Great American Beer Festival® 2019 Adds New Experiences for Attendees

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What

For the 38th consecutive year, beer lovers will gather in Denver, Colorado, at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), the country’s preeminent beer festival and competition. This year’s GABF will offer 62,000 attendees the opportunity to choose from more than 4,000 beers from an anticipated 800 breweries.

When

Thursday, October 3: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Friday, October 4: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, October 5*: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Brewers Association and American Homebrewers Association® (AHA) members only session

Saturday, October 5: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Where

Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver, Colorado

Why

GABF is the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served, in the format of a public tasting event plus a privately judged competition. Dubbed by Thrillist as “The One Beer Festival You Must Go to Before You Die,” GABF has topped beer lovers’ bucket lists since 1982 and unites beer lovers and brewers from all corners of the country to celebrate the nation’s ever-growing craft beer culture.

Ticket Info

GABF tickets will be available for purchase to the general public online on July 31, 2019, at 10 a.m. MDT/12 p.m. EDT via AXS.

A ticket presale exclusively for members of the American Homebrewers Association and Brewers Association will take place on July 30 at 10:00 a.m. MDT/12:00 p.m. EDT.

  • Members Only Session (Sat.,Oct, 5, 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.) tickets are $70 each, limit four tickets per member.
  • General Session tickets are $85 public/$80 members (when purchased during the member presale on July 30)
  • PAIRED® + GABF tickets (Thu., Oct. 3 & Fri., Oct. 4) tickets are $160 each
  • Designated Driver tickets are $30 each

Tickets include:

  • Commemorative tasting glass
  • Unlimited one-ounce samples
  • Festival guide and free app to help attendees navigate the festival hall
  • Access to educational and interactive seminars focused on beer appreciation
  • Opportunity to speak with the personalities behind the beers in the Meet the Brewer section
  • Entertainment including games, karaoke, silent disco with a live DJ and more

PAIRED tickets include the above plus a special entrance to PAIRED, and 50 unique beers not found anywhere else in the festival hall matched with small bites designed by 25 award-winning chefs.

Designated Driver tickets include festival program, special gift, unlimited sodas, and hospitality in the Designated Driver Lounge.

Note: Due to limited availability, GABF General Session and PAIRED ticket sales are capped at eight tickets per session per ticket buyer.

Additional ticket information can be found on the GABF website.

Event Highlights

Ikon Pass Stage presented by WinterWonderGrass®: Located in the Backyard, WinterWonderGrass will be presenting three sets of incredible live music per session (line up TBA). Ikon passes and WinterWonderGrass tickets will also be available for sale onsite. The 2020 WinterWondergrass lineup will be announced at GABF!

Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden: Returning for a second year in a slightly larger foot print, the ~14,000-square-foot Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden will feature 22 small and independent Jameson craft brewery partners and their limited-edition Jameson barrel-aged beer. In addition, the garden will host experiential areas including master cooper Ger Buckley’s stage, a Bow Street education experience, and interactive activities.

Fresh Hops: Washington Beer Commission is back with the freshest beers of the 2019 hop harvest. Each session will feature five fresh hop beers from ten breweries not found anywhere else in the festival. Due to the timing of the 2018 festival, fresh hops were not on exhibit, so this will return for 2019.

Silly Fun: Daily fun to be had with attendee favorites, including the Silent Disco, karaoke, backyard games, Friday Festival Flair costume contest, and some new additions such as brat, hotdog and bun races, a funhouse, and more!

Festival Format Return to Regions: Back by popular demand! Breweries in the festival hall will be arranged in alphabetical order by state within nine (9) regions (Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain West, New England, Pacific, Pacific Northwest, Southeast, Southwest.) Pro Tip: Breweries with “the” in the title will be listed under the first name following “the.”

Media Access

To apply for media credentials, please visit the media access section of the GABF website.

Website

GreatAmericanBeerFestival.com

Note to Editors

Please visit the following links for event b-roll footage and photos.

Story Ideas

GABF Competition: As one of the world’s largest and most distinguished beer competitions, GABF 2019 is anticipated to be the largest competition to date. More than 9,300 beers from approximately 2,300 brewers will vie for the coveted gold, silver and bronze medals in 107 beer style categories. (Note: final, official competition statistics will be published on Saturday, Oct. 5, after competition results are compiled and medals are announced.) Who will take home the first medals in the new Non-Alcohol or India Pale Lager and other new 2019 categories?

Craft Beer and Food: Drop into the PAIRED® pavilion for a chat with 25 of the country’s top chefs and some of the most creative brewers in beer today. Learn about the inspiration behind the food and beer pairings, regional trends, and what’s on the dinner table’s horizon.

Trends: Will GABF reflect popular consumer trends? Rosé beers have been all the rage in recent months, and while not an official beer style in the GABF competition, it could certainly show up in other categories. Will New England style (aka juicy or hazy) IPA’s continue to explode in popularity?

More Information

Click here for Great American Beer Festival history, facts and figures.

Sizzle Reel

Click here for the Great American Beer Festival sizzle reel.

2019 Sponsors

GABF is made possible by the support of generous sponsors.

Social Media

Follow @GABF on Twitter, hashtag #GABF; Like GABF on Facebook; and follow @greatamericanbeerfestival on Instagram.

ContactCalvin Bond (on behalf of the Brewers Association) 970-963-4873, ext. 262.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 4,800-plus U.S. breweries. The BA’s independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers by small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®Great American Beer Festival®Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Homebrew ConNational Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® magazine, and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. 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® and the free Brew Guru® mobile app. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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.