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Frommer's Guide
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FEATURES AND EVENTS
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Great American Beer Festival
by Tom Clynes
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Held Annually: First weekend in October
Locale: Denver, Colorado
Nearest Airport:
Denver International Airport (DEN)
General Information:
The Great American Beer Festival is held at Currigan Exhibition Hall, located at the corner of 14th and Champa Streets in downtown Denver.
Discounts are available for groups and designated drivers. To purchase tickets in advance, call 888-822-6273, or visit the official Web site.
Read about another beer-soaked event, Munich's Oktoberfest.
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Denver's Great American Beer Festival welcomes more than 35,000 true-blue brew lovers who come to revel in the nation's premier opportunity to attend brewing seminars, mingle with star brewers, and sample what may be the most lavish beer list ever compiled. Indeed, more than 1,700 brews--ranging from sparkling Bavarian-style lagers and cloudy Belgian wheat beers to hand-pumped English ales, fruit beers, chili pepper beers, and even chocolate beers--can be found here.
Founded by homebrewing guru Charlie Papazian, this brewers' banquet got off the ground in 1982, with just 40 participating breweries and 700 beer enthusiasts. But now that America's beer renaissance has fully hit its stride, Papazian expects to welcome more than 400 breweries and tens of thousands of beer fanatics to Denver's Currigan Exhibition Hall for three days in October.
Sure, this event is America's biggest beer festival by far. But on the sampling floor, taste transcends marketing muscle. Anheuser-Busch tapmasters look as lonely as Maytag repairmen, while at the next booth, crowds jostle for a taste of tiny Anderson Valley Brewery's latest concoction.
Papazian's Joy of Homebrewing book series brought a
do-it-yourself ethic to an industry long dominated by large breweries and bland beers. Many of the kitchen craftsmen who took Papazian's advice have since turned pro and are among the brewmasters who will personally pour their creations and compete for medals in 50 different style categories. (Currently, there are more U.S. breweries than at any time since prohibition.)
With admission at $30 a day ($25 in advance) and samples limited to one or two ounces, the festival isn't the cheapest or quickest way to get "mile-high" in Denver. But as the beer flows, camaraderie and conversation flourish, and reports of inspired new brews can set off mini stampedes for the latest "buzz" beer.
To accommodate the ever-increasing crowds, the festival has recently expanded its upstairs Beer Garden (where six-ounce quaffs are served). Keep in mind, though, that during peak periods elbowroom is at a premium here. However, when things get hectic amid the foam and fun, just consider Charlie Papazian's famous mantra: "Relax, don't worry, have a beer." •
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Inside Scoop |
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Last call at the festival is 10pm each night, leaving dedicated drinkers four more hours to spend out on the town, which now has more breweries than Milwaukee. The festival has helped fuel a local passion for beer, and at least a half-dozen brewpubs can be found within walking (or stumbling) distance of the convention center.
Resist any temptations to drive--instead, walk to the LoDo (Lower Downtown) District, which has become Denver's new "brewing quarter." One obvious-but-excellent LoDo choice is Wynkoop Brewing Company (303-297-2700), the world's largest brewpub. Set in a turn-of-the-century warehouse, the brewery features a superb double bock and an exquisitely fruity wheat beer.
Another place worth a visit (and, of course, a brewski) is Sand Lot Brewery at Coors Field (303-298-1587). Although owned by Coors, Brewmaster Wayne Waananen operates with complete autonomy. Describing himself as another ex-homebrewer who lost control, Waananen produces a medal-winning hefeweizen, as well as a strong (9.9 percent alcohol) double bock.
Other picks for the savvy brewpub-hopper include Breckenridge Brewery (303-297-3644), the Bull and Bush Pub and Brewery, and Broadway Brewing Co. (303-292-2555).
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