Are you excited for the 2018 Great American Beer Festival?! Tickets go on sale in less than two weeks! Here’s what you need to know:
Member Presale: Tuesday, July 31, 10:00 AM (MT)
As a member, you will receive one unique presale access code via email on Tuesday, July 24. Code will grant access to the presale on July 31. Code will allow the option to purchase tickets to the Members Only Session on Saturday, September 22. Code will not be your member number.
Note: American Homebrewers Association (AHA) members may purchase additional household memberships ($29/person, max. three) by July 18 at 11:59 PM MT to receive more access codes.
Public Sale: Wednesday, August 1, 10:00 AM (MT)
Members may also purchase tickets during the public ticket sale.
***AXS Ticketing: Create your AXS account to prepare for the ticket sale.***
I cannot stress this enough. Tickets will most likely sell out within minutes, so don’t wait to set up your account with AXS until the day of sale. Be sure to have it ready to go well in advance.
Now that you know when and how to get tickets, here is some information on what to expect at GABF this year:
- NEW Jameson® Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden: Experience live music, games and barrel-aged awesomeness from 17 small and independent craft brewers. Enter to WIN a trip for you and a friend to Denver, Colorado* for a two-night stay, flights and accommodation included, with tickets to attend the the Great American Beer Festival® on Saturday September 22, 2018. (*CO resident’s prize is ticket entry only because it is home to the Great American Beer Festival®. Flights and accommodation are not part of the prize).
- NEW Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bar: Kick back, relax and enjoy beer and wings while cheering on your favorite teams on TVs throughout the space.
- NEW Collaboration Beer Competition Booth: Commercial breweries team up to vie for top honors and you get to sample these unique and rare beers.
- The Backyard: Free soda, yard games, live bands, karaoke, DJ and more.
- Designated Driver Lounge: Designated Drivers will find place to relax, free chair massages, complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, games, movies and a gift!
- Heavy Medal Booth: Sample medal-winning beers from American breweries that won past GABF and World Beer Cup® competitions—these beers represent some of the finest examples of beer styles in the world!
- Silent Disco: Grab a pair of wireless headphones and shake your groove thing on the dance floor to the music of a live DJ.
- GABF Pro-Am Booth: Homebrewers’ recipes are brewed at commercial breweries and entered in the competition—you can’t miss these limited edition beers!
And don’t forget about PAIRED. It is available as an addition to your ticket for Thursday and Friday night sessions. Not familiar with PAIRED Beer & Food Tasting at GABF? See my post on PAIRED 2016 for photos and info; it’s a truly incredible experience.
Thursday, September 20
PAIRED Beer & Food tasting + GABF General Session 5:30-10:00 pm $160
Friday, September 21
PAIRED Beer & Food tasting + GABF General Session 5:30-10:00 pm $160
And finally, a little more information from Jameson about the new barrel-aged beer garden:
Beer and whiskey. From the classic boilermaker, to more modern pairings, they have been partners for centuries. And now, Jameson® Caskmates Irish Whiskey is further celebrating our partnership with craft beer in Denver at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival®.
Jameson Caskmates is proud to be the first spirits partner to be an official sponsor of the 2018 Great American Beer Festival, September 20–22. As the premier U.S. beer festival and competition, GABF represents the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served. It will also feature its first ever Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden, which will include Jameson brewery partners and their limited-edition Jameson barrel-aged beer in a setting that draws inspiration from their local neighborhoods.
Brewers have long used whiskey barrels to age their beer and as part of the Jameson Caskmates Program, Jameson sends breweries across the U.S. used Jameson barrels from the distillery in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. Those breweries age a variety of unique and neighborhood specific barrel-aged beers for sale locally. The GABF sponsorship is a natural extension of Jameson’s dedication to the craft beer community, and each of our brewery partners exemplifies a devotion to the spirit of their neighborhoods, which is an integral part of our brand story.
Mark your calendars, set your reminders, and be ready to GO at 10 a.m. on July 31st and/or August 1st!