GABF 2018 – The Unofficial Strategy Guide
GABF 2017
Going into our fifth year attending the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, we feel like we’re starting to get better at it. With over 800 breweries pouring more than 4,000 unique beers, it’s necessary to make a pre-fest plan to ensure you avoid that potentially ego-threatening FOMO. So we took the list of 800 and narrowed it down to 50 breweries from 20 different states based on our past experiences with those breweries’ beers and word-of-mouth recommendations or general beer world “buzz,” for what that’s worth. For this list we’ve tried to stay away from the big name breweries that everyone already knows about, even though a few of the more well-known hype-inducers made this list based on our geeky excitement over their potential offerings. We also certainly screwed up and left off your favorite brewery, so, sorry about that. We tried!
Potential is an important word here: other than the Illinois breweries (whose pour lists you can find here), we have no idea what beers these breweries are bringing to the festival. Triangulated with Instagram feeds, recent Untappd check-ins, and the breweries’ own websites, this list is just well-informed speculation at best and a shot in the dark at worst. Regardless of its accuracy, we feel confident in recommending that you visit all of these breweries’ booths to sample whatever they are pouring. But if the beers we’ve listed are pouring, take these as recommendations – we assembled the beer lists with a focus on what we – or others – consider to be those breweries’ best or most interesting beers. And some of the parenthetical styles might not be totally accurate, but we tried to come close.
And to be even more helpful (and probably because we’re both teachers), we’ve made a 4-page PDF of the GABF 2018 Strategy Guide that you can download below. Print it out, staple it, and use it like a checklist for your festival enjoyment!
GABF 2018 Strategy Guide (Click to open/download the PDF)
50 Breweries To Try at GABF 2018 (and purely speculative pour lists)
If a beer is marked with a ✅, that means we’ve tried it and can verify its quality. If we’ve interviewed members of the brewery before, click on the microphone next to the brewery’s name to jump to that podcast episode. If there is a medal after the beer’s name, that means it won in 2017 at GABF.
4 Noses Brewing Co. (Broomfield, CO)
‘Bout Damn Time (IPA) ✅, Bubblin (Brut IPA), Pump Action (Imperial Pumpkin Ale), Reciprocal (Strong Stout)
Austin Beerworks from GABF 2015
Austin Beerworks (Austin, TX)
Einhorn (Berliner Weisse), Fire Eagle (IPA), Montecore (Oktoberfest), Pearl-Snap (Pilsner), Super Awesome Lager 🥇
Bagby Beer Company (Oceanside, CA)
Asphalt Jungle (Irish Dry Stout), Biggie Stout (Imperial Stout), Dork Squad (IPA) Herd of Turtles (Baltic Porter) 🥈
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing (Long Beach, CA)
Amalgamator (IPA), Hoppa Emeritus (Black IPA) 🥇, Mocha Machine (Imperial Porter) ✅, Vanilla Fudge (Imperial Stout)
Beachwood Blendery (Long Beach, CA) 🎤
Careful With That ______ Eugene (Lambic-style), Dia de los Mangos (Chili Beer) 🥉, Funk Yeah (Gueuze-style)
Black Bottle Brewery (Fort Collins, CO)
American Graffiti (Sour Ale), Cerealiously Count Chocula (Milk Stout), Zero to Tooty Fruity (Sour Saison)
The Brewing Projekt (Eau Claire, WI)
Dare Mighty Things (NE IPA) ✅, Gunpowder IPA, Movin’ 2 Da Country (Sour Milkshake IPA), RESIST (Milkshake IPA)
Brink Brewing Co. (Cincinnati, OH)
Afterglow (NE IPA), Brink ESB (English Bitter), Hold the Reins (English Mild) 🥇✅, Moozie (Milk Stout)
Chuckanut Brewery (Bellingham, WA)
Dunkel 🥇, Helles, Kolsch 🥇, Märzen, Schwarzbier
Columbus Brewing Co. (Columbus, OH)
Bodhi (DIPA), Creeper (DIPA), Insane Wanderer (IPA), Sohio (Coffee Stout)
Copper Kettle Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)
Le Chapeau (BA Saison), Mexican Chocolate Stout (Spiced Stout), Snowed In (BA Stout)
Crooked Lane Brewing Co. (Auburn, CA)
1-2 Punch (NE IPA), Hop Rhapsody (NE TIPA), SR16 (DIPA), Wobblor (Doppelbock) 🥇✅
Cruz Blanca Brewery (Chicago, IL) 🎤
Agent Piña (BA saison) ✅, Das Bueno (Doppelbock), Gringo Honeymoon (Lager), Palm Shade (IPA)
Forager Brewery (Rochester, MN) 🎤
Gummies Make Us Likable (Imperial Fruited Berliner), Pudding Dribbles (Imperial Porter), Pudding Goggles (Imperial Porter) ✅
Forbidden Root (Chicago, IL) 🎤
Ghost Tropic (NE DIPA), Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen, Toro (NE TIPA) ✅
Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR) 🎤
Big Papaya (Sour Ale), Blueberry Muffin (Sour Ale), Double Stack (Imperial Stout) ✅, Juice Box (NE DIPA)
Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville NC) 🎤
10W-40 (Imperial Stout), Blueberry Sour Ale, Hazy & Juicy & Hoppy & Fresh (NE IPA), Pink Drink (Sour Ale)
Bob Kunz of Highland Park Brewing at GAB 2016, excited and blurry.
Highland Park Brewery (Los Angeles, CA) 🎤
Hello, LA (IPA), Relaxing Weekend (Pilsner), Satisfied (BA Saison), World Champ (Hazy DIPA), Yo Coco (NE IPA)
Hop Butcher for the World (Darien, IL) 🎤
Blazed Orange Milkshake (IPA) ✅, Double Grid (Hazy DIPA) ✅, Galaxy Bowl (Hazy DIPA) ✅, Paris on the Prairie (Saison) ✅
Indeed Brewing Company (Minneapolis, MN)
Flavorwave (IPA), L.S.D. Honey Ale, Mexican Honey (Imperial Lager), Peach Bum (IPA), Rum King (BA Stout)
Jonathan Wakefield at GABF 2016, all out of beer again.
J. Wakefield Brewing (Miami, FL) 🎤
Big Poppa (Imperial Stout), DFPF (Berliner Weisse) ✅, Haterade (Berliner Weisse) ✅, Miami Madness (Berliner Weisse) ✅
Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, MA)
Copper Legend (Octoberfest), Framinghammer (Baltic Porter), Hoponius Union (IPL), Post Shift (Pilsner)
Joseph James Brewing Co. (Henderson, NV)
Imperial Smoked Porter w/ Cacao Nibs 🥇✅, Tenth Anniversary (BA Stout), Suave Felon: Fatalisk Barnd (Wild Ale)
Michael Kane (right) at GABF 2014, wondering if there’s enough ANTEAD left for everyone.
Kane Brewing Co. (Ocean, NJ)
A Night To End All Dawns (BA Stout) ✅, Galaxy Punch (IPA), Morning Bell (Imperial Porter), Sunday Brunch (Imperial Porter)
La Cumbre Brewing Co. (Albuquerque, NM)
Elevated (IPA) ✅, Full Nelson (IPA), Make IPA Clear Again, Project Dank (IPA), Piña Quercus (Sour Ale)
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery (Goochland, VA)
Bad Donkey (Black Lager) ✅, Carrot Cake (Imperial Red Ale), Heir Apparent (Imperial Stout), Rosemary Saison
Little Machine Beer (Denver, CO)
Razz Against the Machine (Fruit Beer) 🥇 ✅, Supercharger (DIPA), YAFI (IPA)
Live Oak Brewing Co. (Austin, TX)
Berliner Weisse, Big Bark Amber Lager, Grodziskie, HefeWeizen ✅, Pilz, Schwarzbier
Lupulin Brewing (Big Lake, MN)
Blissful Ignorance (DIPA), Brunch Stout (BA Stout), Dortmunder 🥇 ✅, Hooey (IPA), Straight Hash Homie (DIPA)
MadTree Brewing Co. (Cincinnati, OH)
Blood Orange PsycHOPathy (IPA), Citra High (DIPA), Dreamsicle (Kӧlsch), JOON (BA Kӧlsch) ✅
Maplewood Brewing Co. (Chicago, IL) 🎤
Big Pulpy (NE IPA) ✅, Charlatan (Pale Ale) ✅, Pulaski Pils, Son of Juice (Hazy IPA)
Middle Brow Beer Co. (Chicago, IL) 🎤
How It Starts (Wild Ale), Little Crush (Session IPA) ✅, Milk-Eyed Mender (Imperial Milk Stout) ✅, Robyn (Saison) ✅
Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery (Minneapolis, MN)
Alpha Nimbus (Belgian White), Masala Mama (IPA), Three Hour Tour (Mlk Stout), Twisted Trace (BA Barleywine)
New Sarum Salisbury Brewing (Salisbury, NC)
142 Blonde Ale with Grits, Lemon Balm & Beet Hoppy Wheat 🥇✅, Roundhouse (Robust Porter)
Odd 13’s award-winning booth design from GABF 2016
Odd13 Brewing (Lafayette, CO) 🎤
Blackberry Sheriff Shane Sherman (Sour Ale), Codename: Superfan (IPA), Stanky Cape Man (DIPA)
Our Mutual Friend Brewing (Denver, CO)
Crysknife (IPA), Gratitude Five (Brett Beer), Little Maker (Sour Ale), Neon Nail (NE IPA), Saison Trystero 🥈
pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, OR) 🎤
Frambozen (Lambic-style) ✅, Jammy Pale Ale, Oud Bruin, Peche (Lambic-style) ✅, Schwarzbier
Ratio Beerworks (Denver, CO) 🎤
Continuous Thunder (DIPA), Dear You (Saison), Hold Steady w/ Coffee (Scotch Ale), New Wave (Berliner Weisse)
The Referend Bier Blendery (Pennington, NJ)
Berliner Messe (Berliner Weisse/Lambic-style), Krek! (Lambic-style Kriek), The Name of the Rose (Wild Ale)
Revision Brewing Co. (Sparks, NV)
Hops In A Can (NE TIPA), Pete’s Secret Stash (NE IPA), Reno As Fuck (NE DIPA), Revision IPA
Second Chance Beer Co. (San Diego, CA)
3rd Anniversary (Imperial Pilsner), Festa Imperiale (Oatmeal Stout), Legally Red (Amber Ale) 🥈, Tabula Rasa (Porter) 🥇✅
Sly Fox Brewing Co. (Pottstown, PA)
Baby Sparkles (NE IPA), Grisette Summer Ale 🥇✅, Ichor (Belgian Quad), Incubus (Belgian Tripel)
Social Kitchen & Brewery (San Francisco, CA)
Borderline Hoppy Lager, Mr. Kite’s Pale Ale 🥇✅, Puttin’ On The Spritz (Brut IPA), The Smell (IPA)
Speciation Artisan Ales (Comstock, MI)
Biomimicry (Wild NE IPA), Genetic Drift (Wild Ale) ✅, Incipient: Dry-Hopped (Wild Ale) , Saltation (BA Sour)
Sunriver Brewing Co. (Sunriver, OR)
Cinder Beast (Imperial Red Ale) 🥇, Fuzztail Hefeweizen 🥇✅, Rippin Northwest Ale, Vicious Mosquito IPA
Tangled Roots Brewing Co. (Ottawa, IL)
City of Green (NE IPA), Forty1Eighty8 (Pale Ale), Oktoberfest ✅, White Peach Kupfer (Amber Ale)
Taxman Brewing Co. (Bargersville, IN)
Declaration (Belgian DIPA), Deduction (Belgian Dubbel) 🥈, Exemption (Belgian Tripel), La Maison (Saison) ✅
Une Année/Hubbard’s Cave (Niles, IL)
El Zacaton (Imperial Stout) ✅, Framboise (Wild Ale) ✅, Fresh IIPA One Hop Simcoe ✅, Le Grande Monde 2018-1 (BA Wild Ale)
Wolf’s Ridge Brewing (Columbus, OH) 🎤
Buchenrauch (Smoked Lager), Cinnamon Toast Brunch (Cream Ale) ✅, Terre du Sauvage (BA Farmhouse)
Wren House Brewing Co. (Phoenix, AZ)
Predation (Imperial Stout), Raisin Eaters (BA Barleywine), Sad Boy Wally (TIPA), Spellbinder (NE IPA)
Need more breweries to try? Of course you do! In order to keep the list above to just 50, I left off a lot of great breweries that are worth your time. Here’s a few more:
Austin Beer Garden, Band of Bohemia, Barrel Theory, Bearded Owl, DESTIHL, Faction, Fremont, Figueroa Mountain, Funkwerks, Greenstar Brewing, Hailstorm, Kern River, Knee Deep, More Brewing, Night Shift, Noble Ale Works, Noon Whistle, On Tour, Rahr & Sons, Societe, Two Roads, TAPS, WeldWerks
For even more breweries to try, a rundown of GABF Week events, and general festival advice, listen to our Road to GABF 2018 podcast episode!
Check out all of our podcast episodes from GABF past: 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014
