GABF 2.0: the (belated) recap

I know I know…. It’s been almost a month since the Great American Beer Festival took place, but I don’t think it would be fair for me to not post.

In my last GABF recap, I made it known that I was very disappointed with the whole festival. This year, I was fortunate enough to be able to join the members-only session and had a completely different experience!

The lines were a bit shorter; the attendees (for the most part) were there to enjoy the beer as opposed to getting drunk; and I got to see quite a few of my beer friends from all over the country. Grrrreat success!

As you all know GABF is not just the festival; it’s also a week-long celebration all over the Denver Metro area. I started off the festivities with a visit to Bierstadt Lagerhaus in Denver’s RiNo district on Wednesday. I was invited to the Untappd x Punch Cigars event. Pretty cool. I don’t smoke cigars, but I made sure to get Bierstadt’s Slow Pour Pils among others. Delectable! As usual…

While there, I convinced my friend to take a break from the party and visited a pop-up taproom in the same area. The recently shut down Mockery Brewing space turned into a temporary venue for Dewey Beer Co. out of Delaware. I tried their Dewey Sun Camp IPA. Nice and clean!

We went back to Bierstadt Lagerhaus just in time for the raffle. We didn’t win anything, but my friend and I got into a very competitive (but healthy) battle of Jenga. Great night!

Members waiting for the doors to open at GABF 2023

Now the main event: GABF! Lots of fantastic beer! I tried my fair share of 1-ounce (?) pours. I couldn’t tell you how many exactly. I even made a point of trying quite a few NA beers to do some research for the taproom I manage. Verdict? Athletic Brewing is still the leader in my book, but Grüvi‘s Golden Lager is definitely in the running.

Though I have judged at a few beer competitions in the past, I am not GABF judge (yet), but I thought I should highlight a few of my favorite beers from the event.

Bottle Logic’s Bourbon Barrel-Aged Memory Systems Cinnamon Bun Stout. It was my first beer. The line was pretty long but totally worth it. I’m not a huge fan of cinnamon in anything, but what a beer that was!
903 Brewers’ Stout Libre Imperial Stout with chocolate, coffee, chili and vanilla.
And last but definitely not least… In fact, this was my favorite brew of the day (same brewery as last year!): Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales’ The GABF Ride Imperial Pastry Stout with hazelnuts, toasted coconut, raw coconut, macadamia nuts, cacao nibs and Pompona Madagascar vanilla beans. Yeah. A flavor/aroma bomb! I can’t wait for these guys to open up their taproom in Longmont, CO!