Great American Beer Festival: we went, we saw, we loved it

GABF


 


The Great American Beer Festival…an event I never thought I would attend, much less enjoy. But this year – I did both. Earlier this month, I was given the opportunity to travel to Denver to attend the GABF (with a few other ABC folks) to get a better idea of what the craft beer world is like. I was excited to go but a little hesitant at the same time because I am really not a big craft beer drinker. What I found out is that the GABF is so much more than just walking around trying lots of beer…it is a celebration of creativity, imagination, life…and yes, beer.


                The first thing I noticed as I walked around downtown Denver was that the locals were so nice and willing to give directions or suggest places to see while in town. Another thing that stood out was that at every restaurant you passed on the street (outside dining was definitely the popular choice), everyone there was drinking beer…there was no wine to be found. It was also neat to see some of the Denver “décor” which included an evil-looking, red-eyed Bronco at the airport, public pianos (yes, they were tuned and working), and rentable bicycles that for a small fee you could get around town on.


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                There were many great events that we were able to attend during the daytime before the festival started. We visited several breweries (Wynkoop, Blue Moon, Rock Bottom, New Belgium), a few private industry parties (Great Divide, Blue Moon, Sam Adams), and got to visit the famous Falling Rock Tap Room. A few highlights from those were the chance to meet Sam Adams founder Jim Koch, trying ice cream made with beer at Great Divide (it was delicious), and the New Belgium Brewery tour. New Belgium was packed and we were lucky enough to get on to a tour which turned out to be fantastic. It is a great hour and a half that shows you every aspect of the brewing process and should not be missed if you are ever in the Boulder area.


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                So there were obviously a lot of great activities and we haven’t even talked about the main event…the GABF! I was overwhelmed each night of the festival by the crowd size and the fun, friendly atmosphere in the building. I was also greatly entertained by the many costumes (Waldos, leprechauns, Vikings, Mario & Luigi) and quickly understood why you are encouraged to wear a pretzel necklace (some even had Slim Jims, onion rings and cookies on theirs). The booths we visited the first night were mostly the Southeast region that included many breweries that we carry (Red Brick, Widmer Brothers, Abita), several that we are hoping to carry soon, and we also got the chance to meet Dogfish Head founder and brewmaster Sam Calagione. The second two nights we traveled all around the convention center and tried to cover the entire festival which was no easy task. We also stopped to watch a few of the festival’s famous side attractions…the karaoke stage and the silent disco…VERY entertaining.


                Overall, the GABF was a much better experience than I ever expected and it was certainly a weekend I will never forget. I tasted a lot of beer that was great (Blue Moon Peanut Butter, Red Brick Vanilla Gorilla, Wynkoop Chile Beer), a lot that was good (Fat Heads IPA, Widmer Hefeweizen), and a few not so much. However, the thing I will take away more than anything is the people. The city folks, festival workers, brewery employees, festival attendees, and all involved were incredibly friendly and hospitable. And what was really obvious to me was that these fans are really passionate about their love of craft beer. So much so that it seems to have rubbed off on me. I now consider myself a craft beer fan and I am already looking forward to next year to attend my 2nd Great American Beer Festival. See you next October, Denver!


 


Vance McClure, Interactive Marketing Manager


Beer fans: follow us on Twitter @abcbeercountry


 


               



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