PDA

View Full Version : Great American Beer Festival


Beer Monkey
05-30-2006, 06:57 PM
this is from an email I got about the GABF:

I'm tryin to talk the Mrs. into visiting this year I'm sure she will love visiting her parents

anyone else looking to visit this?

The details are now being nailed down for the historic, 25th edition of
the globe's best beer-tasting event -- the Great American Beer Festival
-- September 28-30, 2006 in Denver.

This year's GABF marks a heavy milestone for the fest, the details are
in the attached release.

As you know, the GABF attracts brewers and beer lovers from around the
world and across the US, it offers a wealth of beer-blessed stories.

This year's bash will feature an even bigger setting, and a display
chronicling the history of the GABF and its hefty role in the
development of craft beer in the US.

The GABF also offers these wonders:

- The main attraction: the largest collection of American beers ever
assembled in one place. Over 370 breweries will serve 1600 different US
brews, served in one-ounce portions. To many, the GABF beer list is the
greatest collection of beer on the planet.


- Nearly 30,000 beer fiends attending the festival and the load of
beer-related events that take place thoughout Denver the week of the
fest.

- One of the largest groups of volunteers of any event in the US, people
who travel from around the US and the globe every year to "work for
beer."

- The high drama of the GABF beer judging and the accompanying medals
ceremony.

- Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (brewer and founder of Denver's Wynkoop
Brewing Company) delivering the keynote address prior to the GABF
medal's ceremony.

- The joys of pairing gourmet foods with fine beer, via joint
presentations from the nation's top brewers and chefs. (Many of us
firmly believe that great beer - not wine - is the preferred beverage to
accompany a great meal.)

You can get more info at www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com





------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Tue, 30 May 2006 09:24:50 -0400
From: "Frank, Steven" <Steven.Frank@em.doe.gov>
Subject: [DC-Beer] GABF 25th Anniversary--part two
To: "Dc-Beer@Brauhaus. Org" <dc-beer@brauhaus.org>
Message-ID:
<0FF569F9922B69409910BAFE10D20DFC4764EA@HQGTNEX3.do e.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Here is the info from the press release.........

2006 GABF celebrates 25 years with expanded festival site, festival
history display, America's biggest beer list and much more

Denver, CO * May 15, 2006 - The Brewers Association (BA) is announcing
details for its 2006 Great American Beer Festival, September 28 - 30 at
the Colorado Convention Center (at 14th Street and Stout Street) in
Denver, Colorado. The 2006 edition will be the 25th installment of the
nation's premier, annual celebration of America's breweries and rich
brewing culture. The festival will feature 1600 of the nation's best
beers from over 370 American breweries. Once again, it will be the
biggest selection of American beers ever gathered together in the United
States.

"The 25th anniversary of the GABF is truly a celebration of the
creativity, excitement, flavor and diversity of American Beer," says
Charlie Papazian, GABF founder and president of the Brewers Association.
"At our first festival in 1982 we had 20 brewers, and only three or four
were microbrewers. We were really trying to draw attention to the
traditions of flavor and diversity that were being lost, that were
beginning to be recovered by microbrewers at the time. Today, the GABF
and the number of craft beers made by America's small, traditional and
independent brewers has grown beyond our biggest dreams."

The GABF is deemed the ultimate event for tasting the beers of the
globe's greatest brewing nation. "The Great American Beer Festival,"
says Garrett Oliver, brewmaster for Brooklyn Brewing, "is the swirling,
dynamic, luminous core of what is now the most exciting beer culture on
the planet."

GABF visitors enjoy one-ounce beer samples from the fest's breweries.
These breweries are arranged on the festival floor by regions of the
country, giving beer lovers a walking tour of the nation's beer-blessed
landscape. Many of the booths are staffed by the brewers themselves.
Over 29,500 beer enthusiasts from Colorado, the US and around the world
attended last year's GABF. The 2006 GABF will cover 188,000 square feet
in the newly renovated Colorado Convention Center.

The GABF also hosts one of the world's largest and most prestigious
tasting competitions. Over 100 professional beer judges from the United
States and abroad evaluate over 2,335 beers entered by more than 466
domestic breweries. Gold, silver and bronze medals in 69 beer-style
categories will be awarded September 30 at the 1:30 p.m. awards ceremony
held during the Special Connoisseur Tasting Session.

This year, the GABF's popular food & beer pairing seminars will feature
an A-list of America's brewers joined by local and national celebrity
chefs for demonstrations on how to cook with beer, and pair different
styles of beer with various dishes.

Last year, 2700 volunteers from around the world helped staff the GABF,
and they put in over 40,000 hours of volunteer labor.

The festival will also present live music by Colorado artists, beer
education booths, and other attractions. Visit
www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com for a full list of GABF breweries,
cooking demo schedules and menus, live music details, and more
information. High-resolution photos from the 2005 fest are available for
the press at
http://www.beertown.org/events/gabf/media_photos.htm .

Public tasting sessions are offered 5:30 -10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and
Saturday nights. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door for
Thursday, and $40 in advance ($45 at the door) for Friday and Saturday
nights. A special Connoisseur Tasting Session on Saturday afternoon
(noon- 4:40 PM) is open to the public for $50. Public tasting sessions
sell out quickly, advance-ticket purchases are strongly recommended. $15
Designated Driver tickets and special group discounts are also
available.

Tickets are on sale now at the Great American Beer Festival web site (
www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com ) and by calling the Brewers
Association at 303.447.0816. Tickets will go on sale August 15 at Old
Chicago Restaurants in Colorado, and finer Denver-area beer retailers
and restaurants (including Applejack Wine and Spirits, Argonaut Liquors,
Beer At Home, Chambers Wine and Liquors, County Line Liquors, Davidson
Liquors, Falling Rock Tap House, Heritage Wine and Liquor, Liquor Mart,
Lukas Liquors Superstore, Morgan Liquors, Superior Liquor, Union Liquor
and Wynkoop Brewing Co.) and Ticketmaster outlets (303.830.TIXS ) in
Colorado.

tomciccateri
05-30-2006, 08:39 PM
When considering attending the GABF, think about the "outside" activities. While the long lines beer guzzlers on Friday and Saturday nights who fail to get out of the way after receiving their 1-ounce pours make the event tedious, the afternoon sessions and the tours to nearby craft breweries can make for a rewarding experience. Look for top beer publications to sponsor interesting and thirst-quenching road trips to nearby breweries during the weekend. Also, don't miss the special brews at the Falling Rock Taproom .

chazwicke
05-31-2006, 09:24 AM
Suggestion for those contemplating going: Book your hotel now. You can usually cancel within 48 hours of the reservation so if you decide not to go you can cancel later.

brewmonkey
05-31-2006, 07:52 PM
Chaz is right, if you do not book your lodging soon you will be SOL or paying through the nose. The Holiday Inn is right there, walking (or stumbling) distance to the event and if you are going with a group check out the Embassy Suites. Try to stay RIGHT downtown, verify your hotels address and distance to the convention center. The first year I went someone in the back office booked all my stuff for me and while my hotel was in "Denver" it was not walking distance or even close enough to not spend a small fortune on cabs.

Best session to attend is either the Thursday night or Saturday afternoon session. During the Sat session they have the awards ceremony and almost every brewer is in the building. As well it is a members only (you must be an AHA member for the Sat afternoon session) session so you are not packed in like sardines, you won't be yelling to be heard and you can take your time at each brewers station.

If you want to remember those old college Frat days and relive them then go on Fri or Sat night where it is packed, you can't move and every chuckle head who thinks that it is all about getting drunk are there.

Theakston
07-29-2006, 04:32 PM
Got tickets, hotel and flights all squared away.

Going to the Thursday and Friday GABF sessions, then off to the Rocky Mountain National Park for a couple of days to recover (any good beer joints in Estes Park?)

Is it worth visiting New Belgium that weekend (any chance of a few Folies?) or are they all going to be at the GABF?

fretlessman71
07-30-2006, 02:51 AM
It's ALWAYS worth visiting the breweries. But I'll ask around and see what the breweries' thoughts are on their home activities for that weekend and try to post back.

For anyone that does make it down, I'll either be headed to the festival or playing at Elway's just down the street. :)

Theakston
08-09-2006, 05:30 PM
Originally posted by fretlessman71
It's ALWAYS worth visiting the breweries. But I'll ask around and see what the breweries' thoughts are on their home activities for that weekend and try to post back.

For anyone that does make it down, I'll either be headed to the festival or playing at Elway's just down the street. :)

Cheers Fret - I'll post again closer to the date... would love to look you up.

ghumphrey
08-11-2006, 10:50 PM
Going to the Thursday and Friday GABF sessions, then off to the Rocky Mountain National Park for a couple of days to recover (any good beer joints in Estes Park?)

There is one brewery in Estes, conveniently called The Estes Park Brewery. I've sampled their Wild Honey Wheat. Very tasty.Their website (http://www.epbrewery.net/), while not the best in usablity, can give you the lowdown.

I loving living in Denver...GABF every year without the hotel cost and public transportation to take me there!

Cheers!

fretlessman71
08-19-2006, 05:00 AM
The Estes Park Brewery is passable - nothing they have is outstanding, and nothing is undrinkable. Not bad at all when you're tired out from running around Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park all day.

Looks like I'm going to try to at least go to the Friday session - Elway's cancelled us for that night at the very least, and I might try to get the entire weekend off (or maybe just the Thurs. or Sat.). Anyone know from experience which days are best to attend?

denver brewhoo
08-21-2006, 03:41 PM
Fret, I think Saturday day session is best. I (fortunately/unfortunately) won two tickets to the Saturday EVENING session at the Odell's/AHA homebrew rally, so that's the one I'll be at this year.

Friday and Saturday nights can be a little drunk-fest-ish; I've never gone on Thursday night because always have to work Friday. On Saturday day most of the brewers are there because it's award day; was standing next to Garret Oliver when he won a gold last year & thus was first to congratulate him, for example....

The other thing I worry about for the session I'm going to is that people run out of stuff....

Theakston
09-24-2006, 09:47 AM
Originally posted by fretlessman71

Looks like I'm going to try to at least go to the Friday session - Elway's cancelled us for that night at the very least, and I might try to get the entire weekend off (or maybe just the Thurs. or Sat.). Anyone know from experience which days are best to attend?

We are on for Thursday and Friday. Fret - I'll PM you with my cell #(assuming it works at that altitude and I remember to bring it)!:eek:

PyroRob
09-24-2006, 04:09 PM
If you go to Estes Park, remember to plan plenty of tiem to get back to Denver. The aspens are changing colors so all of the tourists will be packing the highways and it may take you 2x or 3x as long to get back.

Alot of people go from Estes through RMNP to Grandby and then come back on I-70. Your trip back to Denver may take even longer that way.

Also, bring warm clothes, we got frost 7 miles east of Longmont last night...

All in all, enjoy yourself :) Bring your money :)

--->Rob