Great American Beer Festival 2018 is only a few days away. Often named among the greatest beer festivals in the United States and the world, the Great American Beer Festival is one of the most prestigious beer competitions on the planet and the festival has grown exponentially since its founding in 1982.
Great Beer Now has attended the Great American Beer Festival numerous times and I can attest to the large crowds and immense popularity of this beer tasting extravaganza. This year, the Brewers Association, the non-profit trade association that organizes the festival, has several changes in store that are bound to make the Great American Beer Festival even grander than before.
More Space
Of all the enhancements coming our way, this might be the one that craft beer fans will be most interesting in knowing about. The festival is going to expand its Colorado Convention Center footprint, adding an additional 100,000 square feet to its designated space. This is approximately 20 percent more floor space than last year and it will mean more room for breweries to pour beer and more space for attendees to roam. Brewers Association marketing director Ann Obenchain is confident the extra space will go over well with guests: “We really wanted to give people a little more room to spread out”, said Obenchain.
With the added space, the event organizers also added more tickets. However, the addition amounted to only 2,000 additional tickets, which means there will still be more elbow room per attendee than in the past.
New Layout
Another important change to this year’s Great American Beer Festival is the layout. As anyone recalls who has previously attended, the Great American Beer Festival arranges its breweries by region. To find beer from a specific state, you had to walk over to that region and then scan the rows until you found the brewery you were looking for. If you grew impatient, you had to look for one of the information kiosks and lookup a specific brewery, then try to navigate there on your own.
This year, the arrangement will be different. Breweries will no longer be arranged by region, they will instead be arranged alphabetically. This is a change for the better because it will make it much easier to track down a specific brewery without consulting a map or other resource. Assuming you are able to spell, or at least know the first letter of the brewery you wish to find, you should have no trouble making your way to the correct booth.
Sponsorships on the Rise
Yet another significant change this year is with the sponsorships. The Great American Beer Festival has always had its share of sponsors, but the stakes are greater this year as the festival welcomes big name brands like Buffalo Wild Wings. The popular sports bar/chain restaurant will simulate an authentic BW-3 experience, serving its famous wings inside a 3,600 square foot space and broadcasting sports on 10 television screens. Obenchain says this enhancement is one that makes practical sense, given the positive correlation between beer and sports.
“Craft beer lovers are sports lovers, and this activation adds another experiential space at GABF where attendees can relax and enjoy independent craft beer and wings while cheering on their favorite teams,” said Obenchain.
Another big name sponsor at this year’s Great American Beer Festival is Jameson Irish Whiskey. The well- known distillery is a common brewery partner and has shared its whiskey barrels with many craft breweries over the years. Jameson plans to showcase its 17 brewery program partners at the all- new Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged beer garden, inside the Convention Center. It’s an excellent way for attendees to taste some of the incredible barrel aged beers that Jameson has helped create with its many talented craft brewery partners.
One New Category
The number of competitive categories at this year’s Great American Beer Festival will include something completely new in 2018: A Collaboration Beer competition. With so many interesting and often outstanding collaboration beers brewed each year, this seems like a competitive event that is long overdue. It will operate similar to the festival’s existing ProAm competition. Entrants must be beers brewed in collaboration by at least two breweries and this year’s competition will feature 50 competitive entries.
See You in Denver!
The Great American Beer Festival has become an annual tradition at Great Beer Now. I first attended the festival back in 1997 and following a hiatus of several years, I got back into the groove several years ago. I have made attendance at the Great American Beer Festival part of my annual routine ever since.
With its many years of success, one might have assumed that the Brewers Association would leave well enough alone and stick with its proven formula. But change is good and I’m glad to learn that the Great American Beer Festival is making its annual event larger and better than before. I can’t wait to witness it all for myself as Great Beer Now heads to the Mile High City this weekend. See you there!
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