If you’ve ever been to The Great American Beer Festival, you already know that finding yourself among a collection of over 750 brewers serving over 3,500 beers can be overwhelming, especially if you’re trying to cram as many tastes as possible into a 4 hour window. For the uninitiated who wonder how crazy it could possibly be with only “2oz pours,” you’ll probably realize it 3 hours in when it becomes a straight-up shit-show.

The real secret behind surviving this weekend of malted carnage is to break things up. If you’re going to multiple sessions and you’re an AHA or BA member, check out Paired (formerly the Farm to Table Pavilion). If you’re only going to one or two sessions, make sure you walk and/or Uber around the LoDo/Ballpark/River North areas to check out some of the best Denver has to offer.

Get High at DIA – Starting last Saturday and continuing on through the 27^th the Denver International Airport is hosting their second annual Beer Flights Beer Garden. For $10 you get ten 2oz samples of beers from20 brewers located all over Colorado. Open in the Jeppeson Terminal from 11am to 7pm each day, it might be worth your while to make a little extra time on your way in or out to try a few of those samples you might have otherwise missed.

Drink AND Eat – Last year was my first year and if there’s anything an avid beer drinker must schedule  to have a successful set of drinking sessions, it’s sturdy meals. We started our Thursday night last year at Euclid Hall, just down the street from the Blue Bear. With 14 Colorado and Plains State taps, plus an abundance of various craft bottles/cans, on top of their excellent menu, it’s a can’t miss nearby option.  A few blocks north you’ll find Freshcraft with 25 taps, over a hundred bottles and cans (“a just clap your hands…”) and some solid grub. Lastly, Falling Rock Taphouse has the best rotating taps in the state and is a must visit, if only for the 75+ taps. And the food’s good too…

Go Early and Often – If I learned one thing about this unhinged sampling fest it’s that you should focus on the regions and brewers you don’t know. Apparently I spent way too much time chatting and drinking the beers of those I already knew. In order to try everything you can during those four hour chunks, get there right when things start and stay the entire session. Make a list of beers you can’t easily  get your hands on, go there first and try to avoid Saturday evening’s session… it’s not a pretty sight as beers disappear and the crowd starts to get weird, in a bad way.

Non-Alcoholic Pursuits – While it’s hard to imagine, there could be a slim chance you (or your fellow travellers) will want to do something other than drink beer at some point. You could go see the Rockies play at Coors Field (against my beloved Dodgers, no less) or cross the South Platte River to take in a meal at Denver’s Aquarium and restaurant. For a different kind of buzz you can check out the nearest legal weed shop, just down the road at Euflora. If thrills are more your thing, the NW corner of downtown houses Elitch Gardens amusement park or you could adventure west to experience Casa Bonita’s one-of-a-kind Mexican restaurant featuring cliff divers and a variety of themed dining rooms.

The Local Brewers – Last but not least, the beauty of GABF’s downtown Denver location is it’s easy access so many brewers and venues hosting tap takeovers. One of our personal favorites, Crooked Stave, not only sponsors the always fast to sell-out “What The Funk?!,” a wild/sour fest happening tonight from 5 to 10pm, but they also have some excellent beers on tap at their tap room in River North. Also not to be missed… Colorado’s oldest brewpub Wynkoop, plus Great Divide, Jagged Mountain, River North, Epic and Breckenridge, for starters. Most of these locations have special tappings and events throughout the week, so plan ahead!