Beer festivals are an integral part of American culture. They are themed festivals specifically organised for beer enthusiasts where a large number and variety of beers are available for purchase. These events can be based on themes or beer styles or even in a particular area in which breweries are located. Beer festivals are aimed at bringing breweries and brands closer to their most loyal customer bases while also creating new fans in the process. Here are some of the top beer festivals that craft beer brewers and lovers alike should attend.
The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is a three-day annual event organised by Brewers Association in Denver, Colorado. The festival permits over 160+ styles and sub-categories of beer for the exhibition. GABF aims at bringing beer lovers closer to independent and small craft brewers. It’s the largest ticketed beer festival in the United States. It was started by Charlie Papazian in 1982 in Boulder, Colorado. In 2017, more than two thousand breweries attended this event from all 50 states and federal territories. Over 7,900 beers were in the fray for tasting and review. It recorded over 60,000 attendees.
Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) is the longest-running beer festival in the United States. Admission to this event is free, but to sample the festival’s beers, attendees must purchase that year’s OBF tasting glass as well as $1 beer tokens – each token is good for a sample, while a “full pour” costs four tokens. Oregon Brewers Festival also features a root beer garden, which offers free root beer for designated drivers and minors. It was founded by Art Larrance in the year 1988, and now over 70,000 beer enthusiasts gather to attend this festival.
The Nashville Oktoberfest is spread out over multiple city blocks in the historic neighbourhood of Germantown, near downtown Nashville. Oktoberfest is a free event for visitors. Various craft vendors are selling their products, plus delicious food vendors are offering your favourite multiple dining options, so you may want to bring a few dollars to sample their wares. This festival is family-friendly, serving fantastic German cuisine and offering various activities throughout the event.
Philly Beer Week is a series of beer events held over 10 days in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley area, organised and operated by Philly Beer Week Inc., originating in 2007. Philly Beer Week includes festivals, pub crawls, dinners, tours, tastings and meet-the-brewer nights to area bars, restaurants, and other locations throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. The event is hosted by over 200 area restaurants, breweries and beer stores. 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of the celebration. This event aims to celebrate Philadelphia as America’s Best Beer-Drinking City with a ten-day festival beginning the Friday following Memorial Day to promote the events occurring in this time frame through traditional and new media with a focus on their member businesses.
Grovetoberfest is the largest beer festival in Florida. It attracts over 8,000 attendees to showcase its over 250 craft beers. The event focuses mainly on craft beer and its culinary significance. It takes place each October in Coconut Grove, a seaside neighbourhood in Miami.
AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival
While cans used to be discussed in condescending “macro beer” terms in the beginner days of craft beer, now the aluminium jewels are almost uniformly regarded as the superior choice by beer geeks when it comes to housing craft brews. Nowhere is that belief more apparent than at Chandler, Arizona’s AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival, which houses 250 canned beers from 90 craft breweries.
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