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FESTIVAL REVIEW 46,000 visit Denver The Great American Beer Festival 2007 Some of the throng of For the first time in the 46,000 attendees at the twenty-six-year history of 26th Great American the Great American Beer Beer Festival held in Denver during October. Festival (GABF), all three evening sessions – as well as the Saturday afternoon members-only event – were completely sold out before the festival opened its doors. By Dave Thomas RIGHT: Raise a glass to he GABF already has its place Michael Remembered the late Michael T in history for most beers tapped For many of us the 2007 GABF Jackson. in one location and is growing in started a week earlier than usual as numbers of breweries, beers served we flocked to our local pubs and at the festival, beers entered into taverns across the country on 30 judging, categories of beer styles September and raised a glass in (75) and beer fans buying tickets memory of Michael Jackson at “For many of us the every year. Interest has increased exactly 9pm Eastern time. I chose to 2007 GABF started steadily from 22 breweries, 40 beers participate in the toast at one of a week earlier than and 800 attendees at the 1st GABF Michael’s favorite pubs in Denver, usual as we in 1982 to 1800 beers, 408 breweries the Falling Rock Tap House with 69 flocked to our local and 46,000 attendees in 2007. beers on tap. Proprietor Chris Black pubs and taverns Unlike other festivals that allow raised his large goblet of Chimay across the country attendees to purchase half-pints, Grand Reserve to Michael under the on 30 September pints or litres of beer, the GABF a large metallic sign advertising and raised a glass limits individual servings of beer to Hammonds, his long-dry local the audience was an attractive, in memory of one fluid ounce each, thereby Yorkshire brewery and asked us all young woman who later gasped “I Michael Jackson at allowing beer fans to taste literally to remember him fondly as a great haven’t been that excited about a fat exactly 9pm dozens of different beers during one beer teacher and friend to American man with a beard since Santa of the four sessions. craft beer. Eastern time... Claus!” The current crowd is at the limit There were many more chances to ...there were many that the rented space in the Colorado pay homage to the late beer writer Extreme beer more chances to Convention Center will allow. The during the three days of GABF To kick things off as usual, brewers pay homage to the Brewers Association is discussing including photographs of Michael in gathered at the Wynkoop Brewery late beer writer what to do for future GABF events. the beer hall, a Friday evening on Wednesday evening. Beer on tap during the three Some, like Executive Director Paul ‘Michael Remembered’ panel for this event included Maui days of GABF Gatza think GABF should expand to discussion, slide show and another Brewing’s Black Pearl, a rum barrel including include the 90,000 square feet of mass toast. The panel shared stories aged beer, and Double Overhead photographs of convention hall immediately about Michael with the audience. IPA (8.5% ABV and 60+ IBU). Michael in the beer adjacent to the current festival floor When Charlie Papazian visited Many of these are so-called hall, a Friday while others, like BA President Michael and the Great British Beer “extreme” beers because they push evening ‘Michael Charlie Papazian, think maintaining Festival for the first time in 1981 he the limits of hoppy, sour, fruity, rum Remembered’ the current format and hall space for asked him whether he thought or whiskey flavours in beer, often at panel discussion, another year or two is the way to go. something like GBBF could be done higher alcohol levels. In fact, many slide show and It was said that tickets were selling in the US. Michael replied “Well, I of the 1800 beers served by 408 another mass on ebay at $350 for a face value of think it would be a good idea, but breweries on the beer floor fit the toast. $45–$50. Papazian wondered aloud where would you get the beers?” extreme beer category which is whether increasing the individual Mark Dorber remembered that increasing in interest every year at ticket price might be one way to Michael conducting a beer tasting GABF. One of the brewers panel control numbers at the gate. session at the White Horse pub; in discussions held on Friday evening The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 3 • Issue 12 • December 2007 • www.ibd.org.uk 20 was “Extremism in the Pursuit of Beer: Virtue or Vice?” Several brewers argued the pros and cons of producing beers with extreme hops and alcohol with no clear winner. Examples of extreme beers on the festival floor included all eight Dogfish Head beers. None of these were less than 10% ABV or younger than two years old. Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head, shared his rule of thumb that “Beers with 4 to 8% ABV should be consumed within 4-5 months, 8-10% alcohol up to one year and greater than10% alcohol beer, decades!” Another extreme beer brewer, Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing and The Lost Abbey, won three medals including a Gold medal for Judgement Day a ‘massive’ 10.5% ABV beer with wheat, three dark malts, dextrose and raisins in the Specialty Beer category; a Silver medal for Veritas 2002 which was a blend of three beers and raspberry raise their first crop if they replant No doubt these manufacturing cost The extreme offerings mead at 8%ABV in the now. Mike Sutton, of S.S. Steiner increases will continue to increase from Delaware’s Experimental Beer category and a Hop Products said: “Rain and hail retail beer costs in America, up Dogfish Head Brewery. Gold medal in the new category of storms in Slovenia and the Hallertau 4–5% so far this year. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer regions resulted in low alpha-acid for Cuvee de Tomme, an 11%ABV levels in aroma and high-alpha The roar of the crowds ‘massive brown ale base’ made from varieties. Yields of super-alpha hop During the tasting sessions virtually malted barley, raisins, candy sugar varieties in the US were reduced by all brewery booths had 6 to 8 people and sour cherries and aged with powdery mildew, which also queuing in front. However, several Brettanomyces yeast in Kentucky impacts supply and price to breweries were observed to have Bourbon barrels for a minimum of brewers.” Mike also reminded us bigger throngs of 20–30 people one year. One GABF judge was that the Steiner warehouse fire in waiting to taste. Fans of New Glarus overheard to say: “This new early October 2006 destroyed about Brewing were standing in a long category (pointing to Wood- and $4 million worth of hops. single queue until they ran out of Barrel-Aged Sour Beer) will Barley and malt prices are also beer, which they did with three of fundamentally change the way these expected to increase significantly their five beers (Raspberry Tart, guys brew.” due to competition from crops – Belgian Cherry Red and Stone particularly those being grown for Soup) at 1810 on the first night, a Extreme prices the rapidly growing ethanol and bio- mere 40 minutes after the festival The orderly line waiting to Much of the discussion amongst diesel industry. Of course, rising fuel doors opened! When asked why sample beers from brewers during GABF was about prices also contribute to brewing they were standing in long queues Wisconsin’s New Glarus impending cost increases of brewing materials and beer distribution costs. for New Glarus beer, Brett and Bree Brewery. material . Hops, malt and adjunct prices are expected to increase considerably over the next few months and have already begun to rise. Ralph Olson of Hopunion predicted that some hops may cost 400 to 500% more, due primarily to drastically reduced hop-growing acreage in the US – which is about half what it was ten or twelve years ago. Farmers have ripped out hop yards and replaced them with other more profitable crops in recent years due to low crop prices. “I am worried about small brewers without hop contracts. They will find it hard to purchase hops on the open market in the short term,” said Ralph who also pointed out that it will take hop growers two to three years to The BREWER & DISTILLER INTERNATIONAL • Volume 3 • Issue 12 • December 2007 • www.ibd.org.uk 21 FESTIVAL REVIEW from Denver replied that: “It is a further investigation. Bill and would trigger the crowd to howl in small brewery but offer a real Marian came all the way from laughter and shared misery with the choice. They are different than most Florida to attend the GABF and said: poor soul who suddenly realises they beers. Fantastic!” Kurt and Caroline “We are waiting to make Dogfish will not receive a replacement glass said they have been coming to Head beer our first beer of the from GABF. The ‘dropped beer GABF for: “13 or 14 years and New night.” glass roar’ tradition continues even Glarus from Wisconsin make The 10,000 beer fans lucky though GABF issues plastic tasting consistently extraordinary beers that enough to get a ticket to one of the cups now and one hears them are not available in Colorado.” One four sessions along with 2,700 bounce rather than shatter as they hit person, upon trying to navigate volunteers and 1,000 brewers create the floor! through the New Glarus fan queue a continual background roar as they complained: “Apparently it’s the fill the hall, pick up their small Fun and games only good beer here!” commemorative tasting cups and “In what state was it illegal to take New Belgium, O’Dell’s and conduct thousands of beer- more than three sips of beer while in Russian River breweries, among lubricated conversations.