When it comes to beer, Denver’s major league…the daddy…the king of kings. There’s a serious beer culture here in the Mile High City. By some accounts, it’s second only to San Diego for being the US city with the most number of breweries. And the Coors facility just outside town – 15 miles away in Golden – is the largest single-site brewery in the world.
It’s no wonder that Denver plays host to the country’s largest beer festival – The Great American Beer Festival, organized by the Brewers Association.
Over three days in October (always a Thursday through Saturday) the Colorado Convention Center is packed with stations serving some 2,700 different beers produced by nearly 600 breweries from all over the US.
From humble beginnings over 30 years ago, the event has become massive: some 50,000 people attend annually. Judging by how fast the tickets sell out (in under an hour), it could become even bigger.
When you arrive, you exchange your ticket for a wristband and one ounce tasting ‘glass.’ Then you’re free to explore and try whatever catches your eye. Of course, this being a serious beer festival, 80 different beers are being judged in the background.
With so many beers to try, it’s reassuring to know there are lots of different beer-friendly foods to snack on, including ridiculously large necklaces made of hundreds of pretzels. And if you’re serious about food pairings, there are presentations hosted by chefs and brewers linking brews with their culinary counterparts.
This is definitely one for those who enjoy their craft beers. We just wish it was held in a more exciting and comfortable venue. Somewhere like Red Rocks. But we guess you can’t everything in this world.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Images: Brewers Association, Jason E. Kaplan)
