While two major events — the What the Funk Fest and Beers Made by Walking — won't take place this year, there will still be hundreds of special tappings, dinners, seminars, mini-festivals and other festivities taking place at dozens and dozens of beer bars, breweries, restaurants and venues.
Here's our list of events that you can plan for; we'll continue to update it over the next few weeks as we hear about more — and there will be plenty more. Cheers!
When the Falling Rock clock reaches zero, the drinking may commence.
Danielle Lirette
Falling Rock Tap House will once again welcome beer lovers and brewery folks from near and far to its annual GABF-week kickoff party starting at 5 p.m. When the GABF clock counts down to zero, the drinking may commence. This year, Falling Rock will tap "twenty treats," including vintage beers, a collaboration with Upslope Brewing (a Southern Hemisphere Imperial IPA), "plus fresh new beers from our friends around the state and country," the beer bar says.
Freshcraft hosts a High Plains Showcase at 6 p.m. featuring beers from TRVE, J. Wakefield, Alvarado Street, Scratch Brewing, Great Notion and Three Taverns.
Start your GABF week in a haze at Dunbar Kitchen & Tap House, which will dig into some hazy, New England-style IPAs from four local breweries. They include the 4 Noses Brewing/Green Flash hazy sour IPA; a beer from Cerebral Brewing; New Image's Paul Pale Ale; and Outer Range in the Deep Steep.
Radcraft, which does public relations for several local breweries, will take over Strange Craft Brewing from 5 to 7 p.m. for a GABF-week kickoff. Also on hand: The inimitable Ed Sealover, journalist and author of two books about Colorado craft breweries. Sealover will be "talking about the craft of writing a beer book — without losing your liver in the process." There will also be a few free samples.
The Rackhouse Pub and Bierstadt Lagerhaus invite you to educate yourself before the debauchery of GABF begins with Beer School Sensory Training. "So when you start dropping knowledge on those GABF first-timers, you actually know what you're talking about," they say. "This is a rare opportunity for the general public to get a professional-level education from the talented Melissa Antone." The class will cover proper tasting techniques, tips and tricks for identifying eight common off-flavors, and their origins in beer. "With a self-quiz at the end, you will be armed with more beer-drinking knowledge than 99 percent of the 40,000 people roaming the convention center halls." Class starts at 7 p.m., and tickets, $25, are available at eventbrite.com.
Banded Oak Brewing will tap Wet Hopped Non-Barrel-Aged Pale Ale, a beer that "is very light in body, with a soft kick of lemon mint and slight grassy notes," the brewery says. The 5.6 percent ABV pale ale was wet-hopped with CTZ, Chinook and Centennial from Hi-Wire Hops.
It's Melvin Monday at Backcountry Pizza in Boulder, which will tap a variety of beers from the irreverent Wyoming brewery at 6 p.m. Backcountry Pizza was the first established beer hub in Boulder to offer Melvin Brewing on tap several years ago.
Denver International Airport brings back Beer Flights for the fifth year in a row. The pop-up craft-beer bar started on September 14 and runs through September 24 to coincide with GABF and worldwide Oktoberfest celebrations. It features some of Colorado’s top microbreweries and brew masters.
Verboten Brewing in Loveland is releasing new beers during the week before GABF, several of which are barrel-aged. They are Cognac Grow Old With You Barleywine (September 17); Bourbon Barrel Aged Pecan Porter (September 18); I Am Brut, Imperial Brut IPA (September 19); and Churro Little Nonsense (September 20).
Tuesday, September 18
"Start your fest week right with a little exercise and Colorado fresh air," says River North Brewery, which will once again follow brewery owner Matt Hess in an attempt to summit Mount Bierstadt, a 14,000-foot peak. Previous GABF-week attempts have been canceled because of bad weather, but "with GABF going down much earlier this year, we may be able to finally make this happen." Hess leaves at 10 a.m., and the crew from River North will carry as much beer as they can. You can enjoy them for free at the top while supplies last.
Finn's Manor kicks off GABF week at 5 p.m. "by providing our patrons with a life choice," the eclectic food and booze court says. "Will you accept hops into your life? How will you accept those hops in your life? Will you choose the turbid path of the rebellion? Or will you choose the lucid road well traveled? Opaque? Vivid? Flocc'd? Un-Flocc'd? Haze? Clear? One thing is for sure: there will be IBUs for All." Haze Versus Clear starts at 5 p.m. and includes IPA makers of the clear variety and the New England-style variety. Clear producers include Beachwood Brewing, Brewery Bhavana, Comrade Brewing, Fremont Brewing, La Cumbre Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers and Trophy Brewing Company. The Hazy producers are Almanac Beer Co., Cerebral Brewing, Civil Society Brewing, Commonwealth Brewing, Finback Brewery, Fort George Brewery, Great Notion Brewing, Modern Times Beer and Outer Range Brewing.
Falling Rock Tap House welcomes the custom VW van from Roadhouse Brewery in Wyoming from 4 to 6 p.m.; the van will be pouring Raspberry Beret Fruited Saison; Tower of the Castle Barrel-Aged Porter; and Family Vacation Crushable Blonde Ale. There will also be beer from New Image Brewing tapped at 5 p.m.
Duvel USA, which owns Boulevard, Brewery Ommegang and Firestone Walker, will tap some special beers at Goed Zuur staring at 6 p.m. They include Boulevard Love Child #s 5-9, Changeling, Saison Brett 2017 and 2018, Collaboration #6, Weldwerks Collaboration; Ommegang — Faith and Fortitude — first bottles available outside of the brewery; and a collection of Firestone Walker beers.
North Carolina's Trophy Brewing will take over the taps at Our Mutual Friend Brewing, where the breweries will also be doing a Keep the Glass event in celebration of GABF week. Beers on tap include Trophy Husband Saison, Trophy Wife Session IPA, Cloud Surfer Modern IPA, and Yacht Rocked Piña Colada Pale Ale.
Cedar Creek Pub in Aurora isn't messing around. They've got a great variety of breweries from TRVE Brewing and friends on tap today for the High Plains Distributing Tap Takeover. Beers on tap include: Buried Sun mixed culture farmhouse ale; Civil Society Brewing Fresh New England IPA; Trophy Brewing Cloud Surfer New England IPA; Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill Cold Pressed IPA; Great Notion Mandela Hazy IPA; Finback Brewery Starship Raspberry Sour; Scratch Brewing Company Turmeric Sour; Rowley Farmhouse Ales Saison du Surlace; Three Taverns Cream Weaver; and J. Wakefield Handshakes from the Fakes Berliner Weisse.
GABF has added a sponsored barrel-aged section this year featuring the seventeen breweries that have teamed up with Jameson Whiskey for its Caskmates program. Freshcraft will get in on the act at 6 p.m. tonight by pouring Caskmates beers from Great Divide, Green Flash and Revolution.
Denver-based photographer Dustin Hall brings the art of photography and brewing together in Discovering Colorado Breweries, a 232-page coffee-table book featuring photographs of over seventy Colorado craft breweries. Hall will be at Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project from 7 to 9 p.m. to sign copies of the book; there will also be a display of his photos.
Before the insanity of GABF sets in, grab some easy-drinking "dad beers" and spirits with booze-industry folks from TRVE Brewing and Ratio Beerworks at the Occidental. The two breweries and the Family Jones have teamed up for "a laid-back night of sessionable barley pops and cocktails" starting around 8 p.m. "Let's crush a few together before GABF crushes our livers and souls," the breweries say.
Wyoming's Melvin Brewing always brings the ruckus.
Melvin Brewing
Falling Rock Tap House will tap beers from Stone Brewing at 3 p.m., followed by Epic Brewing at 4 p.m. Then, at 9 p.m., they will will tap beers from a variety of breweries handled by Crooked Stave Artisans. Then, at 10 p.m., there will be Cellarmaker beers, followed by Jester King at 11 p.m.
Ursula Brewery is hosting a final release of its Crustless Peanut Butter & Jelly Porter — at least under that name. Last month, the Aurora brewery got a cease-and-desist order from Funky Buddha Brewing in Florida, which makes a similar beer called No Crust — which also had trademark protection. Ursula will also be selling the last of the Crustless T-shirts as well as the final printings of the Crustless lunchboxes (very limited quantities on both, so get there early). Oh, and just to troll Funky Buddha a little, Ursula is renaming future versions of the beer to Bully Stole My Lunch. Its imperial version will be called Big Bully Stole My Lunch.
Black Project Wild & Spontaneous Ales will hold an old-fashioned bottle release (meaning, no lottery) at noon for Oxcart Blend B, a three-year blend of 100 percent spontaneously fermented beer. Bottled in February and left to age in the bottle for four to six months as is part of the Methode Traditionnelle guidelines, Oxcart is the brewery's cornerstone, "the beer that is the pinnacle of what we do and why we do it," Black Project says. "We believe in time as an ingredient; it is the reason we exist." There is a limit is three bottles per person.
Freshcraft and Upslope Brewing team up every year during GABF for some sort of beer antics. This time around, Freshcraft will be pouring a collaboration between the two: Brut Rose IPA, along with Beer Frose. Of course there will be plenty of other Upslope beer flowing, including Citra Pale, Pumpkin Ale, Berliner Weisse w/Guava & Dragon Fruit & Galaxy DDH Experimental IPA. The tappings start at 7 p.m.
Tap Fourteen Ballpark hosts a 4 p.m. tap takeover for seventeen Fort Collins breweries. Many of these breweries don't distribute much to Denver, so this may be your only chance to drink their beer in the Mile High City. They will mostly be pouring their GABF competition entry beers. Meet some brewers, get some swag, and drink some of the best beers Fort Collins has to offer. Breweries include Black Bottle Brewery, C.B. & Potts, CooperSmith's, Equinox, Funkwerks, Gilded Goat, Horse & Dragon, Intersect Brewing, Jessup Farm Barrel House, Maxline Brewing, McClellan's Brewing Company, New Belgium, Odell, Red Truck Beer Company, Snowbank Brewing, Soul Squared and Zwei Brewing.
Roadhouse Brewing co-founder Gavin Fine, who is also a chef, will join Euclid Hall’s chef Sarah Cloyd for a beer pairing dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Roadhouse, out of Wyoming, will be pouring Mountain Jam Vol. 1, Hazy IPA; Siren's Seduction Barrel-Aged Belgium Strong; Tower of The Castle Barrel-Aged Porter; Sacred Brett Barrel-Aged Fruited Brett Saison; and Family Vacation Crushable Blonde Ale.
Join Ale House at Amato's for its Third Annual CAN-WOOD Derby and exclusive GABF beer tastings (available only at the Ale House). Things kick off at 4 p.m. with happy hour, followed by the racer checkin at 5 p.m. Engines start revving at 6 p.m., and its mayhem after that. There will be prizes and brew swag throughout the night. Go to Ale House's Facebook page for details on how to register.
Hops & Pie will tap a variety of beers from the breweries that are distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans. Details on the breweries and the beers are TBA.
Star Bar will bring a variety of breweries today for special events. Boulevard Brewing will be on hand from 3 to 6 p.m., along with Duvel and Brewery Ommegang, which are all owned by Duvel Moortgat USA. Beer will include: Boulevard/Weldwerks collaboration, Berliner Weisse, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Saison Brett, Love Child No. 9, Duvel Single Fermented, and more. Then, San Diego's Modern Times hosts a tap takeover at Star Bar from 4 to 11 p.m., where you can meet the crew from the brewery and try a bunch of their beers.
At 5 p.m., Goed Zuur presents beers from members of the Sour and Wild Ale Guild (SWAG), a recently-formed group that "exists to promote the brewing, fermentation, and drinking of sour and wild beer." The breweries are Atom Brewing, Breakside Brewing, Central State Brewing, Jester King, The Rare Barrel, Urban Artifact and Yazoo. "With a focus on education and dialogue, SWAG is committed to promoting quality and integrity, and providing guidelines for best practices and nomenclature. SWAG also serves as a forum for the community of brewers and drinkers of sour beer to innovate, discover, and share knowledge, all in the service of ensuring that these beers continue to thrive," SWAG says.
Dunbar Kitchen and Tap House brings in two breweries from San Diego from 6 to 9 p.m. They'll be pouring Alesmith .394 Pale Ale, Alesmith Speedway Stout with Vietnamese Coffee, and Modern Times Fortunate Islands Tropical Pale Ale. Brewery reps will be on hand as well.
Walter's 303 Pizzeria & Publik House will tap Weldwerks Quad Dry Hopped Juicy Bits, along with three beers from Odd13 Brewing: Stanky Cape Double IPA, Hop Hearted Hanna, and Electric Siren.
Although Cerebral Brewing is known mostly for its New England-style IPAs, saisons have always been one of the brewery's biggest passion projects. As such, Cerebral says it is "excited to share with you the next evolution in our interpretation of saison. Deep Thought and Tulpamancer share a culture of wild yeast and bacteria that we've spent the better part of two years fine tuning. We've been sitting on these beers for quite some time and we're incredibly happy to be able to release them." The first beer is Deep Thought, a 7.2 percent ABV, four-grain saison composed of pilsner, wheat, oats and rye. Hopped in the whirlpool with Cascade and Hallertau Blanc then ripened in second use Chardonnay barrels for ten months and gently dry hopped with Hallertau Blanc, the beer will be available in bottles and on draft. The second beer, Tulpamancer, is a 6.8 percent ABV saison brewed with 70 percent oats (in three different varieties). Hopped in the whirlpool with Callista then ripened in oak for 10 months, the beer will also be in bottles. Ninja Ramen Mobile will be out front starting at 2 p.m.
Novel Strand Brewing, which is now open in Wednesdays going forward, will release two different hoppy beers in cans starting at 3 p.m. The first is Alpha-Beta Soup, a 7.2 percent ABV strong hoppy beer featuring Apollo, Citra, Galaxy, Summer, and Vic Secret. This beer is not on tap. The second beer, Queen of Everything, was hopped exclusively with African Queen, a rare varietal from South Africa. "AB-Inbev tried to keep the ENTIRE YEAR's crop to themselves, but we don't like to take 'no' for an answer, so we managed to get our hands on some of these anyway," Novel Strand says. This beer will be on tap as well.
Fiction Beer Company, meanwhile, will have a whopping six different New England-style IPAs on tap starting at 2 p.m. They are: The Recurrence, which was quadruple dry-hopped with Enigma, Citra and Cryo Mosiac; HAL, a recent hit that was made with Galaxy, Medusa and Lemon Drop hops; Madame Psychosis, which was brewed with Mosiac, Citra, and Idaho 7; Double Dry Hopped Logic is Relative, made with Citra and Summer hops; Magic Wallet Passionfruit Milkshake; and Makin' Noise Calypso.
River North Brewery hosts the second installment in its series of taproom-only hazy can releases at 3 p.m. The beer is Quadruple Dry-Hopped Mountain Haze, which will be on draft and in six packs to go.
The last couple of years have been pretty radical in the GABF medal department for CO-Brew, Baere, and Our Mutual Friend. Baere won bronze in the 2016 Classic Saison category, while CO-Brew won bronze in the 2017 Specialty Saison category, and OMF won silver in the Brett Beer category for Saison Trystero. From these wins and a friendship between the three breweries came the Alloy project. "CO-Brew hosted OMF and Baere to brew our medal winning saisons all at the same time," CO-Brew explains. "Then after primary fermentation was complete, the beers were blended into Chardonnay barrels for aging.The result is a ridiculously complex mixed-culture blended saison that showcases each breweries house cultures and methodology."
Woods Boss Brewing hosts a Peach Party starting at noon. It will be tapping the Peach Oswald NEIPA; Peach Camp Sweep Cream Ale; and Peach Fruity Flash Kettle Sour. All were made with Palisade peaches.
Josh Noel, Chicago beer journalist and author, will appear at Epic Brewing at 6:30 p.m. to talk about his new book, "Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out," which talks about the history of Goose Island Brewing, its sale to Anheuser Busch InBev and craft-beer industry.
If you want to make the trip to Greeley during GABF week, this would be a good day to do it. Weldwerks Brewing says it has some extra-special releases planned for today, including several new beers in bottles (including Medianoche) and four-packs, "plus some draft-only surprises." Even better, Weldwerks says it "should have plenty of the new releases to last almost all day on Wednesday (including Medianoche bottles), if not longer. So no need to wait in line before we open, we promise."
Renegade Brewing will post up at The Corner Office — just down the street from the Colorado Convention Center — through Saturday. This partnership includes a throwback Thursday party, a meet the brewer event, food pairings and live music. In addition to the brewery's staples, beers on tap include: Simone, a French-style Rosé Saison that will be canned and available in stores following GABF; Envy, a slightly-hazy, ultra-dry Brut IPA that has a crisp hop flavor and aroma; BA Berbere, Renegade's Imperial chocolate stout with Ethiopian curry that was aged in Laws Whiskey Barrels; Hazeberry, a hazy IPA that uses Belma hops and will be released in limited edition sixteen-ounce cans following GABF; and 5:00 in Bangkok, a lemongrass and ginger version of the brewery's 5:00 Afternoon Ale.
Hearth & Dram is teaming up with San Diego’s Green Flash Brewing for a pairing dinner curated by executive chef Adam Vero at 6:30 p.m. For $49, guests get a four-course dinner, paired with five types of Green Flash’s brew. Pairings include: bay scallop poke with charred pineapple agro-dolce, paired with Passionfruit Kicker, and wild mushroom ragu with crispy sourdough, paired with Remix IPA. Tickets must be pre-purchased, and reservations can be made by calling 303-623-0979.
Alpine Dog Brewing is bringing back Liquid Pancakes Maple Infused Red Ale for a quick GABF week kickoff appearance. It goes on tap at 6 p.m.
Comrade Brewing taps Brut Force Brut IPA at noon. At 7.8 percent ABV, it was brewed with Hallertauer Blanc hops and Root Shoot Genie Pale malt grown and malted in Loveland. "Like the champagne of beers, it is bone dry with notes of pineapple and white grape," the brewery says.
Boulevard Brewing and Ommegang, both owned by Duvel USA, may not be pouring at GABF, but they are certainly in Denver, pouring at a variety of venues this week, including Star Bar, starting at 3 p.m. Beers on tap include the Boulevard/Weldwerks collab, Love Child #9, Saison Brett, Bourbon Barrel Quad, Berliner Weiss, Duvel Single Fermented Draft, and many from Brewery Ommegang.
Westfax Brewing in Lakewood is releasing Crowlers of its Crested Brut, a fresh-hopped brut IPA made with all-Colorado ingredients. There are only one hundred available. It will also be on draft. The Barnyard food truck will be on hand from 4 to 8 p.m.
Odd13 Brewing in Lafayette is releasing new beers to celebrate GABF week. The first is Chainsaw Princess of Karate V2.0, a sour smoothie IPA. This is a collaboration with Big Choice Brewing. "Each brewery puts its own twist on the beer. This year, we doubled the fruit and included Citra hops, lactose, and vanilla for a smoothie-like experience," says Odd13, which is donating $1 for every beer sold to Hope Lives, a local breast cancer non-profit, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The second beer is Hop Hearted Hanna Double IPA, which was built around Vic's secret, Citra, and Idaho 7 hops. "Wheat and honey malt contribute to a rounded, soft malt profile and mouthfeel," the brewery says.
Avanti Food & Beverage hosts a GABF Kick-Off Party from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring four local breweries, Ratio Beerworks, Outer Range, New Image and Elevation. Tasting stations will be set up throughout the building serving up mainstay brews and new releases. Meet the brewers and learn about the beer and breweries.
Cedar Creek Pub in Aurora hosts a GABF tapping featuring beers from Rhinegeist, Arizona Wilderness, MadTree Brewing, Old Nation Brewing, Brewery Bhavana, and Scratch. The list is subject to change.
Loveland's Verboten Brewing takes over the taps at Tap Fourteen Uptown at 4 p.m. with five beers, including its 2016 GABF medal-winning imperial oatmeal stout aged in bourbon barrels, Little Nonsense. Come hang with the Verboten crew; there will be swag and you can meet co-owner/head brewer Josh Grenz!
Rowley Farmhouse Ales, an under-the-radar star from Santa Fe, hosts a funky and sour beer tap takeover at the Crafty Fox. It features Paradox Beer Company and other friends.
Falling Rock Tap House and Melvin Brewing will once again host an insane All-Star IPA Throwdown, featuring some of the best IPAs from around the country, starting at 9:30 p.m. That breweries include: 3 Floyds Brewpub, The Alchemist, Beachwood Brewing, Bosque Brewing, Cannonball Creek, Creature Comforts, Fieldwork Brewing, Forbidden Root, Great Notion, Hubbard Brewing, Kane Brewing, La Cumbre Brewing, Moonraker Brewing, Narrow Gauge Brewing, Old Nation Brewing, Pinthouse Pizza, Revision Brewing, Rhinegeist, Singlecut Beersmiths, Springdale Beer, The Answer Brewpub, and Melvin. "This is not a competition, it’s just a good excuse for beer enthusiasts to drink some limited edition IPAs from the most sought-after breweries in the country; 22 beers enter, and hopefully, 0 beers leave," Melvin says. Tickets are $40 at the doors and they get you six pours and a glass. And then after the Throwdown....
...Wyoming's Melvin Brewing never fails to bring the ruckus (last year, it was a bus inside the Colorado Convention Center, along with professional wrestler Hacksaw Jim Duggan and a live band driving around the outside). This time around, the brewery is presenting Raekwon, GZA, Killah Priest, Young Dirty, DJ Chonz and E-Turn at the Summit Music Hall, right across from Falling Rock Tap House, where Melvin is also hosting its third annual IPA Throwdown that night. "Come experience hip-hop and independent beer in their purest forms, with the Shaolin masters of Wu Tang on the mic and ten Melvin beers to assault your senses. Don't hate, party," the brewery says. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $36 and available at Ticketfly.com.
Thursday, September 20
Sonoma County takes over the Crafty Fox tonight when Bear Republic Brewing lines up friends from Third Street Aleworks, Fogbelt, Cooperage, Henhouse, and Russian River Brewing.
Hops & Pie will break open several beers from Casey Brewing & Blending in Glenwood Springs. The beers are Casey Family Preserves: Apricot, Cherry East Bank, Blackberry East Bank, Oak Theory, Funky Blender, Saison, Blackberry Fruit Stand, Nectarine Fruit Stand, Casey Family Preserves: Nectarine, Peach Fruit Stand, The Cut: Plum, The Mix: Nectarine Bank, Apricot Fruit Stand and many more.
Freshcraft pours beers from Boulevard and Weldwerks starting at 3 p.m., including a collab between the two,
an Imperial Brut IPA only available on draft at Weldwerks as well as a Hazy IPA brewed in collaboration at Boulevard. Boulevard will also have Rye on Rye on Rye on Rye and Tank 7 and Weldwerks will have specialty items as well. Freshcraft then hosts its annual Spirit Animal tapping with Telluride Brewing and Ska Brewing at 10 p.m. This collaboration between Freshcraft and the two breweries is a Gin & Juice-inspired beer called Laid Back; it was made on Ska's Mod Project system. In addition to the collaboration beer, Freshcraft will be pouring Ska Rue B. SoHo, Ska Oktoberfest, Ska Face Barleywine, Telluride Russell Kelly Pale Ale, Telluride Greensky American Lager, and Telluride Tripel Cork.
Join Cerebral Brewing for its third annual All The Hops event during GABF week. Starting a noon, the brewery will release five different hoppy beers in cans, along with a limited-edition All The Hops glass. The beers are: Rare Trait IPA; Cheat Code DDH DIPA; DDH Remote Island DIPA; Bird of Paradise Smoothie Sour with passion fruit and raspberry; and Citra Dry-Hopped International Waters Hoppy Pilsner. These beers will also be on tap, along with Burner Phone DIPA, Secret Chat Room IPA, Double DDH Rare Trait; and Passion Fruit Stuff IPA with passion fruit and lactose. The Budlong Hot Chicken will be out front starting at 2 p.m.
Bruz Beers will throw a special Old World vs. New World event from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at its taproom. "We have prepared a very special menu with our friends at Merchant Du Vin, to bring some beers from the motherland (Belgium) to taste alongside our Colorado crafted Belgian-style beers," Bruz says. The tasting includes two flights of five beers each (some very rare). The Old World Beers are Du Bocq Saison 1858, Westmalle Trappist Tripel, Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Trappistes Rochefort 10, and Orval Oude Valor. The New World Beers, all from Bruz, are Bruz Beers Saison, Talus Tripel, Gargoyle Dubbel, King Quadrupel, and Bruz Specialty Ale. Cheese will be served on the side and "we will walk you through the history and style of each Belgian beer. The tasting is $30 and space is limited. More info about this event and all of the brewrey's week-long special GABF events can be found at www.bruzbeers.com/events.
Three Floyds Day returns to Lowdown Brewery + Kitchen. It's one of the only times and places in Colorado where you can try beers from this world-renowned Indiana brewery. There will be six beers on tap, along with a lineup of Lowdown's own classics.
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project taps several variants of its Mama Bear's Sour Cherry Pie Harvest, along with this year's new release. The variants include the 2016 and 2017 versions, a double bourbon barrel aged version from 2016, and a Woodford Reserve Rye barrel aged version from 2017. Try a flight of all of these plus several more for $30. There will also be bottles of some of them available for purchase to go.
Falling Rock Tap House will showcase beers from Deschutes at noon, followed by Boulder Beer at 1 p.m., Renegade Brewing at 2 p.m. (Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Sister Cities Saison done in collaboration with Brasserie du Baril in Brest, France), and Rogue Brewing at 3 p.m. Then, after the GABF session, it will turn over the parking lot — and the sound system — to TRVE Brewing and J. Wakefield. That will be followed by Full Sail Brewing (the debut of Atomizer IPA and Pale Ale) at 10 p.m., and Upland Brewing at 11 p.m.
Bierstadt Lagerhaus will tap Jackrabbit Parole, a collaborative malt liquor that it brewed with Sun King Brewing, as part of the Indiana brewery's small batch series. Jackrabbit Parole is a tasty potato malt liquor. Come guzzle some down as they tap this beauty along with Sun King's Grapefruit Jungle and Cherry Busey. The brewers will also be on hand.
Improper City hosts a tap takeover at 7 p.m. by Outer Range Brewing and some of its favorite IPA makers in the country. The lineup includes: Alvarado Street, Aslin, Cellarmaker, Interboro and Outer Range.
Fifteen breweries from the Windy City will gather at the RiNo Beer Garden for Chicago Meets Denver 2018, a one-of-a-kind tap takeover starting at 5 p.m. Forbidden Root Brewing co-hosts the event, which also features beers from Mikerphone, Maplewood, 3 Floyds, Smylie Brothers, Revolution, On Tour, Marz, Pollyanna, Temperance, Corridor, Hopewell, Begyle, Illuminated, and Half Acre. "In addition to some award-winning and rare brews, catch the limited return of Fernetic, Brewbound's 2017 Collaboration of the Year made by Forbidden Root and the good people of Fernet Branca," organizers say.
"The Gods have bestowed upon us their finest gifts of ale via our most affable friend, Gambrinus," says Finn's Manor, which hosts Joie de Vivre - Drop the pH at 8 p.m. That's when Finn's will turn over its beer faucets to some of the best wild ale makers around. Breweries on hand include Casey Brewing & Blending, Jester King Brewery, The Rare Barrel, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales and Side Project Brewing.
Euclid Hall will feature sour beers all day from New Belgium, Russian River, Rare Barrel and Crooked Stave. There will be one tapping, of eleven beers at 11:30 a.m., and another tapping or eleven beers at 5 p.m.
Come taste California's finest sour and wild ales at Goed Zuur at 5 p.m. There will be beers from Almanac, Beachwood Brewing, Cellarmaker, High Water Brewing, Russian River, Firestone Walker, Modern Times, the Rare Barrel, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales and Stone. The kitchen will be preparing a range of seafood dishes to pair, and DJ Skip Rip will be spinning California hip-hop and rap from the past three decades.
Westfax Brewing releases 125 bottles of its Concussion Protocol Barrel Aged Belgian Quad. It will also tap Urban Lumber-berry Fruited Hazy IPA and MoonPie Imperial Blonde Ale.
It gives Call to Arms Brewing "supreme joy and pleasure to announce the third annual F@#*ing Call to Arms Catalina Wine Mixer, which runs from noon to 10 p.m. "This joyous occasion brings back all the wine and port barrel-aged beers we created over the past year, in addition to some new ones and even a few special guest taps," the brewery says. Beers on tap include: Beautiful Impression Oak Fermented Brett Farmhouse Ale; Lychee Sour Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Sour Ale; Majestic Wolf Lamp Oak-Aged Blended Belgian Sour with Blackcurrants; Old Old Wooden Ship Port Barrel-Aged Sour Saison with Guava & Tart Cherries; Still Gleekin' Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel-Aged Sour Ale; and Costermonger Oak-Fermented Tart Apple Ale. There will also be guest taps with barrel-aged beers from TRVE Brewing, Cellar West Artisan Ales and Westbound & Down Brewing. There is a very limited supply of all beers. They will all be tapped at noon.
First Draft Taproom hosts the GABF Lager Party starting at 7 p.m. You'll find craft lagers and other specialties from Rhinegeist and Wiseacre, along with some other goodies of both the ale and lager variety. Breweries include: Creature Comforts, Green Bench, Half Acre, Modern Times, Perennial, Second Shift, Sun King, Three Floyds, and Union.
Woods Boss Brewing — just a few blocks from the convention center — will tap Baggage Car Buddies Baltic Porter, a 9 percent ABV collaboration with SquarePeg Brewerks and Florence Brewing. There will be music from David Henning Acoustic, and a free brewery bus loop going between Woods Boss, Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, the Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project, Baere Brewing and Spangalang Brewing.
Cheba Hut on Champa Street will tap three beers from Longmont's Wibby Brewing at 10 p.m. They are Wibtoberfest, Copacabana Bock, and Lightshine Radler.
Join Epic Brewing for its 6th Annual Fifty Firkin Fiasco, an unusual fiesta at which guests can wander through the large brewery grounds and sample fifty unique, and sometimes crazy, firkins of beer. "Be a part of history, be a part of the fun and chaos of this popular event," Epic says. Tickets are $30 through August 23 (and include a free T-shirt); after that, they're $40 in advance and $45 at the door. The price includes unlimited sampling from 7 p.m. to midnight. Food and souvenir T-shirts are sold separately.
Avanti Food & Beverage hosts a Late Night Karaoke Happy Hour with Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione. They will be serving bombers of special Dogfish Head brews to fuel the fun. Have a beer with Sam and sign your favorite tune from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Moxy Denver Cherry Creek host a GABF Kick Off Party with Pug Ryan's Brewing from 4 to 8 p.m. Beers on tap include Brut IPA, Pug Ryan's Pilsner, and Morning Wood Wheat. There will also be cans of Cream Ale and Dunkel. Enjoy special prices on beers and free swag in the dog friendly Cherry Creek Beer Garden.
Josh Noel, Chicago beer journalist and author, will appear at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins at 1 p.m. to talk about his new book, "Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out," which talks about the history of Goose Island Brewing, its sale to Anheuser Busch InBev and craft-beer industry.
Every year, Renegade Brewing releases a pumpkin beer honoring a track on the Smashing Pumpkins album "Siamese Dream." This year, the brewery has moved up the date to coincide with GABF and with Renegade's monthly Beers + Banned Books event. The beer, called Soma, "combines a red base beer and a black base beer each fermented in a bourbon cask and re-wetted with Writers Tears Whiskey. Pumpkin spice tea is added to the barrel and each is brewed with different gravities and then served as one so the black beer is floating on the red," Renegade says. Anyone that purchases a full pour of our Soma release, will receive a worn copy of Brave New World to keep. The beer goes on at 5 p.m.
Hop Alley welcomes Creature Comforts Brewing, the well-respected Georgia beer maker, along with TRVE Brewing and Chef Jeffery Wall for a GABF afterparty from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Drink some great beers not available in Colorado, slurp Hama Hama oysters and smash Sichuan fried chicken sandwiches. Tickets, $42 each, include three beers, food, tax and gratuity. They're available at eventbrite.com.
New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins is hosting a special behind-the-scenes GABF-related tour at 11:30 a.m. today and another tomorrow at the same time. For $10, you get a two-hour tour and access to exclusive samples along the way. The tour concludes in New Belgium's Liquid Center tasting room, where you can enjoy live music, local food trucks and New Belgium’s GABF entry beers, along with other specialty libations on draft.
TRVE Brewing and Ratio Beerworks head to the hi-dive for a GABF kickoff party at 8 p.m. There will be live music from Echo Beds, Space In Time, SLYNGER and The Corner Girls, along with specialty brews from TRVE, Ratio Beerworks, Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company, and Breakside Brewery.
Funkwerks, along with Brooklyn Brewery and 21st Amendment Brewery will host GABF Opening Night Party with The Mighty Pines, a rock roots band, at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox. The three breweries share some ownership and a sales force. There will be some special beers from all three. Music starts at 9:30 p.m.
If you missed last year's GABF insanity with Hacksaw Jim Duggan at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, then "shame, shame, shame," says the brewery. But you can redeem yourself this time around and "show the world that you don't just drink beer alone in your mother's basement" by attending another Rocky Mountain Pro wresting match hosted by Bierstadt Lagerhaus and Melvin Brewing — this one with former WWE special guest Al Snow.
The 37th edition of the Great American Beer Festival begins today at 5:30 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center. Tickets were $85 but can be found on after-market sites for a variety of prices. This is the main event, the mecca, the bucket-list attraction — with thousands of beers from more than 800 breweries.
Friday, September 21
Pulled from the brite tank, packaged, delivered, tapped, and consumed all within a few hours, it doesn't get much fresher than Station 26 Brewing's Same Day IPA. For the second year in a row, the brewery will roll out kegs of this beer, starting in the early morning, to accounts across the Denver. One part gimmick, one part awesome, Same Day IPA is a west coast IPA with Citra and Galaxy hops. Some of the accounts include Cheba Hut Denver at 10 a.m.; Falling Rock Tap House at 11 a.m.; First Draft Taproom & Kitchen at 11 a.m.; School House Kitchen and Libations at 11 a.m.; Tap Fourteen Ballpark at noon; Stout Street Social at 2 p.m.; Tap Fourteen Uptown at 2 p.m.; Citizen Rail at 2:30 p.m.; Federal Bar & Grill at 3 p.m.; Stanley Beer Hall at 5 p.m. and Freshcraft at 10 p.m. Other locations where you can find Same Day IPA include: Highland Tap & Burger, Sloan's Lake Tap and Burger, Ale House, Cherry Cricket Ballpark, Dunbar Kitchen & Tap House, Mellow Mushroom, Lucky Pie Lodo, Larimer Beer Hall, Fire on the Mountain, Terminal Bar, Backcountry Pizza.
The Crafty Fox hosts a tap takeover, from noon to 4 p.m., by Outer Range Brewing and some of the other up-and-coming stars of the industry, including Aslin, Rare Barrel, Casita Cerveceria, Cellarmaker, Interboro, Resident Culture, Mikerphone, Wren House, Cerebral, Odd13, Casey Brewing, Idlewylde, Civil Society, Bearded Iris, Highland Park Brewery, Seven Stills, Weldwerks, New Image. Outer Range will also release two cans next door at Bogey's liquor store: Slush DDH Galaxy and In the Steep DDH Nelson.
Falling Rock Tap House begins the day with its annual Sierra Nevada Brewing Kill-A-Keg event at noon. After that, there's beers from Boulevard and Ommegang at 1 p.m., Green Flash and Alpine at 2 p.m., and Destihl at 3 p.m. Then, after the GABF session, Dogfish Head will take over the Falling Rock parking lot at 9:30 p.m. for a mini Bitch’s Brew Beer and Music Fest. It will feature oak-aged Bitch’s Brew and eight other Dogfish Head Beers, while the Miles Davis album plays, and there will be a special appearance by the one and only Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head. After that, you'll find beers from Ecliptic at 10 p.m. and Bells at 11 p.m.
Freshcraft taps beers from Odell and Left Hand at 3:30 p.m., and then, after the GABF session, head back for the Heroes of Craft Beer GABF After Party & Costume Contest with Station 26 Brewing, River North Brewery and Stone Brewing at 10 p.m.
Hops & Pie will tap rare and special beers from breweries in California, including Cellarmaker, Fieldwork Brewing, Moksa Brewing, The Rare Barrel, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, and Alvarado Street Brewing.
Walter's 303 Pizzeria & Publik House will tap Modern Times Bourbon Barrel Aged Devil's Teeth with coffee. It will also tap Station 26 Same Day IPA at 8 p.m.
Black Project Wild & Spontaneous Ales has two pins (4.5-gallon kegs) of 2018 Stargate: Peach. One has Glo Haven peaches while the other has Red Haven Peaches. Get there early if you want to try it. Black Project opens at noon. The brewery has also been filling magnum bottles (1.5 liters) with some of its most special blends for the past eight months, and it's finally time to sell them. Magnum pricing varies and there is a strict limit of one magnum per person, per credit card for the day. Inventory extremely limited.
Finn's Manor brings together like-minded wineries and breweries for Like Minded, a gathering of those who draw inspiration from the other side of the industry. Starting at 2 p.m., Finn's will celebrate the similarities that inspire producers to push traditional boundaries in wine and beer production. Wineries on hand include: Scarpetta Wine and Union Wine Company. The breweries are: Blackberry Farm, Jester King, Other Half, Our Mutual Friend, Outer Range, Trillium and TRVE.
There will be a lager tap takeover from 1 to 5 p.m. at Star Bar. Breweries and details are TBA, but Modern Times will be there for sure.
Wynkoop Brewing will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary at 7 p.m. by tapping a new beer and throwing an '80s-style party with a few other breweries that were founded in the same year — way back in 1988. It will be "a totally rad occasion ... with brews from fellow 1988 classmates including Deschutes Brewery, Goose Island and North Coast Brewing to name a few," the Wynkoop says. "Guests are encouraged to rock their favorite '80s gear, so extra credit for anyone in legwarmers, shoulder pads and Hammer pants. Sip and reminisce with Denver’s best '80s band who will be providing a soundtrack for the special b-day bash." The beer is an imperial pilsner that will "pay homage to the great lineage of Wynkoop Brewers who have shaped the craft beer scene we enjoy today." The party is free, but you can RSVP on the Wynkoop's Facebook page.
Black Shirt Brewing is firing on all taps during GABF weeks and bringing in some brewery friends to celebrate "one of the most fantastic hops on the planet, Citra," the brewery says. CITRAfest, starting at 6 p.m., will feature eight Citra-forward beers from both local and national breweries. And it won't just be IPAs. The guest beers include Four Noses Pineapple Velvet Milkshake IPA; Wiley Roots Citra Dry-hopped Kolsch; Melvin Citradamus; Oakshire Citrafonix (made with grapefruit, lime juice and citrus peel); Pure Project Murklands Pale; Baere Brewing Citra dry-hopped Table Sour, and Outer Range In the Steep IPA (all Citra). "Kick off GABF weekend right and join us in the beer garden as we explore how this remarkable hop is used in a variety of styles."
First Draft Taproom & Kitchen hosts the breweries distributed locally by CSA Distributing. At noon, they'll be tapping some run and rare stuff from Three Floyds, The Answer, Fremont, Almanac, Beachwood BBQ, Crooked Stave, La Cumbre, Two Roads, Perennial, Creature Comforts, Jester King, Narrow Gauge, Moksa, Madtree, Revision, and The Rare Barrel.
Rhein Haus in LoDo is hosting Colorado’s hazy IPA darling, Outer Range Brewing, from 3 to 5 p.m. for a tap takeover. Outer Range will be pouring on five different taps and the Frisco brewery will be giving away swag.
Need a good pre-party spot before hitting the fest? Head to El Camino Community Tavern is West Highland for a taco party featuring beers from TRVE Brewing, Ratio Brewing and some of their buds at Neshaminy Creek Brewing,Fremont Brewing, Rhinegeist, Commonwealth Brewing, Cerebral and 4 Noses. The party features $2 tacos and it runs from 3 to 7 p.m.
Woods Boss Brewing taps Rum Barrel Aged Form and Function, a 14.3 percent ABV Belgian quad. There will also be an open house with American Brewing Equipment (ABE) along with music, tours and food.
Cerveceria Colorado, the new beer project from Denver Beer Co, will host the Great Mexican Beer Fiesta with a block party featuring Lucha Libre, chihuahuas and lots of beers that DBC brewed in collaboration with breweries in Mexico, some of whom will have representatives in attendance. They include: Maracuya Sun Passion Fruit IPA, a collaboration with La Bru in Morelia; El Popo Tequila Barrel Aged Smoked Saison, brewed with Cerveceria Escollo in Mexico City; Tamarind Guava Sour, brewed in collaboration with Cerveceria Caserio in Tampico; Nopalito Wheat Beer, done with Cirquera in Queretaro; and several more. The Lucha Libre matches start at 5 p.m. There will be a chihuahua races and fashion show, live art from Armando Silva, live music, food trucks, tres leches cakes and games. Some of the money will be donated to Museo de las Americas, Casa De Paz and Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.
Goed Zuur hosts a beer dinner with Casey Brewing & Blending, pFriem Family Brewers, The Rare Barrel, and Scratch Brewing Company. This evening will include six courses paired alongside twelve beers. Tickets, $126, are available at eventbrite. There will be seatings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Euclid Hall will tap eleven beers from its cellar collection at 11:30 a.m. Then, at 5 p.m., it will tap eight beer from Creature Comforts Brewing.
Oskar Blues and its parent company, Canarchy, will host a party featuring all of the breweries it owns at the Oskar Blues-owned Black Buzzard underneath its downtown Denver location. Denver band Slim Cessna’s Auto Club will be playing, and there will tons of beers on tap from the Canarchy breweries, which include Three Weavers and Deep Ellum (this is the only place in Colorado to try them), Oskar Blues, Perrin Brewing, Wasatch Brewery, Squatters Craft Beers, and Cigar City.
Because GABF is three weeks earlier than usual this year, it falls during the same weekend as Denver Oktoberfest, which is in its 49th year. The event, which actually runs for two weekends, September 21-23 and September 28-30, typically attracts 35,000 people; it takes place on Larimer Street between 20th and 22nd streets. As always, there will be stein-hoisting, live music, keg bowling, a brat-eating competition, food, lots of beer (Spaten, Stella Cidre, Franziskaner, and Breckenridge Brewery and 10 Barrel, which are both owned by AB InBev, the makers of Budweiser), costumers and much more. Get more info on the event website.
Two Florida breweries, The Tank Brewing out of Miami and Oskar Blues-owned Cigar City Brewing, from Tampa, are teaming up to host Suds & Stogies, a GABF after-party at Tap Fourteen Ballpark. They'll be featuring specialty brews, along with cigars from Altadis USA, Rocky Patel, Plasencia, General Cigars, and Smoker Friendly Cigar Shop. Tickets include live music, rooftop views, two Tank beers, two Cigar City beers and four cigars, one from each brand represented. Tickets will be available at the door for $30.
Glassware Matters! That's the name of this vessel-centered event, which takes place at Bierstadt Lagerhaus starting at 9 p.m. "Disciples, unite against the shaker pint," the brewery says. "We here at Bierstadt have big feelings about lager and the acceptable vessels in which we pour it. We have hand selected breweries from across the world whose glassware repertoire is the thing of legend. We will leave the one ounce pours to the Great American Beer Festival. This event is full pours in chalices fit for kings." Breweries on hand, mostly from other countries, include Duvel, Ommegang, Tripel Karmeliet, Delirium, Kwak Beer, and Chouffe. Like Bierstadt, all of them serve beer in their own glassware, most of which you can buy on hand tonight.
Prost Brewing kicks off two weekends worth of Oktoberfest celebrations by tapping its Marzen beer. There will also be live music, German food, contests, and beer games.
Head to Freshcraft after the GABF session for some fun with River North Brewery, Stone Brewing and Station 26 Brewing, all of which will be pouring good stuff. Tappings include: River North Mountain Haze, River North White, Station 26 Juicy Banger, Station 26 Ginger Lime Gose, Station 26 Same Day IPA, Stone Tropic of Thunder, Stone Notorious P.O.G., and Stone Fear.Movie.Lions. There will also be a craft-beer celebrity lookalike contest. "Your heroes (and ours) from the craft beer world will be roaming the streets of Denver during GABF week. Dress up as your favorite one and win prizes from the breweries and Freshcraft! Who knows, some of them are likely to be mingling with us at the bar," Freshcraft says.
Sold Out: The 37th edition of the Great American Beer Festival begins today at 5:30 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center. Tickets were $85 but can be found on after-market sites for a variety of prices. This is the main event, the mecca, the bucket-list attraction — with thousands of beers from more than 800 breweries.
Sold Out: The tenth annual Denver Rare Beer Tasting, hosted by Pints for Prostates, returns to the McNichols Building from 1 to 4 p.m., featuring rare, vintage and exotic beers from sixty of America's leading craft brewers. The event has become one of the marquis showcases of GABF week. General admission tickets are $125, while VIP tix are $175. Admission price includes beer samples, tasting glass, program, T-shirt, buffet lunch, silent auction and the chance to win a beer trip for two.
Saturday, September 22
Head to Comrade Brewing bright and early, at 10 a.m., to watch the live stream of the Great American Beer Festival Awards Ceremony. "Help us cheer on all Colorado breweries in the best and most competitive beer competition of the year," Comrade says. "We will provide the donuts! Yes, free donuts."
Freshcraft hosts the Big Bad Brunch with Epic Brewing this morning, starting at 10 a.m. Several dishes, including mole short ribs and chilaquiles, will be paired with a variety of beers from Epic, including 2017 Big Bad Baptist, Big Bad Baptista, Brainless on Guava, Drama Juice Hazy IPA, and Tart N Juicy Sour IPA. Freshcraft will also be serving Micheladas made with Los Locos. No tickets necessary, no reservations needed.
Denver Beer Co. will help you get your equilibrium back with its annual Brewer's Breakfast from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Tickets, $15, are available at DBC's web site and include a smothered breakfast burrito and a breakfast beer.
Join Troubadour Malting, TRVE Brewing and nine other breweries on the rooftop at MCA Denver for SOWN Together, a beer-tasting event highlighting the goal of "showcasing native ingredients in direct support of local suppliers and producers." The tasting runs from noon to 4 p.m. (at the same time as the afternoon GABF session) and features Goldspot Brewing, Horse & Dragon, Jester King, Kent Falls Brewing, Our Mutual Friend, Oskar Blues, Primitive Beer, Scratch Brewing, Upland Brewing and TRVE. Tickets are $35 (or $30 for MCA members) and are available at eventbrite.com.
Hops & Pie will tap beers from TRVE Brewing and some of its friends around the country, including Central State Brewing, Scratch Brewing. Trophy Brewing, Three Taverns Brewing, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Great Notion Brewing, and Brewery Bhavana.
Star Bar hosts its annual Curiosity Ball from 2 to 11 p.m. featuring a variety of beers from multiple breweries, including Modern Times and Boulevard.
River North Brewery will highlight its full lineup of imperial stouts starting at noon, including a brand new one called Mr. Sandman XO. Aged for 21 months in Utah rye whiskey barrels, the "Extra Old" version will be on tap and available in bottles to go. The brewery will also have the following stouts on tap and in Crowlers to go: 2018 Rum Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman; 2017 Mr. Sandman; Chai Mr. Sandman; 2017 Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman; 2016 Decennial Shadowman; 2017 Vicennial Barrel Aged Shadowman; 2018 Decennial Shadowman; 2016 Avarice; 2017 Fancy Effing Stout; 2017 Single Cask Mr. Sandman Rum Barrel; and Toasted Coconut Mr. Sandman. Boar & Castle Mobile Eatery will be on hand with food.
Join Fiction Beer for the quadruple bottle release of its Malice and Darkness Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout and some of its variants. There's Laws Whiskey Bourbon Single Barrel #663, Laws Rye Whiskey, Cleveland Whiskey Honey Locust Wood, and Coconut Vanilla Laws Whiskey Bourbon. A limited amount will be on tap.
Falling Rock Tap House taps beers from Avery Brewing at 4 p.m., followed by Casey Brewing and Blending at 5 p.m. and Telluride Brewing at 9 p.m. Then, in the parking lot, there will be a sour showcase at 9:30 p.m., with at least twenty beers "ranging from tart to funky to full-on mouth-puckering," Falling Rock says. After that, it's Firestone Walker at 10 p.m. and the traditional New Belgium wrap-up at 11 p.m.
Freshcraft wants you to take a little break in between the two GABF sessions todsay. From 4 to 5:30, it will host the Session Tweener, featuring beer from 4 Noses, Green Flash and Alpine Beer Company. Beers to be tapped include: 4 Noses Bubblin' Brut IPA, 4 Noses Sour Peachapotomus, Green Flash Tropical DNA, Alpine HFS and a 4 Noses/Green Flash collaboration beer.
Head to Adrift Tiki Bar at 10 p.m. for Set Adrift, a night of Tiki-inspired beers from J. Wakefield Brewing, The Veil Brewing, Alvarado St. Brewing, Weldwerks, and Great Notion Brewing.
Wibby Brewing out of Longmont and August Schell Brewing, out of New Ulm, Minnesota will take over the taps at Rhein Haus in LoDo at 3 p.m. The two breweries collaborated on a beer together called Meat & Eggs Maibock. The takeover features that collab, along with two Schell beers. It also includes Wibby's Webtoberfest, Lightshine Helles, Moondoor Dunkel, Lightshine Radler, and Volksbier Vienna.
Smok, the new Kansas City-style barbecue joint inside The Source Hotel will welcome its Kansas City brethren from Boulevard Brewing at 6 p.m. They'll tap Love Child No. 9, Rye on Rye on Rye, Saison Brett, and The Calling Double IPA. There will also be special BBQ food options available for the night.
Euclid Hall hosts an east meets west tapping at 11:30 a.m. featuring eleven beers from Dogfish Head and Stone Brewing. Then at 5 p.m., the restaurant will tap beers from River North and Station 26.
Did you not party enough during GABF week? All right then, Ratio Beerworks is hosting its fourth annual GABF after-party and karaoke night starting around 9 p.m. Join the staff, who will be belting out some of their favorite hits; in fact, if you sign up to sing, you first beer is free. Additionally, Ratio promises that "we'll be tapping some serious heat during the party, to put the kibosh on a massive weekend."
Milk Bar, in the Golden Triangle, hosts an '80s dance party at 9 p.m. with a tap takeover from some of Colorado's best breweries, including Black Project, TRVE, Baere, WeldWerks, Cerebral, Outer Range, Ratio, OMF, Bierstadt, New Image, Call to Arms and River North, There will also be arcade games and skeeball.
The 37th edition of the Great American Beer Festival wraps up today with two separate sessions — the members' session at noon and the general session at 5:30 p.m. — at the Colorado Convention Center. The medals will also be handed out this morning, so there will be drama in the air. Tickets were $85 but can be found on after-market sites for a variety of prices. This is the main event, the mecca, the bucket-list attraction — with thousands of beers from more than 800 breweries.
Sunday, September 23
Cerebral Brewing hosts a recovery brunch this morning featuring a variety of rare breakfast beers on tap, including Bourbon Barrel Aged Work From Home Imperial Stout , brewed with coffee and Vermont maple syrup; Double Maple Work From Home; and Severance Oak Aged Breakfast Sour, a golden sour aged in barrels with blueberries. Double Maple Work From Home will also be available in bottles. The Vegan Van will be out front cooking up some of their best breakfast/brunch items including chicken and waffles and French toast.
Ease back into polite society with a hangover brunch at Ratio Beerworks featuring Denver Vintage Reggae Society, an IV and Oxygen Station from Round 2 Rehydrate.
On the last Sunday of each month, River North Brewery taps new versions of Mountain Haze, showcasing how different hop varietals can change the flavor profile of a New England IPA. As GABF winds down, they brewery will "chill out with Amarillo and Falconer’s Flight versions of Mountain Haze on tap – available on tap and in Crowlers to go when doors open at nooon."
After all the GABF festivities are over, head to Goed Zuur and drink all the remaining sours starting at 11 a.m. The kitchen will be bringing some of its most unique dishes yet, all served by a Dim Sum cart. Live jazz music will accompany the brunch. Make reservations at 720-749-2709.
Drag yourself to Call to Arms Brewing for a Post-GABF Hangover Brunch with hangover-helping food from the Noshery like biscuits and gravy, green chili, bacon, donuts and breakfast burritos.There will be Ballroom Micheladas (with the Noshery's homemade bloody mix), Sweet Bloom Coffee IPA, and Sweet Bloom Coffee Oats and Hose. The brewery will also show the Broncos game.
