Great American Beer Festival

What makes the GABF so “Great”?

luke — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:04:31 +0000

2011 Great American Beer Festival® Winners Announced

Spencer — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:52:55 +0000

248 medals awarded; 18 first-time entering breweries earn medals; Indiana claims winningest entry rate

Boulder, CO • October 1, 2011—The 2011 Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) competition drew an impressive field of competitors, with 2011 topping last year’s entries by 11 percent. GABF remains the largest commercial beer competition in the world, with 3,930 beers vying for medals (compared to 3,523 entries in 2010).

A total of 248 medals were awarded. View the 2011 winners or download a PDF list of the winners.

Competition entries were received from 526 breweries from 48 states plus Puerto Rico.

Read the complete release.

The Great American Beer Festival®—Then and Now

Spencer — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:13:50 +0000

The Great American Beer Festival got its start 30 years ago as just a part of the American Homebrewers Association‘s fourth annual conference. If the name is any indication, however, founder Charlie Papazian had grander ambitions for this remarkable event.

Peruse a copy of the 1982 Program (pdf)—complete with Charlie’s handwritten notes in the margins!

GABF Then and Now

	1982	2011
Hours of Tasting	5 over 1 session	17.5 over 4 sessions
Breweries at the Festival	24	466
Beers at the Festival	47	2,400
Festival Hall Size	5,000 square feet	290,000 square feet
Attendees	800	49,000
Volunteers	~50	~3,300

Familiar beers served in 1982 and still available today

Anchor Steam and Porter
Genesee Cream Ale
Killian’s Irish Red Ale
Leinenkugel’s
Rainier Ale
Rolling Rock
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Stout
Stevens Point Special Lager
Yuengling Premium, Lord Chesterfield Ale and Porter

Small and independent craft breweries that participated in 1982 and are participating in 2011

Anchor Brewing Co.
Boulder Beer Company
F.X. Matt Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Stevens Point Brewery Co.

GABF competition judging history

1987: First judging, 7 judges, 99 beers
2002: 16th judging, 90 judges, 1,863 beers
2011: 25th judging, 169 judges, 3,900+ beers in the competition

Celebrate with us in 2011!

To commemorate this 30-year milestone, there will be a special 1982 pavilion that takes a look back at the original GABF. This area will include 80′s music, breweries from the ’82 event, a photo booth and more.

Wear your finest 80′s costumes to celebrate the occasion!

GABF fan Joey McDaniel created this clever Then and Now infographic. Thanks, Joey!

iPhone App Available

Spencer — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:47:58 +0000

Do iPhones go well with beer? Well, probably not in the literal sense, unless you’re looking for an excuse to upgrade to the latest and greatest gadget. However, if you keep the beer and the electronics away from each other, you’ll find the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) iPhone app to be invaluable.

App Features

Free!
Peruse the list of festival breweries and their beers
Link to brewery locations on Google Maps
Take notes on each beer you sample and star your favorites for future reference
Facebook and tweet from the app
Take a picture of your favorite beer or brewery
Review the 2011 beer style guidelines

More Info

This free app is only available for iPhone via the Apple Store. Be sure to download the latest version (1.1) before GABF!

Food that’s Fast

Spencer — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 21:50:47 +0000

The food trucks have arrived! In addition to the food in the hall at GABF, some of Denver’s premier mobile eateries have arrived to help feed the 49,000 hungry beer enthusiasts over the weekend. Check out the schedule, and don’t go spoiling your dinner before you show up!

Thursday, Sept 29 (3:30 pm-10:00 pm)

Pinche Tacos – Tacos
Stick It To Me – Food on a Skewer
The Denver Cupcake Truck – Cupcakes

Friday, Sept 30 (3:30 pm-10:00 pm)

Route 40 Argentinean Grille — Empanadas
Mikes 2 Kitchen – Po’ Boys/Tacos
The Tasterie Truck – Soft Pretzels, Paninis
Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl – Chili Bowls

Saturday, Oct 1 (10:00 am-10:00 pm)

Mythos Greek Food – Greek
The Crock Spot – Variety of Bowls
The Uber Sausage – Sausage Sandwiches
The Bon Bon Buggy – Chocolate

Note: There is a no re-entry policy at all sessions of the Great American Beer Festival.