So I'm planning on heading to GABF this year. Want to go to the Thurs session. Would like to do the VIP deal but don't really have any insight on how to get my hands on tickets. Any suggestions?

The fiance and I went to Tapology Gastro Pub in League City. It's a new beer bar/restaurant. They've been open a few weeks and are still considering themselves as in a soft opening. That would be generous. A 40 minute ticket time for your steak night steak might be excusable on opening night. Pretty awful several weeks in when your menu only has ten items tops. Our waiter seemed like he had never waited tables before.

Onto the beer. Decent selection. Lots of taps but no beer menus. The waiter had to go grab us their list from behind the bar (we were sitting on the patio). The most egregious thing of the night though is our waiter seemed to be a beer idiot. Ordered a Ballast Point Sculpin (which they ended up being out of) and it was like he had never heard of it. Had to have me spell it for him and still got it wrong. When he came back to tell me it was out he had already poured a Karbach Love Street and offered that instead. This all took a while so I took it just wanting a beer.

Later as we were eating he tried to direct a table to look over my fiances shoulder to see what she was having. Then when they asked what PBR was (it was on the menu as coming with one of their items), he told them it was "Pride Blue Ribbon which is a Texas beer".

Hopefully for their sake they get a lot better in a hurry or they're not going to be open long.

It's been a good night.







And another Westbrook Gose for good measure.

How was that prairie la fours?

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So I'm planning on heading to GABF this year. Want to go to the Thurs session. Would like to do the VIP deal but don't really have any insight on how to get my hands on tickets. Any suggestions?

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What do you mean "VIP deal?

I thought I remembered something about a rare beer and/or food pairing session

LaFours...enjoy the hell out of the Curieux. That is an amazing beer.

There is a farm to table ticket you can buy that includes small plates from local chefs, along with beer pairings (nothing super rare). You also get a special admission line and exclusive bathroom. I did it two years back and did not find it to be worth the extra $60 or so they charge. The food was often gone or very small portions and the beer was often times being poured at booths in the main hall. The extra line saves you all of about 10 minutes. If you're in line within 30 minutes before the door opens it usually goes fast. They've gotten very efficient at moving the line. The private bathroom may be the best feature of the ticket, but the bathroom at the far end of the exhibit hall from the entrance usually is not very busy.

We usually just go get a big greasy burger and fries before the festival and then hit up one of the late night beer dinners post-fest. We've rotated between the Cherry Cricket and Lark Burger. Much cheaper and just as effective at preventing a hangover.

There is also the Pints for Prostates Rare Beer Festival. It used to be at Wynkoop, but it moved to a dedicated convention space last year. It is on Friday afternoon and is always worth the price of admission. I believe it was $100 last year. I know tickets are on sale now, but I haven't looked at prices.

I usually just sleep in and hit tappings on Friday and make my way up north. I'm assuming Crooked Stave will put on What the Funk 3.0 that Friday night, which I will definitely attend this year.

I'll be going to the Thursday GABF session. Hopefully we can meet up.

[This message has been edited by NColoradoAG (edited 7/10/2014 12:01p).]

Cool thanks for the info. Do I need to join the home brewers association to get tickets? How fast does the thur session sell out in relation to all the other sessions?

There's a pre sale for AHA members. I think you had to join before July to get the benefit, but I'm not sure. I always keep mine current for the discounts at taprooms, bars, and restaurants. There's a ticket FAQ on the website.

Tickets sold out really fast last year. I think the pre sale allotment was gone in less than an hour and the general on sale in something like 5 or 10 minutes.

There's always a bunch of tickets available at face on BA, craigslist, etc though if you miss out.

The sessions basically all sell out at the same rate. It seems that the Thursday and Saturday members sessions sell quick during the pre sale, and the Friday and Saturday night go fast to the general public.

Thursday is by far my favorite session. It's a good crowd and nothing really runs out (except for Three Floyds. Morons only brought one keg of each beer per night and had their booth shut down in 45 minutes each night. They're so metal).

The Saturday members session is nice, but used to be cooler because it also got you into the awards beforehand and then you could drink the award winning beers easily.

Friday and Saturday night are **** shows of the highest order.

So the Thursday session is members only?

Never mind I figured it out. Guess I'm just gonna try for the GA sale if they're readily available at face value afterwards

I'm almost tempted to just do the rare beer deal. Don't think I can swing both this year. I think I'll stick with GABF this year and try and do both or just the rare beer next year.

That's what I've done the past couple years (skip Rare Beer Festival). Thursday GABF is still my favorite event, especially last year. Last year all the breweries really stepped their game up. I expect the same thing this year, plus they've increased the floor size and amount of breweries.

I haven't made a What the Funk yet, though, and those have been raved about.

There's so much to do on Friday as well. We usually eat a big breakfast and then start working our way back north via breweries. Usually a stop in Boulder, followed by Oskar Blues, and then up Hwy 287 to the Berthoud, Loveland, and Fort Collins spots. Oskar Blues does Fidy Friday, where they put 8-10 special barrel aged and vintage versions of Ten Fidy on tap. Definitely worth hitting up.

You shouldn't have any trouble getting a Thursday session ticket either in the initial sale, or via the secondary market. I may have an additional one or two I can buy for you during the presale, depending on how many of my friends decide to go.

[This message has been edited by NColoradoAG (edited 7/10/2014 2:50p).]

maca - it is ok. Not great, not terrible. I haven't been overly impressed with their sours for the most part.

army or anyone else - should I sit on the Curieux a while or go ahead and drink it?

Beer tour weekend commencing tomorrow:

Jester King Friday evening
Twisted X Saturday at noon followed by Salt lick. Then hitting up Thirsty Planet. Capping that off with the Ray Wiley Hubbard and Old Crow Medicine Show concert at Nutty Brown.

[This message has been edited by Green fairy (edited 7/10/2014 3:54p).]

I don't think you need to sit on it. I think it is blended with enough of the fresh tripel that it is fairly smooth without any aging.

But if you're concerned about drinking it by yourself, I'll be in CS August 3-8.

And I'll be around CS 22 Jul

Well, it may not last until you guys get to town. But I do want to try and meet up with y'all when you are here.

Jock, if possible, you know some Pliny would be appreciated. And Crooked Stave goodies.

Let me see if we get our regular Pliny shipment next Thurs and if we do I'll grab you a bottle. Do I still owe you a nightmare on brett? I remember emailing someone from here about it but I can't find said email now and can't remember who I got the bottle for.

Nope that wasn't me.

Drinking some new Glarus tonight.

Really diggin' Funky Gold Mosaic. Reminds me of JK's El Cedro. Really citrusy with that brett funk.

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Drinking some new Glarus tonight.

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Dammit. I need to get my hands on some. I really want to try their sours.

Not too bad but I still prefer the bruery tart of darkness.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/10/smallbusiness/spencer-brewery-monks/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

I liked the Spencer I had better than the Orval I had last night. I look forward to seeing where they are in a few years.

Picked up a 4 pack of Prairie Birra from FW Specs yesterday. Tasty low ABV farmhouse.

Found some Dogfish Head 120 at Fairbanks Liquor in Cypress last night.

[This message has been edited by cc10106 (edited 7/11/2014 3:05p).]

Got desperate and mail ordered some beer. Just got some Prairie Birra, Cigar City Cucumber saison, Steigl Radler, and Prairie puncheon.

This stuff is pretty good for a change of pace.

Whole Foods and their bags with piece of **** handles just cost me a bottle of Rufus Corvus!