If you love beer, then Denver, Colorado has a festival for you. The Great American Beer Festival takes place in Denver starting Thursday, October 11th, and continuing through Saturday October 13th. If you’ve never heard of the Great American Beer Festival, it’s time that you did. Sponsored and presented by the Brewers Association, a trade organization whose purpose is to make beer and brewing information available to all, this festival has been an annual event since 1982. Attending this festival affords you the opportunity to try unlimited samples of more than 2,200 different beers. It is a definite must for any beer aficionado.
The Great American Beer Festival is known as the country’s leading beer festival and competition. It has even been named as one of the top 1000 places in the US to visit before you die. It is the event at which the largest assortment of US beer is served every year. Craft brewing – small, independent, brewing of innovative beers – is a quickly growing segment of the beer, wine and spirits industry, and no event showcases the quality and variety of craft brewed beer in the US better than the Great American Beer Festival.
Tickets are $65 for the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening sessions. These sessions take place from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. If you’re a member of the Brewers Association or the American Homebrewers Association, you can purchase a ticket for a special members-only Connoisseur Session that takes place from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. For the price of their tickets, attendees at the evening sessions will receive a festival program, a commemorative plastic tasting cup, unlimited one ounce samples, and a festival guide to help in navigating the floor. Members attending the Saturday afternoon session will receive the same benefits, plus a commemorative tasting glass and the opportunity to participate in educational seminars relating to beer and food.
Also, Designated Driver tickets are available for all sessions for $25. Designated drivers at any of the sessions will receive free, unlimited sodas provided by some of the participating breweries, as well as a festival program and a special gift. Designated drivers are free to participate in the food and beer seminars or walk around the floor, or they may relax in the provided Designated Drivers lounge.
Food and nonalcoholic beverages will be available at the festival for purchase, along with complimentary water stations. There will also be a merchandise booth and bookstore. Children under age two are allowed as long as they are carried at all times, however, it is strongly recommended that all children be left at home. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
If you are a member of the Brewers Association or the American Homebrewers Association, or if you’re simply a craft beer enthusiast, be sure to plan a visit to Colorado for the second weekend in October, and check out this fun and informative festival. The festival will be held at the Colorado Convention Center, on 14th and Stout Streets in Denver.
