The Great American Beer Festival Survival Guide

Even if you’ve been living in a bunker somewhere, you’re probably still aware that the Great American Beer Festival is taking place in Denver this week. The Colorado Convention Center is again playing host to this massive event and craft beer events are already happening all over the city. With so much serious beer on hand and so many awesome events taking place almost hourly – it’s easy to lose one’s way. And that’s where we come in.

So welcome to the ACB’s 2015 GABF Survival Guide… And please pay attention because the health of your liver is at stake.

The Basics

If you were lucky enough to score tickets to this year’s GABF, better fasten your seat belts because you’re in for wild ride. Founded in 1982, the Great American Beer Festival is sponsored by the Brewers Association and is the largest collection of US beer ever served in a public tasting event. It also serves as an important craft beer competition.

The event itself starts on Thursday with an evening session that runs 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm and there’s an evening session again on Friday night. There will be two sessions held on Saturday –  an afternoon BA and  American Homebrewers Association “members-only” event from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm – followed a the final session later that evening.

Tasting sessions will offer attendees the opportunity to tour America’s brewing landscape, one ounce at a time, with access to more than 3,800 different beers from 750 of the nation’s finest breweries.

Pace Yourself

This is the most important bit of advice we can give you – and unfortunately, it’s the one that’s most often dismissed. From the moment you arrive in the Mile High City you will be deluged by the world’s most brilliant beers and it’s easy to throw caution to the wind. Constant vigilance is called for to make sure that you don’t overdo things – and besides staggering around the convention center is a very bad look.

Have Breakfast

Even if you’re not normally a breakfast person – you need to be when attending the GABF.  Food in the morning is essential if you hope to survive several days of non-stop drinking. We insist that you strongly consider lunch and dinner as well – but nothing is more important than breakfast.

Get Out On the Town

The Colorado Convention Center is an enormous complex and as it’s ground zero for the Great American Beer Festival, it’s easy to just stay there. Don’t make that mistake. Downtown Denver is a fascinating and locale to explore and it’s good to get away from the crowds for a while.

In addition to the many GABF-related events taking place all throughout the city. Denver is overflowing with some great boutique craft breweries. Make time to check out one-of-a-kind places like  River North, where you can sample unique Saisons, enjoy nearby food trucks and “Zen-out” in a quieter setting.

Denver also offers some great museums, parks, restaurants and music venues – and even if you’re not a regular stoner, you might want to check out one of the city’s many legal pot emporiums.

Eat Where the Locals Eat-

Since man cannot live on beer alone, there are some places you should check out when you’re in town. Sam’s #3 is American/Mexican/Greek diner food at its best and a great place to hang with the locals. It’s been featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” and is known as one of Denver’s top places for breakfast! But don’t just come to Sam’s #3 for breakfast because everything they serve is pretty awesome. Their award-winning vegetarian green chili is a must! 

Freshcraft is a great place where you can enjoy upscale comfort food in a casual atmosphere. Located in Denver’s trendy LoDo neighborhood, this unassuming fresh food emporium is perfect for that quick bite or a long relaxing dinner. Plus their kitchen stays open late, serving up hot goodies well past the regular dinner hours. Freshcraft makes nearly all their food from scratch using only the freshest ingredients – and you can taste it. And with 25 rotating taps and over 125 different canned and bottled beers to choose from at any given time, their beer selection is also one of the best in the city.

(2015 GABF Too Be Continued)