Going to GABF 08
I am planning on going to the Great American Beer Festival for the first time and want to attend two sessions. I was wondering, what are the better days and/or times to attend? I was thinking Friday night and the second session Saturday. Also what other festival related activities or beer spots should I not miss while in Denver?
Brian P
www.iambeerwise.com
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Craft Beer Listener Meet Up??
Any plans for a listener meet up??
I plan on going to the Thursday Night session but plan on doing some beer exploring on Friday, any recommendations?
-j
From what I have been
From what I have been hearing, the Thursday and Saturday Day sessions are the best for the beer geeks, as the other two sessions get a bit rowdy.
Falling Rock is obviously a don't miss, and is a doable walk from the Convention center, and is even closer if you take the light rail from the convention center to 16th and California.
For breweries, there is at least 20 that you can get to within an hour or so drive. New Belgium, Fort Collins Brewery and Odells Brewing are all up in Fort Collins, about an hour and 15 drive. Avery, Boulder Beer, Redstone Meadery are all about an hour west. Golden City Brewing is about 45 minutes from Downtown, and is very very good. Great Divide is downtown, Bull and Bush is about 15 minutes south, Breckenridge is about 10 minutes south, Oskar Blues and Left Hand are about 45 minutes northwest, Dry Dock is about 30 minutes east, and so on and so forth. For me, the can't misses are the Fort Collins group of breweries, and the Boulder/Golden tour. Of course, Falling Rock is a given since you will already be downtown.
Have fun, I will definitely be there for as many sessions as I can stand.
sounds good
Thanks for the recommendations. I will have a rental car so the excursions should not be a problem.
Great Info
Thanks Chris for the great information. If you think about it Sat night and Friday would probably be the rowdier nights. Thursday and early Sat should be good. That leaves Friday open for exploring the area.
Brian P
Thurs. & Early Sat. -- So much to do !
Hi,
Jeff had some good comments about the sessions in his review of the GABF. The best thing he had to say about the Friday or late Sat. sessions was that while most were trying beers to get wasted!, the sours and other bad tasting beers did not have that big of lines.
I went on Thursday and thoroughly enjoyed it .. except it is sooo big !
The Sat. noon session is PRICEY but for pairing food and beer and meeting the brewers, it may be worth it.
There was a pod casters meet up and a CBR meet up last year. Jeff was at the CBR meet up and quite nice (and tall) to meet in public.
You get a better rate on car rentals if you rent in Denver (i.e. Enterprise) and not the airport. I think they have buses that go to the airport -- it's a ways ... out there to the east of Denver.
I didn't make it to the Boulder area, but I made it to Ft. Collins. Get to FC early and New Belgium and maybe bring a growler. They have free tours and tastings? during GABF but it is a college town and lots of college people there also. I went to a nearby brewpub (nice) but missed a smaller brewery (too late, check their w/e hours). The Bud AB plant is in east FC, I believe.
Boulder may be closer to Denver than FC, but it is like a triangle in distance, Denver--FC--Boulder, so plan in mostly sober travel time.
I went to the Coors plant in Golden and found it pretty fascinating, tho stoic. I grew up in SLC, so Coors was the "in" beer to drink. I like it better now than I did then (the 80's). I also read the book, "Citizen Coors", which was an interesting perspective.
There are lots of brewpubs and breweries in Denver and they're all pumped up for the GABF. The downtown Rock Bottom is fun, too (and busy).
I'd almost advise you to get in early, on Tuesday or Wednesday .. and then do all the outer stuff, Boulder, FC, maybe even Co. Springs, AB and Coors tours, and then mostly park the car and enjoy the GABF and downtown Denver and cab back to your hotel.
Cheers! Prost! Salud! Gambay!
West Seattle Steve
sh.geo@mail.com
Beer Vacation
I can't do it this year but it sounds like the ideal way to enjoy GABF is to plan on spending the week in Denver. Begin early in the week exploring the sights, pubs and breweries in the surrounding area, then when Thursday comes start enjoying the festival and downtown Denver. That may have to be one of my weeks of vacation time next year.
Brian P
www.iambeerwise.com