Great American Beer Festival

Legume

has anyone been before?  I’m considering going this year.  Any recommendations or tips?

OhioEgger

Make note of when the tickets go on sale and plan to be at your computer. The last several years, all tickets have sold out within minutes.

U_tarded

OhioEgger said:

Make note of when the tickets go on sale and plan to be at your computer. The last several years, all tickets have sold out within minutes.

This!  I’ve never been partly for that reason but one of my good friends has and brought back a bunch of swag and had a blast.  Denver is a great beer city in general. 

JKellar

I have been once.  It was a pretty impressive experience.  There are so many vendors it was tough to decide what to have next.  I will say they are very strict on their pours and only give around 1-2 ounces.  The negative is the lines get pretty long at the stands and it was hard to get a sample of everything I wanted to try.  That being said you will have a great time and it is a ton of fun.

COegger

Definitely should be on any beer lover's bucket list.  I have been many times over the past 15 years or so.  My family and friends now volunteer every year.  You must be on your computer when the tickets go on sale, ready to purchase.  The lines have gotten longer every year but I heard that they changed the entry process last year (checking IDs and tickets) to make it more efficient and disperse the crowd better.  I heard the lines were not as bad last year.  Friday night is the most crowded (and rowdy).  Do your homework before you go and research the breweries and map.  Make a plan to hit your favorite breweries early.  Longer lines form at some as well as the winners once those are announced.

Legume

Excellent input, thanks.  I haven’t brewed in 16 years, but went ahead and joined AHA so I can at least get tix on the member pre-sale.

OhioEgger

Another scheduling thing: Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon are by far the best sessions. Least crowded and fewer attendees trying to see how drunk they can get on one ounce pours. The Saturday afternoon session is for members only, which you will be if you've signed up. Friday and Saturday evenings are kind of a zoo, and best avoided IMHO.