Great American Beer Festival 2015 begins in just a couple of days. The granddaddy of American beer celebrations, this competitive event draws hundreds of breweries serving thousands of different craft beers from all corners of the country and it ranks as the largest and arguably most prestigious event of its kind.
Most people think of the Great American Beer Festival as strictly a competition and nothing more. It’s true that breweries compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals and most consider a GABF award as the ultimate confirmation of excellence. But the Great American Beer Festival is more than a competitive sport and this year, the festival has expanded and will offer even more non- drinking, non- competitive events than ever before. Here are some of the other things you can do at the Great American Beer Festival 2015:
Learn about beer and food parings– The Beer & Food Pavilion aims to educate the public on food and fine brew. Its goal is to demonstrate the proper marriage between food and beer and will feature sessions that focus on specific foods such as cheese, burgers, and even cookies.
Get a book signed– Beer fans and industry experts like to write about the craft and several notable authors will be present at the Great American Beer Festival, ready to talk about their books, sell you a copy, and attach their John Hancock to one of its pages.
Explore new innovations– Did you know that some breweries grow their own barley and hops? Did you realize that some breweries are employee owned? These and other questions and topics are answered/explored in the Brewers Studio Pavilion.
Find out more about beer and ingredients– See, touch, and smell the different ingredients that go into making beer and learn more about how beer is brewed from industry experts who brew for a living. All of this can be found in BeerX: The Craftbeer.com experience.
Discover ways to get involved– Many states have brewer’s guilds and Great American Beer Festival attendees are encouraged to visit the Support Your Local Brewery Pavilion and talk to the personnel who run these operations. Twenty different states will be represented.
Unearth the means to save the planet– At the Sustainability Pavilion, Great American Beer Festival guests can learn more about water conservation, recycling, and other sustainability efforts that affect the brewing business and related industries.
It’s evident that the Great American Beer Festival is about much more than sampling and discovering great beer. Each of the above seminars/activities is designed to educate and enlighten craft beer fans on the beverage they love. This provides festival- goers with a great opportunity to learn more about beer, meet authors, discuss industry challenges, and otherwise take an often needed break from the sound of chatter and the constant clanging of glasses in the main exhibition center.
Denver’s Great American Beer Festival will always be known for its prestigious awards recognizing the best beers and brewers in the land, but its reach goes far beyond tasting and precious metals. The emphasis on education is stronger than ever this year, with more presentations and more opportunities to expand beer knowledge than ever before. It’s all part of Great American Beer Festival 2015 and it all begins on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Cheers to everyone and I look forward to meeting all of you at the Colorado Convention Center!
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