The Great American Beer Fest - GABF

The 2008 Great American Beer Fest. I will admit, I had heard of this event, but never really even considered going. I had this pre-conceived notion of boring convention-goers who had a unique desire to taste beer. I was so wrong.

This event not only showcased breweries from all over the world, but invited connoisseurs and just plain, old beer lovers like myself to gather and embrace the sights, sounds and all the tastes of great beer.

Located at the Convention Center in downtown Denver, aisle after aisle of booths, set up quite like any other convention, showcased countless tasty and delightful beers. The background was the stage for thousands of festival-goers to taste and share their love for beer. I met people from Minnesota, Canada and even the city of my alma mater, Boston. I can't remember a more happy, friendly group of people gathering in one place.

Now, Denver has been the home of quite a few outstanding events lately, including the Democratic National Convention in September. The Great American Beer Fest has been held here for many years now, and I will say, I will be back.
The commemorative glass which is given out at the Members Only tasting is a daily reminder of what a fantastic event this is. As you enter the convention center each patron is handed a glass, or plastic cup I am told, which they are able to move from stand to stand, booth to booth and taste to their hearts desire. A 1 oz serving is poured by the wonderful volunteers of the festival.

We had the pleasure of sampling a diet beer from Coors, a local favorite, and some fantastic, smaller, hometown breweries like Great Divide. There were favorites which stood out (because the lines were so long) like the Alaskan brewery and Leinenkugel's. Leinenkugel's has the best Berry Weiss beer you will ever taste, in my opinion, and one of the volunteers who noticed my love for their product gave me some Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat lip balm. I'm in love. The selection is amazing. I think I tried over 30 tastes, and none was quite like the other. I even had to taste PBR because in my lifetime I have never...now I have. I also tried a Watermelon beer which I can honestly say, I can do without, but it was interesting and unique.

Whatever you do, don't forget your pretzel neckace. Everyone will find themselves needing a snack at some point and a pretzel comes in handy while drinking beer. My friends and I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon tasting beers, eating pretzels and finding out one more great thing about our city. We love great beer here in Denver. Join us next year!