GABF – Events

Part two of my GABF posts consists of all of the outside events we packed in when we weren’t visiting a brewery or at one of the sessions. Check out part 1 on the GABF Sessions here.

We decided not to attend the Friday GABF session based on the recommendations from our friends that had been to GABF several years in a row. Plus, we attended two great events for charity! First up was the Beer for Boobs brunch at Fresh Craft, hosted by Ladies of Craft Beer and benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation, afterward was the famed Denver Rare Beer Tasting at Denver’s oldest brewpub, Wynkoop, put on by Pints for Prostates. Saturday morning we stopped in at The Cheeky Monk for their Breakfast with the Bruery event before heading to the member’s only session. We definitely crammed as many outside events into our Denver trip as possible.

Beer for Boobs Brunch:
We started our Friday morning at Freshcraft supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation by drinking beermosas, plus other great beers they had on tap, and eating some delicious chicken and waffles and burritos.

The beermosa was made out of Nebraska Brewing Company‘s Hop God and orange juice. As y’all know I am not a hoppy beer kind of gal, but the orange juice made a great complement to the beer and the citrus helped cut the hoppiness. It was a great morning beer cocktail to go with the delicious buffet. Some of the Nebraska crew were there to support the event as well. There was a raffle for cool prize, John and I won a Nebraska Brewing growler cover and some pint glass koozies, score! After my beermosa, I tried a cherry-infused Ted Fidy from Oskar Blues. I regret ordering a full serving (8 oz. I think?) because it was way too sweet. The first sip was marvelous, it was like drinking a boozy, liquid cherry cordial, but after that it just became too cloyingly sweet. An ounce or so is more than enough.

Nebraska Brewing Hop God Beermosa; John and I at Freshcraft

Denver Rare Beer Tasting for Pints for Prostates:
Right after leaving Freshcraft, we walked a few blocks over to Wynkoop to get in line for the Rare Beer tasting supporting the pints for Prostates organization. The first booth when we walked up stairs was Dogfish Head, pouring their barleywine, Olde School, from 2004. And of course, since Sam Calagione was there I had to get a picture!

Sam Calagione and I at Wynkoop

Below is a list of beers that were being poured for the rare beer tasting, I drank almost all of them, but the cool part was having all of the brew masters their to talk about their beers. I spoke with Garret Oliver about the Rouge they brought and Boulevard’s brewmaster about Love Child. There’s nothing better than talking about beer with the person who made it. If I remember correctly, I tried everything except the ones that are crossed out. I was so pleased to see so many sours and barleywines at the event, my favorites were definitely Dogfish Head’s Olde School, Firestone Walker’s Agrestic Ale and Cascade’s Bourbonic Plague. Though to be truthful, there wasn’t a bad beer in the bunch. The 1998 Barleywine from Full Sail was also awesome to try, I was only 11 when that was released! HA!

Alaskan 2009 Cherry-Vanilla Baltic Porter
Avery Dihos Dactylion Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel-Aged Sour Ale
Big Sky 2006 Buckin’ Monk Chardonnay Tripel
Boulevard Love Child #1
Brooklyn Cuvee de la Crochet Rouge
The Bruery The Wanderer Dark Sour Ale
Cascade Brewing Borbonic Plague
Cigar City Neilsbohrium Rum Barrel-Aged Imperial Raisin Sweet Stout
Dogfish Head 2004 Olde School
The Duck-Rabbit The End of Reason
Firestone Walker Agrestic Ale
Foothills Brewing 2009 Sexual Chocolate
Full Sail 1998 Old Boardhead Barleywine
Great Divide 2008 Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Highland PSA Pilsner
Jolly Pumpkin Lúpulo de Hielo
Laughing Dog St. Benny’s Labby Bourbon Barrel-Aged Ale
Left Hand Brewery 2009 Fade to Black Vol. 1
Lost Abbey/Port Brewery Deliverance
Nebraska Inception Series #1
New Belgium Eric’s Ale
New Holland Rum Barrel-Aged Pilgrim’s Dole Wheatwine
Odell Rare Blend
Rogue Charlie 1981
Samuel Adams 2011 Utopias
Sierra Nevada Brewing 30th Anniversary Rum Barrel-Aged Fritz and Ken’s Stout
Stone 2010 Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Russian Stout
Thirsty Dog Bourbon Barrel-Aged 12 Dogs of Christmas
Weyerbacher Idiot’s Drool
Wynkoop Metacool Maltuwanna Imperial Amber Ale

We ran into so many people from Houston at the Rare Beer Tasting and Ronnie Crocker of Beer, TX took this photo of us. This is definitely an event not to be missed if you find yourself planning a trip to Denver for GABF.

Houstonians at Wynkoop for the Rare Beer Tasting (photo courtesy of Ronnie Crocker of Beer, TX

Breakfast with the Bruery at The Cheeky Monk (Colfax):
Saturday morning we got up bright and early, though not sure how we pulled that off, to go to The Cheeky Monk on Colfax to eat breakfast paired with Bruery beers. Mr. Patrick Rue was even seated at the table next to us, John talked to him about our “dessert” beer, the 100% Barrel Aged Cuir, their 3rd anniversary beer. It is almost unbelievable that such a new brewery is putting out such consistently amazing, unique beers. I don’t think I’ve had anything from them that was even close to bad.

Breakfast with the Bruery spread at The Cheeky Monk

I ordered the Monte Cristo and John had the Eggs Benedict; both were fantastic, I’d come back here next trip to Denver for sure. They had a stellar Belgian (and other) beer list and the food menu looked equally good. We ordered the Bruery flight: Autumn Maple, Mischief, Saison Rue and Hottenroth. I’ve had all except Hottenroth, which I was most excited about anyway. It is a Berliner Weissbier, which is like sour’s little cousin that tries to be sour but just doesn’t quite get there. It was, in fact, delicious, just like I thought it would be. The Autumn Maple is one of my favorites from the Bruery (that I’ve tried) it smells like V8, and while the recipe seems like it has too many elements packed all into one beer, it is amazingly balanced. You can easily pick out the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup used to brew this beer.

For dessert, we shared an 8oz (or so) pour of the Barrel Aged Cuir which is an Old Ale, and comes in at 14.5% ABV, no big deal. 8 oz probably could have been split between more than just John and I, it was so boozy and rich. The barrel aging boosted the old ale to a whole different level, all of the usual suspects were there: dark fruits, caramel, vanilla, bourbon, etc. Just completely decadent. Perfect start to the day! We stopped by Argonaut right next door then made our way to the Member’s only session.

The next and final of my GABF posts will cover all the breweries we visited.