What:
As the premier U.S. beer festival and competition, the 33rd annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) offers 49,000 attendees the opportunity to sample almost 3,000 beers from approximately 700 U.S. breweries.
When:
Thursday, October 2: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday, October 3: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 4*: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association members-only session
Saturday, October 4: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Where:
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver, Colorado
Why:
For more than 30 years, GABF has been bringing great brewers, beers and beer lovers together. The event has grown and evolved as beer consumer’s thirst for quality and diversity continues to grow and is the largest ticketed beer festival in the U.S. GABF captures the innovative zest of the brewing community in the format of a public tasting in which attendees are presented an opportunity to try a vast array of beers from producers all across the country. Coupled with a private competition and awards ceremony, the overall event showcases the U.S. as the most diverse brewing destination on the planet.
Ticket Info:
GABF tickets will be available for purchase to the general public online on July 30, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. MDT/12:00 p.m. EDT via Ticketmaster.com.
A ticket pre-sale exclusively for members of the American Homebrewers Association and Brewers Association will take place on July 29 at 10:00 a.m. MDT/12:00 p.m. EDT.
Members-Only Session tickets are $65 each, with a two ticket limit per member number.
General Session tickets are $80 public/$75 members and include:
- Commemorative tasting cup
- One-ounce samples of your choice of more than 3,000 beers
- Festival guide and free app to help attendees navigate the festival hall
- Access to attend more than 30 educational seminars total (all sessions combined) focused on beer appreciation
Note: GABF General Session ticket sales are limited to four tickets per session per ticket buyer. There is limited availability.
Additional ticket information can be found on the GABF website.
Media Access:
To apply for media credentials, please complete this online form.
Website:
Note to Editors:
Please visit these links for event b-roll footage and photos.
New for 2014:
More Breweries: GABF expects to feature more than 700 breweries pouring their beers, compared with 624 in 2013.
Larger competition: Almost 1,400 breweries from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will enter beers in this year’s GABF competition.
Story Ideas:
GABF Competition: One of the most renowned beer competitions in the world, recognized as a symbol of brewing excellence, the GABF competition honors 90 beer style categories with gold, silver and bronze medals. Several judging sessions take place over a multi-day period during the week of the festival. (Note: final, official competition statistics will be published on Saturday, October 4, after competition results are compiled and medals are announced.)
Craft Beer and Business:
As a primary driver of growth in the beer industry, small and independent craft brewers saw an 18 percent rise in volume, representing a total of 15.6 million barrels, and a 20 percent increase in retail dollar value. In 2013, craft brewers reached 7.8 percent volume of the total U.S. beer market, up from 6.5 percent the previous year. Additionally, craft dollar share of the total U.S. beer market reached 14.3 percent in 2013, as retail dollar value from craft brewers was estimated at $14.3 billion, up from $11.9 billion in 2012.
Beer and Food:
GABF offers a number of opportunities to explore the growing popularity of beer and food pairing. The Farm to Table Pavilion returns for another year, bringing together 14 different chefs and craft brewers from across the country serving dishes paired with special beers that aren’t available in the festival hall.
More Information:
Click here for Great American Beer Festival history, facts and figures.
2014 Sponsors:
GABF is made possible by the support of generous sponsors.
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The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association (BA) represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry, and its members make more than 99 percent of the beer brewed in the U.S. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America®, SAVORSM: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine and its Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today’s craft brewers and homebrewers.
Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com and about homebrewing via the BA’s American Homebrewers Association. Follow us on Twitter.
The Brewers Association is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 11246 and the rules, regulations, and relevant orders of the Secretary of Labor.
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