(Photo © Brewers Association)

One of craft beer’s biggest events, the Great American Beer Festival returns to Denver this week (Sept 21-23).

And with most of the industry already in town, it is ON!

The Great American Beer Festival, or simply the GABF as it is affectionately called in the beer biz, will once again offer the largest collection of US beer ever served at a public tasting event, as well as one of the nation’s most important and impactful beer competitions.

Considered by many as to be “The One Beer Festival You Must Go to Before You Die,” the GABF has topped beer lovers’ bucket lists since 1982. It unites beer lovers and brewers from all corners of the country to celebrate the nation’s ever-growing craft beer culture.

And here’s some things you may need to know if you’re heading to Denver this week.

The GABF Rules!

According to the Guinness Book of World Records there is no other place on earth where a beer fans can find more beers to sample than at the GABF.

The GABF’s three days of tasting sessions offers visitors the opportunity to drink their way across America’s brewing landscape, and they’ll have access to thousands of different beers from over 1,100 of the nation’s finest breweries.

(photo @ Brewers Association)

This year the GABF has assembled an amazing selection of craft beers, all arranged by region in the Colorado Convention Center’s expansive festival hall. So if you’ve never attended a Great American Beer Festival get ready to have your minds blown.

The GABF is an All-Denver Event

The festival itself is only the centerpiece to almost a week of special craft beer events that are taking place all over Denver and the majority of them that are open to the public!

We know of beer fans who travel to Denver annually without tickets and still enjoy a first-class GABF experience without ever hitting the festival hall.

Denver’s top beer bars are usually filled with special releases and out-of-state beers that aren’t found in Colorado outside of GABF week. And Westword’s best beer bars list is a great place to start.

(Photo © Brewers Association)

The Great American Beer Festival is also a Competition

The Great American Beer Festival also sponsors one of the nation’s most important beer competitions.

Judging sessions taking place during the festival’s three-day run, allowing an international panel of experts to pick the best beers from 99 different style categories.

This year’s competition is expected to see nearly 6,500 beers from over 1,500 breweries all competing for their chance to win the GABF’s coveted gold, silver and bronze medals.

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 GABF banner photo courtesy of the Brewers Association