What Would You Drink at GABF?
October 8, 2008 1:45 pm Beer News
I ask this question with great trepidation, because I really don’t want this to seem like a “brag, brag, brag, I’m going to the Great American Beer Festival!” It’s just that with 400 breweries and 1800 beers to choose from, it can get a bit overwhelming. Sure I have a few places I’m hitting come hell or high-water (Russian River, Lost Abbey, Alaskan, Firestone Walker, etc.) but I know there are a lot of places I won’t remember.
So, if you were visiting one of the biggest beer festivals in the world, what would be your must visit breweries? (I promise lots of photos and information what I get back.)
Tags: brag brag brag, colorado, denver, gabf
cubby_swans :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 2:32 pm
screw the photos and information… bring me some beer.
I don’t have any brewery suggestions that would have slipped your mind, but… But how many sessions are you going to? I would print out the brewery list, mark down the ones you want to hit with a highlighter, print out the festival map to find out who is where, prioritize the breweries you want to hit, and come up with a plan of attack. You have a few days to organize and only ~4 hours per session to get your drink on.
Pretty hard to forget about a brewery if they’re all written down in front of your face.
jeff :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
” have a few places I’m hitting come hell or high-water (Russian River, Lost Abbey, Alaskan, Firestone Walker, etc.) but I know there are a lot of places I won’t remember.”
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Alipine, Ballast, all the Pizza Ports (doesn’t each do something unique?), Portsmouth, Sly Fox, Coranado, Surly, Dark Horse, Moylans, Lagunitas, Flat Earth, Town Hall, The Bruery. Damn. So much good stuff. Of course, it depends on what each brings. If Victory, Dogfish, Stone, Allagash and so on are bringing something unique, I’d be there too.
Drew Huerter :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 5:13 pm
21st Amendment - Watermelon Funk, IPA
Moylan’s - IPAs and DIPAs
Town Hall - Masala Mama IPA
Sierra Nevada (last year they brought some rarer stuff) - Oak Aged Stou
Alaskan - Amber, Smoked Porter, Barleywine
Terrapin - All of ‘em
Real Ale - All of ‘em
Russian River - All of ‘em
Bear Republic - Rare stuff
Firestone Walker - Pales and IPAs
Lagunitas - Rare stuff
Port/Lost Abbey - IPAs, Sours
Brooklyn - BCS, Local 1, Blast!
Allagash - Rare stuff
Stone - Take your pick
Avery - Rare stuff, Gemini IPA
Boulder - Rare stuff
Left Hand - Rare stuff
Flying Dog - Rare stuff, Barrel Aged Beers
Oskar Blues - Rare stuff, Ten Fidy
New Belgium - Rare stuff
Great Divide - Rare stuff
O’Dell’s - Rare stuff
Gunnison Brewery - Summertime 69
DFH - Take your pick, Palo Santo
Flossmoor Station - IPA, Pullman Brown
Goose Island - Rare stuff
Brugge Brasserie - Tripel, Rare stuff
23rd Street - Rare stuff
Blind Tiger - Maibock, Coffee Porter
FreeState - Take your pick
Tallgrass - Take your pick
Boston Beer Co. - Utopias, Imperial Pilsner
Arcadia - Rare stuff
Dark Horse - Stouts
Shorts - Take your pick
Jolly Pumpkin - Rare stuff
Deschutes - Porers, Abyss
Surly - Darkness, Coffee Bender, Furious
75th Street - Rare stuff
Boulevard - Smokestack, Rare stuff
McCoy’s Public House - Rare stuff
Duck Rabbit - Milk Stout, Baltic Porter
Grumpy Troll - Take your pick, Baltic Porter
Great Lakes - Burning River Pale Ale, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Rogue - Rare stuff
Victory - Prima Pils, Hop Whallop
Rahr & Sons - Maibock
Live Oak - IPA, Hefeweizen
Central Waters - Rare stuff
New Glarus - Take your pick
That would be a good start.
Paul :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Wow, I am heading there too and I am already overwhelmed. I am excited, this is my first time to GABF.
Paul
TWCP
Ryan :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
I will be attending this year for the third time and cant wait. Looking forward to the Smoked porters from Alaska again!! And also very curious to see what Dogfish brings to the Saturday members only session.
Eric :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
Deschutes
Three Floyds
Lost Abbey
Russian River
Rogue
Bear Republic
Bull and Bush
Last year Dry Dock (Aurora,CO) had are really good milk stout and vanilla porter.
Make sure to hit of Falling Rock for the GABF after party.
Rodney :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
So pretty much everyone is going to throw on some special beers at designated times and sessions, so I’ll throw out an easy piece of advice.
Go immediately to New Glarus. They pour everything right away and when they’re out for the session (and they will be out of everything within 30 minutes) they won’t have more until the next session. Get in line over and over and try everything they have, then begin making your way around the show floor. It helps to be in the first wave of people in the doors, too.
jerad :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 8:49 pm
Mike I hate you in the most positive way possible. So many options.
Dave J :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
Hopefully you are going to the thurs. session or the sat. afternoon session. The fri. and sat. night sessions are a zoo. Frat party get your drunk on. Those aren’t even worth going to. Last year the sat. night session almost all the west coast brewery’s ran out of beer early, so the non beer geek drunks just moved on down the line. Most didn’t even care what you poured them, they would say “just give me a beer I don’t care what it is”.
Mike :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 9:48 pm
Yeah, I’m hitting up the Thursday and Saturday afternoon sessions. I’m not even bothering with the other ones. Is O’Fallon not coming out this year?
Tony Linson :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
I will be there as well. This is my fourth year in a row. I can tell you if you want Russian River head there as soon as you hit the door. Them and New Glarus have the longest lines. Plan your attack. Get a floor map and a list of breweries and be prepared because when you getin you will be overwhelmed. Then again punt the plan and just try anything that you cannot get at home. Iron Hill out of Delaware, Pelican Bay which is always cleaning up on the awards, Lost Abbey, Pizza Port, Russian River, Etc.
Last year we met Fred Karm from Hoppin Frog in Akron Ohio. Great guy, great beer and no lines. My first year a stood in front of Russioan River talking to Vinnie and sampled at will. Find a little unknown brewery, talk to all the exteremely freindly brewers and just soak it in.
By the way what session you attending? Oh yeah eat before you go, you will need a base wen you are sampling your 70th beer.
Chipper Dave :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 10:04 pm
The better question for me is What Wouldn’t I Drink at the GABF?
If you guys want to try a firey hot brew, try Billy’s Chilis from Twisted Pine Brewery of Boulder. It’s got jalapenos in it and man, it’s so hot you’ll need more than a beer to cool your throat. Worth it in 1 oz increments. Anything more will set your mouth a flame!
Tony Linson :
Date: October 8, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
I am printing off Drew’s list and staring there. Cannot quarrel with any f those suggestions. also at the Saturday session they announce the winners and print off the list. Grab one and use it as a guide for you last hour so to taste the gold medal winners, of course everyone else willbe flocking to these breweries as well.
Also,after the Saturday session grab a cab to Great Divide on Arapahoe for some pints. Falling Rock is a zoo and the line to get in can go all the way to the street. Great Divide Hercules fresh off the tap is a joy.
Dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange, pricey but what an experience. Just google it and you will see.
Jim Zavist :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 5:39 am
If you don’t want to do a cab, try the Wazee Lounge & Supper Club (15th & Wazee) - great pizza and decent beer. And then there’s the original Rock Bottom, at 16th & Curtis (Champa?). Yeah, it’s a chain, but it’s not bad beer or bad food. It also explains the name - it’s in the old Prudential Plaza, at the bottom of the rock . . .
Outside of downtown, a couple of lesser-well-known ones are Ironworks (12354 W. Alameda) and the Bull and Bush (4700 Cherry Creek Drive South, “What’s Yours?”). And up in the mountains are the Dam Brewery in Frisco and the Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub in Idaho Springs, both off of I-70.
The GABF is a great event - enjoy! (Wish I could go.)
Russ B. :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 6:16 am
Jasper Murdocks Stackpole Porter - Norwich
Russ B. :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 6:55 am
Try the Goose Island ‘Belgian Summer’ if you like Sour Ales though it may be judge only
G.I. Juliet is worth a try
PolarOpposites :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 9:04 am
Well, definitely hit up Pabst; they consistently bring home some medals.
And Miller, be sure to check them out. Last year they were pouring something called Icehouse. I believe it took a Gold?
Haha, have fun. Hopefully I’ll make it there some day…within the next 30 years or so.
Eric :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 10:39 am
After you’re done with Drew’s list (!), I saw Walking Man Brewing will be there. Lots of people in the PNW suggest that as a good stop if you’re in the area. Might not be as notable as the other mentions, but they should be solid beers unavailable here (and a shorter line and more beer available when the major draw breweries’ beers are gone). Anyway, that’s one I’d hit up I didn’t see mentioned yet.
http://www.walkingmanbrewing.com/
troymeier :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
Mike, Drew’s list is a perfect start. I’ve been to three GABFs and writing down exactly what you what to hit is the way to go. I also would suggest getting at the door at least an hour and a half before the doors open to get in line. If you wait, it can take up to an hour to get in the door, which is an hour lost. Also, go to New Glarus first. They only bring bottles to the fest, which are allocated for each session, i.e. they run out quickly. You may want to check out the Food and Beer pairing shows on Thursday night they look pretty good.
Here are some other suggestions:
Green Flash - any thing hoppy
Left Coast
Pizza Port
Sand Lot
SKA
Kona Brewing
Piece Brewery
Three Floyd’s - special
Bend Brewing
Pelican Brewpub
Weyerbacher
Squatter’s Pub - amazing flavor for 3.2 beer
Southhampton Publik House - Belgians
Captain Lawerence
Boundry Bay
I agree go to Great Divide, on Friday afternoon they have a party for the press and its awesome. Good food and great beer. I would drop them a line. Also, try to make it the Alpha King Challenge on Friday from 1pm to 3pm at Falling Rock. After the judges get finished, they let you taste the extra beer!
Dave J :
Date: October 9, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
We are not going this year (O’Fallon). The deadline hit and we weren’t prepared. There is always next year.
Drew Huerter :
Date: October 11, 2008 @ 8:44 am
We hit up Great Divide yesterday and they had some killer beer…and all for free!
Espresso Yeti
Bourbon Barrel Old Ruffian
Bourbon Barrel Yeti
‘Baumer’ Sour Ale
Fence Hop Ale (Brewed with their own hops)
The Sandlot had an unfiltered Czech Pils, Traditional Bock, German Pils and Helles that were all tasty.
At the Falling Rock I had Whiskey Barrel Gonzo Porter, Stone/Alesmith/Mikkeller Tripel, Stone Cali-Belgian IPA, Avery Deviation, RR Pliney the Elder, Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale
At the fest I really dug Sierra Nevada Chico IPA, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, Terrapin Oak Aged Rye Squared, Great Dane Barleywine ‘99, Brooklyn Grand Cru, Free State Black Jack Porter, Russian River something-ation aged in cabernet barrels with currans, I believe.
There is some damn good beer to drink around here.