2011 Great American Beer Festival
Facts & Figures
September 29-October 1, 2011 • Colorado Convention Center • Denver, Colorado
Note: The Great American Beer Festival includes both a public tasting and a private judging event.
Great American Beer Festival Overview
- 30th annual festival.
- 2011 festival sold out in one week.
- 2,375 beers will be in the festival hall—the biggest selection of American beers ever served.
- More than 36,000 gallons of beer.
- 49,000 attendees expected (includes ticketed attendees, brewers, judges, volunteers and journalists).
- 466 U.S. breweries serving in the festival hall.
New This Year
A special pavilion taking attendees back 30 years to the first Great American Beer Festival, complete with photos, a representation of the beers and breweries from the 1982 event, fun facts and more!- Farm to Table Pavilion featuring all new beer and food pairings with beers from a fresh slate of craft brewers. The members-only Farm to Table ticket includes four-ounce pours, small plates of a variety of fresh and local food items selected to pair with the beers. Additional ticket required.
- All new presentations in the Beer and Food Pavilion and Brewers Studio.
New competition categories include:
- Fruit Wheat Beer—The soft sweetness of a wheat beer is taken to a new level when combined with the complex flavors of fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries and more.
- Chocolate Beer—Once part of the Herb and Spice Beer category, this bold, flavorful beer is a delight for beer and chocolate lovers alike.
- American-Style Brett Ale—These tart beers are increasingly found in many craft brewers’ line-ups, giving beer enthusiasts a funky, complex beer that challenges perception of how beer can taste as the result of a wild yeast known as brettanomyces.
- International-Style Pale Ale—Distinguishing themselves from American- and English-varieties, these beers have a wide range of hop characters, good balance and moderate alcohol, making them great session beers.
Date, Time, Location & Tickets
- September 29-October 1, 2011, Colorado Convention Center, Hall D, E, & F, Downtown Denver.
- Three evening sessions and one afternoon session.
- Evening Sessions: Thursday, Friday, Saturday 5:30-10 p.m.
- Attendees receive a commemorative tasting cup, samples in one-ounce portions, the opportunity to sit in on presentations and a Festival program.
- Afternoon Session: Saturday 12:00-4:00 p.m. American Homebrewers Association (AHA) and Brewers Association Members-Only session.
- Attendees receive a commemorative tasting glass, samples in one-ounce portions, a festival program and a chance to rub elbows with brewers and be the first to sample award-winning beers as the winners of the prestigious Great American Beer Festival competition are announced.
- Non-members can join the American Homebrewers Association and purchase a ticket to the Members-Only session for $83.
Great American Beer Festival Competition
83 categories of beer will be judged, covering 134 beer styles, as well as the GABF Pro-Am.- 167 judges from nine countries.
- Judging took place September 28-30 before the public sessions open.
- 526 breweries representing 48 states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico entered the 2011 competition.
- 96 breweries were first-time entrants in 2011.
- 3,930 beers were entered in the 2011 competition (an 11 percent increase from 3,523 in 2010).
Navigating the Festival Hall
- The Hall is divided into eight U.S. regions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Rocky Mountain, New England, Pacific, Pacific Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest.
- Taste beers from a particular state or region.
- Focus on one particular style of beer (e.g., Stout, Pilsner or Pale Ale).
- Notice how breweries in different regions approach a certain style.
- Taste the medal-winning beers during the Saturday afternoon Members-Only or evening session. Winners announced during the Members-Only Saturday afternoon session.
Festival History
The first festival was held in 1982 at the Harvest House Hotel in Boulder. There were 22 breweries, 40 beers and 800 attendees.- The festival moved to Denver in 1984.
- The 10th festival was held at the Denver Merchandise Mart with 150 breweries, 500 beers and 7,000 attendees.
- Due to continued growth and popularity, the festival was moved from Currigan Hall in Denver to the Colorado ConventionCenter in 2000.
- The 2007 Festival sold out the week of the event; 2008 sold out two weeks in advance, 2009 sold out three weeks in advance and 2010 sold out five weeks in advance.
Festival Highlights
- Great American Beer School—The beer education areas inside the festival hall include:
Craft Beer & Food Pavilion – Enjoy multiple demonstrations throughout the festival, in which chefs and brewers alike discuss the art of cooking with craft beer as well as how to pair with beer to make the perfect meal.- Farm To Table Pavilion – Join chefs, and small and independent brewers as they discuss and pair craft beer with dishes created with locally grown ingredients. Additional ticket required.
- Brewer’s Studio Pavilion – With beer that tastes so good, there must be an even better story behind it! The Brewer’s Studio gives festivalgoers the opportunity to listen to the brewers themselves as they wax philosophical on a variety of subjects as well as share their stories and beers.
- The fifth annual GABF Pro-Am Competition – Entries are brewed by professional craft brewers based on award-winning homebrew recipes from American Homebrewers Association (AHA) members. Homebrew recipes are scaled up and brewed at a craft brewery for submission into the GABF Pro-Am competition.
- Support Your Local Brewery Pavilion sponsored by CraftBeer.com – Learn about individual states’ beer culture and try the rare beers showcased by the guilds which are unavailable anywhere else at the festival. Nine states will be represented. Enjoy displays of malt, hops, brewing equipment and more!
- Brewers Publications Bookstore – This area features books on every aspect of brewing, from style, technique and history to cooking, pairing and serving beer with food. Sample copies will be available and special book signings will be offered.
- You Be The Judge Booth – Evaluate a beer with a BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) or GABF Competition beer judge.
- The Silent Disco - Always a crowd favorite, the Silent Disco gives dancers the chance to dance to music only they and the other disco dancers can hear through wireless headphones. Fun for dancers and spectators alike!
2011 Festival Sponsors
(As of 8/25/11)
Official Sponsors
DRAFT Magazine, Microstar Keg Management, KBCO 97.3, 103.5 The FOX, AM760, CraftBeer.com
Associate Sponsors
Highland Tap and Burger, O-I, Snyder’s of Hanover, TurboTap USA, WAHL ‘Let It Grow Tour’, Westword
Featured Brewery Sponsors
Alaskan Brewing Co., Anchor Brewing Company, Backcountry Brewery, BJ’s Brewery & Restaurants, Black Star (Great Northern Brewing Co.), Blue Moon, Boulder Beer, Boulevard Brewing Co., Brewery Ommegang, Budweiser, Cigar City, Deschutes Brewery, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Genesee Brewing Company, Great Divide Brewing Co., Great Lakes Brewing Co., Kentucky Ale, Leinenkugel’s, New Belgium Brewing Company, Odell Brewing Company, Oskar Blues Brewing Co., Pyramid Breweries, Samuel Adams, Shock Top, Short’s Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Victory Brewing Company.
Local/Industry Level Sponsors
Ball Corporation, Beer Clothing Company, LLC, Beer Drinker’s Guide to Colorado, Beer Meister, BottleHood, Brew Caddy, The Brew Dogs of Colorado, Brewers Supply Group, Briess Malt & Ingredients Co., Cheeky Monk, Cicerone Certification Program, Colorado State University: Beverage Business Institute, Columbine Label Company, Inc., The Country Malt Group, Crazy Shirts, CTI (Chromatic Technologies, Inc.), Davidsons Liquors, Deal Pepper, Ecosyte.ms Consulting, Falling Rock Tap House, Graphic 22, Hopunion LLC, Innovative Labeling Solutions, KeyKeg (Scholle Packaging), Microbrew Water, Midwest Supplies, Muntons Malted Ingredients, Northern Brewer, PartyPons, Rehrig Pacific Company, SportsFans.org, STARR (Brown Manufacuring Company), Verallia, White Labs, Wyeast Laboratories, Yard House Restaurants.
GABF Official Numbers
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance | 49,000 | 49,000 | 49,000 | 46,000 | 46,000 | 41,000 |
| Volunteers | 3,411 | 3,281 | 3,000 | 2,600 | 2,642 | 2,679 |
| Volunteer Hours Worked | 54,515 | 52,075 | 43,679 | 41,679 | 33,025 | 41,525 |
| Breweries at the Festival | 466 | 455 | 457 | 432 | 408 | 384 |
| Beers at the Festival | 2,375 | 2,248 | 2,101 | 2,052 | 1,884 | 1,668 |
| Beers in the Competition | 3,930 | 3,523 | 3,308 | 2,702 | 2,822 | 2,402 |
| Categories Judged | 83 + Pro-Am | 79 + Pro-Am | 78 + Pro-Am | 75 + GABF Pro-Am | 75+ GABF Pro-Am | 69 |
| Number of Judges | 167 | 151 | 132 | 110 | 107 | 104 |
| Avg. number of beers in each Category | 48 | 42 | 42 | 39 | 37 | 35 |
| Category with Highest Entries | American Style India Pale Ale: 175 | American Style India Pale Ale: 150 | American Style India Pale Ale: 134 | American Style India Pale Ale: 108 | American Style India Pale Ale: 120 | American Style India Pale Ale: 94 |
| Medals Awarded | TBD | 236 + 3 in Pro-Am | 234 + 3 in Pro-Am | 222 + 3 in Pro-Am | 222 + 3 in Pro-Am | 203 |