So where were we going to get the beer? A patron stands near a light-up beer sign during Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on September 21, 2018 . Golden, Jan. TBA, 2023 I think our pale ale got the No. We do not tolerate any form of aggressive behavior or harassment of attendees, staff, volunteers, sponsors, or brewers. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post). The goal was to introduce drinkers to something they might not find in the typical American beer aisle. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), Scenes from the inaugural Great American Beer Festival in 1982. It won the Silver Medal in the American-Style Fruit Beer category at the 2021 Brewers . These Denver breweries are making it. As Sarah Beth Bliss dusted off her beloved bowling shirt, she mused about how many years and beers have come to pass. Other people get excited about the holidays and look forward to them every year and count down the days and take time off work, Bliss said. As Papazian tells it, he ran the idea by the late beer writer Michael Jackson, who was all for it. Venue: Summit Music Hall Tagged With Beer Festivals Downtown Metal Colorado USA Festivals 2-Day Fests. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), Charlie Papazian (left) at the inaugural Great American Beer Festival in 1982. We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. Its become this phenomenon, and Denver and Colorado have been at the center of it. So Papazian scoured books by beer-label and beer-can collectors, and researched which breweries were still in business to invite them to his event. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), The inaugural Great American Beer Festival took place at a hotel in Boulder in 1982. There will also be glassware, food, non-sour beer, non-alcoholic options and one of Baeres favorite beer releases of the year on tap and in cans. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), The inaugural Great American Beer Festival took place at a hotel in Boulder in 1982. Beer, food, music, and dancing will start at 2:00pm and go until 6:00pm on the . 1 in consumer choice, Grossman said, and I want to say our porter might have gotten second.. Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Sept. 15-17, 2023 Not all recovery brunches are created equal. September 21-23, 2023 America's favorite beer festival and cultural phenomenon is back! Thousands of people (some in silly costumes) gather in one of the states most picturesque valleys to enjoy live music, craft breweries and camping. Boulder resident Glenn Grant displays his lanyard of pretzels, beer buttons and other Great American Beer Festival paraphernalia during the event's first night at the Colorado Convention Center. First Draft Taproom & Kitchen, 1309 26th St., will feature beers distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans, including Parish Brewing, Societe Brewing, Toppling Goliath, Cellarmaker, The Veil, Maine Beer, Great Notion and Nightshift Brewing. The atmosphere is so fun so much fun that I left teaching to start working at a brewery here in Colorado, said Gardner, a GABF veteran since 2004. Breckenridge, Jan. 46, 2024 TheColorado Brewers Guild(CBG) is a nonprofit trade association with the mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. Despite enthusiasm on the festival floor, mainstream acceptance of the beer revolution was slow to catch up. Its good to come back to something familiar and exciting that we looked forward to every year.. Beer writer and educator David Nilsen, in town for GABF, will lead a curated chocolate-and-beer pairing at Lady Justice Brewing, 9735 E. Colfax Ave. from 1 to 3 p.m. Nilsen, an advanced cicerone and host of the Bean to Barstool podcast, will discuss each of the four chocolates he has paired with Lady Justice beers, including the new Barrel-Aged Rye Porter, aged six months in a Laws Whiskey House Secale Rye Whiskey barrel. And after two years off due to COVID-19, regular attendees are eager for the three-day beer-drinking tradition to reemerge. The 2022 event will have more than 500 breweries serving over 2,000 beers. First Draft Taproom & Kitchen, 1309 26th St., features beers from Other Half Brewing, Vitamin Sea Brewing, Finback Brewing, Tripping Animals, Primitive Beer, Drowned Lands, Peculier Ales, Jolly Pumpkin, Wolves & People, Bow & Arrow, Hop Butcher and more. The Salida Chamber of Commerce is an association of businesses organized to encourage a strong local economy. See Station 26s Facebook page for a list of locations to try the very fresh beer. Eric Mellem pours a beer for a patron at the Melvin Brewing booth during Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on September 21, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2023 - Sat, 23 Sep 2023, You must be 21 or older to attend this event. Tickets for the 1st Annual Field of Drinks Brew Festival are almost SOLD OUT. (We will continue to add to this list as we hear of new events.). Its a rite of passage for industry personnel and a cultural touchstone for beer enthusiasts. Colorado State Fair Aug. 25-Sept. 4, 2023 The Colorado State Fair in Pueblo expertly combines lively entertainment, thrilling competitions, intriguing vendor booths and old-fashioned family fun. America's favorite beer festival returns to Denver Oct. 6-8, 2022, to celebrate 40 years of craft beer. From 2 to 10 p.m., youll find lagers from breweries around the country. Learn More $129 per ticket, per session PAIRED + GABF Its no secret that Colorado is among the countrys capitals for craft beer. My mother said, Who wants to have dinner in a brewery? he told The Denver Post. December 2-3, 2022 . At the inaugural festival, Papazian asked each of the breweries to serve two beers that were not light American lagers so attendees could discover flavors beyond what was typically available in the beer aisle. High fives and cheers were plentiful as brewers and beer lovers celebrated the return of the nations largest ticketed beer festival. Darcy Weiss of Virginia Beach tastes a beer at the 36th Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Sept. 22, 2018. Toast-Worthy Fall & Winter Brew Fests in Colorado, The Grand Tasting at Telluride Blues & Brews, Revelers at UllrGrass Music & Beer Festival in Golden, Beer fans attend the Winter Craft Beer Festival in Boulder, Highway of Legendsscenic and historic byway, Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival. We recognize these Indigenous peoples as the original inhabitants of this land. Sloans Lake Tap & Burger, 1565 Raleigh St., gets friendly with the Pacific Northwest today. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post), Patricia Maldonado and her husband Albert Maldonado wait in line at the Fat Heads Brewing booth on Sept. 21 in Denver. He will be at the fest, you should too! The taproom is in the Free Market building in the Dairy Block alley, at 1801 Blake St. If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, no matter how minor it may seem, please report it to any CBG staff member, event volunteer, or event security guard immediately so the situation can be addressed. The crowds at the beer fest. We look forward to convening in person for the festival's 40th anniversary in 2022." The 2020 event was originally scheduled to take place Sept. 24-26 at the Colorado Convention Center in . His first thought: Could we do something like this in the United States? If you would prefer to report anonymously through our reporting platform, please scan the WeVow QR Code found throughout the event. Get tickets, for $30, here. This year's beer festival happens on Saturday, September 10th, 2022, from 2 pm to 6 pm at the Festival Plaza on Public Road, from Cannon Street to Emma Street. COLORADO: The Great American Beer Festival in Denver Great American Beer Festival / Facebook When: October 6-8, 2022 Colorado has been known as a great beer state for a long time, and this three-day annual event takes place every fall in Denver and is hosted by the Brewers Association. The now esteemed GABF competition began as a peoples choice preference poll, in which attendees would vote for their favorite beer. Beer Festivals in Denver and Beyond April 11, 2022 By // by Bella Beckler Colorado is known for many things, skiing, epic mountains, plentiful days of sunshine, and its beer scene. John Hickenlooper, then an unemployed geologist, first attended GABF in 1986 after deciding he wanted to open a brewpub. From its peaks to its plains, Colorado offers any beer lover a wide range of craft brewer concoctions inspired by a world where life's spent a mile in the sky. 2023 Colorado Brewers Guild | All Rights Reserved. Who would have thought this thing would keep going when we started it? It feels pretty awesome, actually, Papazian said. Once I experienced GABF, thats what it became for me.. Still, investors were hard to come by then, Hickenlooper remembers now. (Provided by the office of Sen. John Hickenlooper), John Hickenlooper, left, with the co-founders of Wynkoop Brewing Co. circa 1987/1988. Long before he was Denvers mayor, Colorados governor and now a U.S. senator, Hickenlooper had caught the home-brewing bug during a stint working at a sardine factory in Maine and then later as a college student. Denver Beer Co.s newest brewery, opening this week, is its biggest yet, A Colorado hop farm is the first grower outside the Pacific Northwest to win this award, Denver brewery plans to reopen after car crashed into building, 30% smaller this year, according to the Brewers Association (. While some folks may stay away from the festival this year in the wake of the pandemic, the die-hards will return, not just for the beer and the camaraderie but also for the return to normalcy. significantly smaller than previous years due to construction at the Colorado Convention Center. Chili & Beer Festival Crested Butte, Sept. TBA, 2023 This charming former mining town celebrates a perfect culinary pairing on the side of a mountain each fall. During one of those journeys, a 1981 trip to England for the Great British Beer Festival, he was blown away by the way people had gathered to celebrate not just the beer, but also the culture around brewing and consuming beer. Incorporated as a 501c6 in 1928, the Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce, refers to the twelve 14,000-foot peaks that dominate their landscape. The fun begins on Main St. with the kick-off to the Breckenridge Oktoberfest 2022 Main St. Party! That was the essence of what we were trying to do. The Denver Rare Beer Tasting returns to the McNichols Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave., for its lucky 13th edition. On Thursday, Oct. 6, the festival returns to the Colorado Convention Center for the first time since before the pandemic, and tens of thousands of fans like Bliss are reviving their beer fest traditions and hoping to raise a sample glass with longtime friends. The ceremony will be live-streamed, and Comrade has some skin in this game. If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, no matter how minor it may seem, please report it to any CBG staff member, event volunteer, or event security guard immediately so the situation can be addressed. After days of indulging in American-made beer, perhaps youd like some international flavor to cleanse your palate. Styles such as Oktoberfest, porter, steam beer, red ale and bock all made an appearance, Papazian said. Save time and money on finding your ideal accommodation. Taste beers from over 30 Colorado breweries in one of the most dramatic settings The Lake Dillon Beer Festival is the official start to summer in Dillon! She will be selling merchandise and signing copies of her book, Hooray for Craft Beer! Strap on some lederhosen, sample authentic German cuisine and enjoy the golden glow of the aspen trees changing colors. Volunteer Heidi Clark serves beer at the 36th Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Sept. 22, 2018. There was no literature, no stories had been written about different breweries. Hit up your favorites or find your next brewery crush. What will fill Falling Rock Tap Houses void during the Great American Beer Festival? Tickets are limited to 400, so do not hesitate. (Seth McConnell, Special to the Denver Post), Ted Risk of Wibby Brewing sports an inflatable flamingo as he makes his way through the crowd during Great American Beer Festival at the Colorado Convention Center on Sept. 21. Brewery reps will be on hand all day. Shortly after the festivals founding, the competition was judged by professionals; earning a medal here became one of the beer worlds most prestigious accolades. Click the BUY TICKETS link. The draft lines will be full of the most sought-after IPAs in craft beer, and former Falling Rock owner Chris Black will be on hand. The tapping runs from 2 to 10 p.m. in TRVEs Dumpster Garden, 227 Broadway, which is the parking lot patio next door in the alley. Chris Black worked at bars and for beer distributors in Texas early in his career, but when he got the chance to open his own spot the legendary Falling Rock Tap House he chose the Mile High City because there was this big beer event that the whole world of beer came to Denver for. Revelry around the annual celebration eventually spawned an entire week featuring dozens of festivities, from rare tappings to pints nights and other special events. River North Brewery will tap three barleywines every day this week at its location at 3400 Blake St. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), About 750 beer and homebrewing enthusiasts attended the inaugural Great American Beer Festival in Boulder in 1982. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), About 750 people attended the inaugural Great American Beer Festival in Boulder in 1982. Denver Barbecue BBQ Festival is returning to Empower Field at Mile High June 17, 18, 19, 2022 pit passes, all-you-can-eat tickets, VIP BBQ passes Mile High Stadium. Baere Brewing, 320 Broadway, is bringing in sour beers from 10 breweries around the state for a Celebration of Soursstarting at noon. This charming former mining town celebrates a perfect culinary pairing on the side of a mountain each fall. Great American Beer Festival week 2022: Your, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Get to know all 17 Denver mayor candidates , Great American Beer Festival week 2022: Your complete events guide. For more information, visitSalidaChamber.org. Every year since or at least until 2020, when the public portion of the festival was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic Bliss, her cousin and his wife have worn matching, custom-made bowling shirts embroidered with their names and adorned with patches from their favorite breweries. Opening for Missy will be Butterfly Hell. They are: 4 Noses Brewing, WeldWerks Brewing, Outer Range Brewery, Wibby Brewing, Station 26 Brewing and Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project. Collaboration Fest will be held Saturday, April 2 at Fillmore Auditorium, hosted by the . Find beers from Boneyard, Ecliptic, Great Notion, Fremont, pFriem and Deschutes. The Great Central City Beer Fest Saturday, August 27, 2022 1pm - 6:00pm Saturday, August 27th, 2022 1pm - 6pm Central Citybrewing beer for over 150 years. There was also, notably, no internet. Stay for the two-day bluegrass lineup as the "best of . Cart-Driver always seems to end up at the center of things during GABF, and this year is no exception. Theres also a homebrew competition, if youre ready to take your game to the next level. The pizzeria is featuring a wide swath of beers from WeldWerks and Casey Brewing, both elite Colorado breweries. Falling Rock traditionally hosted a 5 p.m. Monday kickoff the week of GABF, and Black didnt know until the last minute where he would choose to be at that time this year. She will be selling merchandise and signing copies of her book, Hooray for Craft Beer! Leading into GABF when all the taps around the state are being taken over with DDH, imperial, pastry, triple fruited, gooey, sticky and what-have-you-nots, [we thought] it would be great to get together and celebrate light, crisp lager in all its glory, the brewpub wrote on Facebook. Cerebral also heads out into the field for Field Research night at Hops & Pie, 3920 Tennyson St., which will tap beers from Cerebral and its friends, including Vitamin Sea, Humble Sea, Finback, and Other Half, along with plenty of swag. Cannibal Corpse; Pig . Oskar Blues Grill + Brew, 1624 Market St., hosts the Colorado Brewers Guild for a tap takeover all day long that features breweries from all over the state that are members of the guild. Ephemeral Rotating Taproom, which opened in June at 2301 E. 28th Ave., will feature at least 14 beers (and possibly more) from Portlands acclaimed Great Notion Brewing this week. There were primarily large commercial breweries like the Adolph Coors Brewing Co., Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. and Blitz-Weinhard Co., but there were also a handful of micro breweries, including fledging companies like Boulder Beer Co., Californias Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and Anchor Brewing Co., Rainier Brewing Co. out of Washington, and Stevens Point Brewery out of Wisconsin. BestBeerFestivals.com does not assume any responsibility for their content particularly not for any offers, pricing, dates and location. Hosted by the Brewers Association, a trade . Colorado Brewers Rendezvous History: Because many brewers were already attending the Salida Beer Festival in 1995, Salida became the impromptu meeting grounds for their membership meeting. . OFFICIAL WEBSITE. And while the official three-day beer megabash, Oct. 6-8, will be 30% smaller this year, according to the Brewers Association (which hosts it), breweries, bars, restaurants and other venues around the city plan to show up with some of the same enthusiasm they had before the pandemic. No tickets are needed. We are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. He was looking for ways to save money, and it turned out that buying the ingredients to make beer was cheaper than buying the finished product. Score! If you would prefer to report anonymously through our reporting platform, please scan the WeVow QR Code found throughout the event. 2023 Colorado Tourism Office. UllrGrass Beer Festival 2023 will take place on Saturday January 28 2023 in Parfet Park located in downtown Golden, CO! October 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), and its first in-person event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But when founder Charlie Papazian reflects, he cant help but notice how much has changed. The taproom has an unusual concept: Rather than featuring a menu of beers from a wide range of breweries, it focuses on just one brewery every few weeks, with up to 20 taps of its beer. Since joining The Denver Post in 2020, reporter Tiney Ricciardi has honed a beat she endearingly calls earthly delights. That includes news and features about beer, cannabis, psilocybin, reality TV, and the great outdoors. Grant, who died in 2001. called it an imperial stout, and there was a seemingly never-ending line to get a taste, Papazian said. (Provided by David Bjorkman/Brewers Association), Festive attire has been encouraged at the Great American Beer Festival since the inaugural event in 1982. After several years at Littletons Living the Dream Brewing, Gardner opened Max Taps Co. in Highlands Ranch (2680 E. County Line Road A) in 2017 and, earlier this year, expanded to a second location in Centennial (11405 E. Briarwood Ave., #100). People kind of scratched their heads and asked the question, Well, what do you mean by that? Papazian said. Discover moreawesome fall and winter happenings, additionalfall festivals in Coloradoand get the scoop on thetop winter beersat breweries across the state. Barrels & Bottles Brewery has something to say on the eve of Great American Beer Festival week. Taking a ski shot at the Mile High Beer Festival. The festival featured unlimited tasting of over 60 local brewers best beers, food trucks, entertainment, and games. Thursday, Sept. 21, Friday Sept. 22, Saturday, Sept. 23. But the Great American Beer Festival was a big part of what made that happen.. On Oct. 5, the brewery will debut its new Lucky Lighter Kolsch at the punk-themed Occidental Bar, 1950 W. 32nd Ave. Ska Brewing, Half Acre Beer Co. and Boneyard Beer will be there as well. Why not pair a visit to one of the states best-known ski towns with a world-class beer festival? By accessing BestBeerFestivals.com, you declare that you have understood the following terms and conditions and that you agree with them: BestBeerFestivals.com is as diligent as possible in updating the information on this website. In 2020, and again in 2021, Bliss instead hosted a fall bottle share with her roommate to keep the spirit of the event alive in her household. In their places, however, Denvers beer scene has continued to evolve, with the openings of young and popular venues like Ephemeral Taproom, Cohesion Brewing and MobCraft Beer. Heres our guide to whats going on during the week before the festival and through the weekend.