This past weekend, I was able to attend my second Great American Beer Festival. Great American Beer Festival is akin to America’s version of Oktoberfest. Coincidentally, you can attend GABF and then Denver’s version of Oktoberfest. God Bless, Denver.
During this three-day event, more than 49,000 attendees get to sample 2,100 beers. Whilst drunk. It is beautiful chaos.
Now there are typically two approaches to this event. One: Try to get as much beer in your system as possible while trying to redeem your $50 ticket price whilst frenetically downing your one-ounce samples. Two: Map out your plan of attack to try and get to the better breweries among the 457 breweries that attended. Now, I did a hybrid version of this. While trying not to lose my friends (James!), I tried to get in line again and again and again for New Glarus.
Some tips for newbies:
1) Don’t wait in line. Seriously. I waited in line my first year and it wraps around forever. Instead, find an event at one of Colorado’s many breweries and stroll in at 6 pm.
2) Less is more. If you’re attending with a big group, you will spend a lot of time trying to round them up. Someone leaves for the bathroom, and it’ll be days before they show up again.
3) Research or drink in the Southeast section. If you’re into beer, take the time to map it out and research your beers. You’ll spend a lot of wasted time on crappy beers if you just hold your cup out (I’m looking at you Lemon Haize). If you chose quantity over quality, go drink in the Southeast section. As pointed out to me by my friend Dan, that section had the shortest lines.
4) Don’t ask the pourer about their favorite – As brought to my attention, those pouring the drinks aren’t the brewers but rather one of 3,000 volunteers there to drink free. So save your breath on asking them as they have no clue.
5) Don’t drive. I don’t know what possesses people to get behind the wheel after a beer festival, but lots of people seem to think this is acceptable behavior. Take a cab, bus or pedicab. Not an option? Get a hotel. If at any point, you’re thinking they don’t heavily scour for drunk drivers after a drinking event with 49,000 people, you’re seriously mistaken. We saw at least two people getting pulled over in our walk to the Denver Diner.
And as a final piece of advice, get in line again and again and again for New Glarus.
