The streets of Denver are overrun with suds.
Suds as in beer, that is. Excitement for the annual Great American Beer Festival brews all year long, and this time the city decided to extend the hoppy happiness across 10 days.
The first annual Denver Beer Fest is a collection of beer-themed parties and events spread throughout Denver and the Front Range.
Of course, the festival is still the main event. It’s sold out, however — a sad reality for those of us who procrastinated on buying tickets for the unlimited 1-ounce samples of almost 2,000 beers. Not to mention a commemorative tasting cup! And we missed out.
Beer lovers all over town are staring at the ground glumly, kicking the dust at their feet.
But take heart: this is Colorado, after all, and there’s beer everywhere. Much like the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, you don’t need to officially take part in the festival to enjoy the fun it offers.
If Austin can boast of being “the live music capital of the world,” then Denver certainly is in the running to be a world-champion center of beer drinking. Who cares if you didn’t get tickets? We’re the lucky ones who get to live in this land of bountiful beer.
LoDo is going to be overloaded like a bellyful of stout with jolly beer drinkers this weekend, and not just because of the beer festival. Oktoberfest, on Larimer Street between 20th and 22nd streets, will be swinging through its second weekend of beers and brats. Stop by and grab a stein, for sure — this is the Larimer Associates’ last year of producing the festival after 40 years. Admission is free.
After toasting fall and beer and all things German, join the GABF fray at Falling Rock Tap House (1919 Blake St.), one of many hubs for festivalgoers taking a break from the Colorado Convention Center. It will probably be packed, especially as night begins to fall, but it’s a great place to try beers you’ve never heard of and mingle with beer-loving out-of- towners.
Just down Blake Street, the Ninth Door (1808 Blake St.) isn’t the most likely place to pop in for a beer. It’s a tapas place, for one thing, which means lots of Spanish wine.
But it’s worth ducking in for a bottle of Estrella Damm, a Barcelona brew that’s full of flavor but still manages to be light and refreshing. It gets hot in Spain, after all. For anyone who’s spent time there, it’ll bring back fond memories.
An escape from LoDo and the festival hordes might be in order at some point. (Or it may be wise to avoid the area altogether.) If so, there’s still bubbly beer madness to be found.
The Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe (534 E. Colfax Ave.) offers beer trivia every day through Sunday. Test your knowledge and score some sweet beer-related prizes.
At City Hall (1144 Broadway) Sunday is “The Great American Tailgate Party,” celebrating one of man’s greatest combinations, beer and sports-watching.
Starting at 10 a.m., a giant screen will broadcast football, and a beer garden will be ready to pour. Barbecue, games, trivia and giveaways will run throughout the afternoon.
These are just a scant few ideas for non- Great American Beer Festival activities. There are many more, including beer-themed dinners and entire nights devoted to special breweries. See a list of beer-related revels at .
Don’t like beer?
Fear not. Liqueur brand Drambuie is hosting two “Drambuie Den” events on Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, local bartenders will compete at Delaney’s (1805 Blake St.) to create their best cocktails using the Scotch-whisky-derived drink. The contest runs from 7 to 10 p.m.
Then, on Tuesday, sip on Drambuie cocktails — no contests here — at Wicked Garden (1403 Larimer St.) from 7 to 10 p.m.
Reserve your spot at the parties at .
