GABF Week 2017

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​GABF WEEK IS HERE!  
(So what does that mean?)
We LOVE the week surrounding the Great American Beer Festival.  See?

This yearly event, held in Denver, brings craft beer lovers from all over the world. (Seriously.  Our friends who started a brewery in Australia are coming.) For this week, Colorado is even more full than usual of folks who love craft and are focused on enjoying it all week long. There are events here in FoCo and all over Denver focusing on this craft to which we've devoted our hearts & lives -- how can that not be a great week?  

The festival itself, which takes place Thursday - Saturday at the CO Convention Center, is a spectacle.  There are thousands of beers to sample (again, seriously -- last year there were close to 4000 different beers you could try).  Of course among these there are several you maybe would be better off skipping, but there are many, many more that are interesting, delicious, or divine.  And the people watching is unparalleled.  

After our first year's feedback, we take the judging with a giant grain of salt. This year we entered only one of our beers for judging (Picnic Rock Pale Ale, if you're asking, because it was freshest when they needed samples to be dropped off a month ago and stored who-knows-how until judges sample it next week).  We submitted this so that we could participate and pour at the Great Hall for the festival and be a part of this awesome celebration full of people who have committed their futures to craft and full of people who support these small companies.   We also applied to enter Jon Schiller's "Atta Boy, Jon!" Märzen in the Pro-Am competition and got in off the waitlist when some folks couldn't get their beers here in time.

So for us, the festival is not about the competition and awards ceremony [though big ups to the folks who win medals, for sure!].  If we ever are on the receiving end of the crapshoot, we will celebrate and you'll no doubt hear about it.  But in the meantime, we'll be in the Meet the Brewers Hall, having a blast talking with folks who love craft beer, who are willing and eager to give ours a try, and who make the whole week a celebration.

If you live here or can make it to FoCo, starting tomorrow (Saturday) in the taproom we'll be serving a 4-pack flight with the option to rate the beers as to how well they fit the official GABF category in which they would be entered. We'll have make-your-own pretzel necklaces available (festival-goers wear fantastical ones.  e.g.: ​

The ones you make in the taproom will not look like this, unless you bring your own supplies.)  We'll also happily give tours on request, of course.

In Denver, we have several fun events at awesome craft accounts from Oct. 2-7.  Please join us at any/all if you are able!
Monday, 5pm -- GABF Week Kickoff Event @Falling Rock Taphouse (they'll be tapping the last keg of Temple's Grand Ale, along with many other amazing beers, and will continue with new tappings every day this week).
Tuesday, 6pm -- Highland Tap & Burger will be featuring beers from our DEN distributors (Colorado Craft Distributors), including H&D!
Tuesday, 7pm -- FreshCraft is having a "locals only" tap takeover.  We'll be there, trying ours and others' beers with FreshCraft's great, as the name suggests, fresh & crafty food. If you've been there, you know. If you haven't, get there!
Wednesday, 9 am, we're attending the CO Environmental Leadership Program Awards Event (and being "inducted" with a Bronze Level award -- woo-hoo!). Looking forward to hearing advice & stories from companies who've been in this program longer and have led the way in going above and beyond regulations to protect our environment!
Wednesday, 3pm -- @LoHi SteakBar, unofficial happy hour with H&D (because we love them & their place, and we want to have some Picnic Rock with their unbelievable food).
Wednesday, 5pm -- Canwood Derby @ Ale House @ Amato's.  Come root for our nth-level car (fashioned by our own #HopticalSolutionist, Jae Drouilhet) to win!  Or cheer for another brewery's vehicle.  We don't mind.  Just come cheer and enjoy a great craft beer or two!
Thursday, 3:30 p.m. -- it's Peanut Butter & Jelly Time @ Lucky Pie Lodo! We're bringing a Sad Panda + peanut butter firkin, and Odell's bringing something jelly-themed, so you'd best meet us before the first GABF session!
Friday, 11-3 -- We're heading to the Industry Brunch @ Southside Kitchen | Bar's Hidden Idol Tiki Bar (hello!  How can you not meet us there & hunt for said idol?)  Lotta' awesome beer on.
Friday, 12-4 -- Cheba Hut (Champa Street) is having a CO-brewery-only tap invasion, and we'll be there, pre-gaming for Friday's GABF session!
Saturday -- double session at GABF.  
Sunday -- we all return home and see y'all in the taproom, if you can come in to visit!

Cheers, all.  We hope you have a great week, and that there's some #freshtastycraftbeer in it!

Carol, TimCo, and the H&D Crew