Beer festivals are to Colorado what wine festivals are to northern California. With beer quickly becoming the wine of the 21st century, thanks to myriad flavors and ever-increasing recipes and pairings — a Colorado beer festival is the place to be.
Full of colorful attire and a rainbow of beers, these events rock with live music, eclectic people, an après-ski vibe and the camaraderie born of being in the know about Colorado craft brewing. Familiarity with good beer is like knowing a secret handshake.
Most beer events fall into one of two categories: a single-brewer celebration that often marks an anniversary, such as Great Divide Brewing Co.’s 16th anniversary party in June; or a gathering of multiple brewers showing off their wares. Typically, a cover charge pays for unlimited beer.
Oddly, the single-brewer events are where you’ll find a wider variety of beer styles. A brewer’s party typically offers everything from a light pilsner to a heavy barrel-aged stout — with perhaps a few one-off special recipes for good measure.
At most large festivals, on the other hand, each brewer is confined to a small booth that serves a couple of styles. You can visit a row of beermakers and sample a dozen interpretations of an India pale ale or witbier.The idea is to sample as many beers as possible. Festivals encourage this by providing patrons with glasses or plastic cups that typically hold 4 ounces.
The Great American Beer Festival, slated for next month at the Colorado Convention Center, limits pours even further — 1 ounce per cup.
Some events are family-friendly, like the Colorado Brewers Festival in Fort Collins. People make themselves comfortable on patches of grass as bands play and kids partake of rides and face-painting. It’s a picnic-like atmosphere.
Beer festivals can have long lines, as did the more popular booths — New Belgium, Odell, Left Hand, Boulder Beer and Oskar Blues — at June’s Colorado Brewers Festival. But the lines moved quickly, and no one seemed to mind waiting a few minutes for a first-class beer.
Beer fest crowds skew male and youngish. Larger events, however, tend to draw more of a demographic mix. And despite the many goofy hats, whimsical attire, dreadlocks and piercings, festivalgoers are pretty serious about their beer. Conversations invariably involve detailed opinions of the beermakers and their products.
Sometimes there’s free food. At one festival, an Odell booth served cheeses along with its mainline brews, prompting one patron to exclaim, “That’s an exquisite pairing. It goes good with the pale ale.”
Pint the town
It’s always happy hour at these beer festivals.
Winter Park Beer Festival
Saturday, Hideaway Park in downtown Winter Park;
Craft Lager Festival 2010
Aug. 15, Memorial Park, Manitou Springs;
NedFest 2010
Aug. 28 and 29, Nederland;
Colorado State Fair Foam Fest
Aug. 28, state fairgrounds, Pueblo;
12th Annual San Juan Brewfest
Sept. 11, Main Avenue between 12th and 13th streets, Durango;
Great American Beer Festival
Sept. 16-18, Colorado Convention Center, Denver;
Telluride Blues and Brews Festival
Sept. 17-19, Telluride Town Park, Telluride;
Before you go
Eat a decent meal.
Having something in your stomach will slow the body’s absorption of alcohol, as well as help you avoid the temptation of the mostly fat-, salt- and sugar-laden foods offered at festivals.
Drink a glass of water
right before you leave home. Alcohol can dehydrate you, and that effect is magnified if you’re outside in the hot sun. Water also will help you avoid a hangover.
Know something about the beer.
Read a few online reviews of the products to be served at the event. It helps to know what to expect.
Go early.
Especially at events held at breweries, a special recipe or two is likely to be presented. These brews are usually extremely limited, perhaps only to a keg or two, and they’ll be tapped — and gone — early.
Dress appropriately.
You’re likely to spend all or most of your time on your feet, so wear comfortable shoes. And if the festival is outdoors, check the weather forecast, as summer in Colorado doesn’t necessarily mean hot and dry.
Find a driver.
If a friend won’t volunteer as a designated driver, be sure to bring cab fare.
Marcus Chamberland, The Denver Post
