In 1982, Charlie Papazian, the now famous author of his widely popular homebrewing guide books, got the resources together to put on the first ever Great American Beer Festival in Boulder, CO. Â 22 breweries participated and served about 40 beers to the 800 or so people that attended the event.
The 2011 GABF, now a 3 day event which starts today at the Colorado Convention Center, sold out in ONE week. 49,000 people will be there. Â Tickets to the public are $60 and are completely sold out!
The festival is now hosted by the Brewers Association which is comprised of over 1,000 American brewers to support both the craft and homebrewing industries in the US.
466 domestic breweries will pour 2,378 different beers. Â That’s over 36,000 gallons of beer that will be consumed from today to Saturday.
The GABF is also home to one of the world’s most prestigious beer competitions! 169 judges from 9 countries will give gold, silver, and bronze medals to the over 3,900 domestic beers they believe represent the best examples of over 83 different styles of beer…from American Style Lagers to Wood or Barrel-Aged Sour Ales. Â Having a GABF medal for one of your beers is one of the most coveted accolades for American brewers today…
There’s also the Silent Disco, “always a crowd favorite” according to the BA, which gives attendees the chance to dance to music only they and the other disco dancers can hear through wireless headphones.
Although tickets are sold out Craigslist Denver has plenty but most sellers are trying to make a few extra bucks on them.
This is definitely the premier beer event in the US today…
