys about PBW, and their sanitizers that I just couldn't get at my LHBS. At GABF you do have the opportunity to taste beers that normally wouldn't be distributed near you, so that's cool too. Slight edge to NHC for me.

That is a really hard question. For a couple (with a beer loving wife) or a group of brewers I would say NHC. For a wife that likes beer but not to much GABF. With that said I have been to 2 going on 3 GABF's and 1 NCH.

I have to admit personally I like NHC better, I feel like I grew as a brewer and a better advocate for homebrewing in general.

Zombie thread and all but surprised homebrewers would say GABF. I usually describe NHC by saying pro-night is like a really good beer fest in a hotel ballroom with no lines, and club night is much better than that.

I keep waiting for the year that non-homebrewers figure it out and start competing for the tickets.