For most, a trip to the Great American Beer Festival is a dream come true. And why shouldn't it be? Access to 710 brewers serving more than 3,500 beers and unlimited pours (one ounce at a time) should be reason enough. Yet there is so much more to the weekend, so we at American Craft Beer, along with the rest of the media in attendance, got a special behind the scenes look at all the event has to offer. The real trick was to take enough pictures to remember it all. We tried...

So many beers, So little time...One of this nation's most highly respected craft brewers has been caught "packing"! We've got that concerning story for you plus we've some serious new releases from Black Hog and Sierra Nevada that you'll want to get your sweaty little hands on.

It's taken me a while to process everything that happened at this year's SIPtemberfest in Vermont's Mad River Valley. And by "process everything" I mean thoughts, triglycerides and blood alcohol levels. Picture all of the beer that people from all over New England regularly trade their perfectly good weekends and money to procure all in one place and you'd get SIPtemberfest. Perfectly organized by the wonderful Meg Schultz of Meg's Events and flawlessly executed by her gang of volunteers and sponsors.

We blame the industry for this... It used to be that when we wrapped up our Weekend Picks on Friday, we could coast through the weekend. There was little need to check in for updates -things were pretty much done. But clearly all that's changed - especially with the GABF having just wrapped up!

So here's some of what's happened in the world of craft beer while you were off enjoying yourselves.

The world's first Vegan Oktoberfest is happening tomorrow, not in Brüssellettuceicenburger, Germany, but in Santa Monica, CA. This Oktoberfest is going to be as authentic to the German festival as an event can get, but without meat and animal products. For the carnivores reading this, there's no need to stay away because this Oktoberfest has a fantastic array of craft beer that will delight anyone no matter what you're food eating orientation is.

Hey it's Friday...It's time to forget about work and find the fun. Well good because we've some awesome ideas for you. Obviously for any craft beer-lover, the GABF is ideally where you want to be this weekend. But if you were one of the many who were unable to secure tickets to this year's event in Denver - we've still got your back.

From the nation's coolest beer festivals to movies, music and cutting edge TV - welcome to our awesome Weekend Picks...

So many beers, So little time...With craft beer's biggest names all in Denver for this year's GABF, there are a multitude of never-seen-before beers making prime-time debuts. We'll have all that for you plus we've some updates on other brilliant new releases from Perennial Artisan Ales and New Belgium Brewing that you'll want to get your sweaty little hands on.

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 gatherings are already happening all over the city. With so much serious beer on hand and with so many awesome events taking place almost hourly, it's easy to lose one's way - and that's where we come in.

Welcome to ACB's 2014 GABF Survival Guide - and pay attention because this is no joke - the health of your liver is at stake.

Hey it's Wednesday and that means it's Rumor Mill Time....What popular brewery won't be brewing their most popular beer at their own brewery in 2015? We'll get into that and on to other things that are breaking right now in the world of craft beer. Plus we've a super-important update on what we've been drinking lately.

We don't sleep so you can....THIS WEEK'S RUMOR MILL IS ON!

So many beers, So little time... Disregarding repeated warnings from concerned public officials, Epic Brewing is releasing a massive Imperial Stout with religious implications! We've got that concerning story for you plus some other serious new releases from Deschutes and Terrapin Beer that you'll want to get your sweaty little hands on.