This is the week for making plans and buying tickets. Don’t miss your chance to attend the premier beer festival in the United States, participate in Denver’s very own beer olympics, listen to the best local cover bands, and enjoy a full three-course meal on a river bend, all while supporting great causes.

Food and Booze News

GABF Tickets on Sale Now

GABF cup. Photo by Adam Ripplinger

GABF cup. Photo by Adam Ripplinger

When: Member Pre-Sale: July 28, 10 a.m. MST
; General Public Sale: July 29, 10 a.m. MST

Where: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver

Cost: On average tickets range from $75 to $145 with special discounts for designated drivers and members

Tickets: Available here


The Low Down: The Great American Beer Festival, a premier beer festival in the United States, is back again. Founded in 1982, the GABF has expanded and progressed with the growing American craft brewing industry and now claims to have the largest collection of U.S. beer served in both a public tasting as well as a private competition. GABF brings together the brewers and diverse beers that make this festival one of the best in the country. A list of vendors and event schedule are coming soon, but buy your tickets now as they typically sell out within minutes.

Upcoming Events

Farm Dinner: Benefit for HaitiScreen Shot 2015-07-28 at 10.30.08 AM

When: Wednesday, July 29, 6 p.m.

Where: 501 West Main St., Lyons

Cost: $75

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: The Colorado Haiti Project will be celebrating its second annual Farm Dinner Benefit for Haiti at the Lyons Farmette’s River Bend. Guests are invited to gather at 6 p.m. for happy hour on the stunning banks of the St. Vrain River with live music by Eldorado Canyon bluegrass band, Psychodillo. The happy hour will be followed by dinner, a savory Haitian-inspired meal prepared from many locally grown ingredients, as well as guest speakers who will share their own personal stories about the impact that the Colorado Haiti Project has had on them. The event will conclude with games by a bonfire and some sweet treats. Don’t miss your chance to supports Coloradans’ positive partnership with the Haitian communities in their battle to fight poverty.

Summer Seafood Boil at Lower48

L48, denver restaurant review, best new denver restaurant, 303 magazine, glenn ross

Words by Maranda Bodas

Where: Lower48 Kitchen, 2020 Lawrence St., Denver

Neighborhood: LoDo/Ballpark  

When: Thursday, July 30, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. 

Cost: $26 

Reservations: Reserve your spot here

The Low Down: Alex Figura and Mario Nocifera of Lower48 Kitchen are joining forces with Black Shirt Brewing Company for an evening of all-you-can-eat seafood and craft beer. Dine al fresco on Lower48’s patio with newspaper covered tables and piles of seafood and veggies. The $26 feast includes one Black Shirt brew, with additional beers available for purchase.

The Governor’s Cup Wine Tasting

Bookcliff Vineyards, a Governor's up Finalist. Photo by Danny Odum

Bookcliff Vineyards, a Governor’s up Finalist. Photo by Danny Odum

When: Saturday, August 1 at 7 p.m. for VIP entry; 7:30 p.m. for public entry

Where: History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway St., Denver

Cost: $60 for History Colorado members (available June 17th); 
$75 general admission (available July 1)

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: The 16 winning wines from this years Governor’s Cup Competition will be available for tasting on August 1.  The tasting will include 12 wines that were chosen from 235 submissions and 30 local wineries. This is the only event that will allow the public to try the wines before their cases are released. Wines will be accompanied by small plate pairings featuring fresh and local ingredients prepared by six notable Colorado chefs. Celebrate Colorado Day with the local flavors that the state has to offer. Tickets are available to the public, and are on sale now.

Leftapalooza11693819_10153643321270116_5210720210867558016_n

When: August 1, 12 – 10 p.m.

Where: Left Hand Brewing Co. 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont

Cost: $10 pre-sale tickets; kids 5 and under are free

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: Left Hand Brewing Company’s Mile High Tribute Band Competition and ultimate craft beer experience is back for its fifth year. This year, the competition will showcase nine of Colorado’s very own tribute bands battling for a gig at the Fox Theater while covering the music of Styx, Journey, the Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, the Violent Femmes, the B-52s and more.  Leftapalooza 2015 will feature live music, plenty of local food, craft beer, and the Left Hand Kid Zone while supporting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Left Hand Brewing Foundation. Check out the Left Hand Brewing Company website for more details on the lineup.

 SeshFest

Sesh Fest Camille Breslin

Sesh Fest flight. Photo by Camille Breslin

When: August 1, 12 – 4 p.m.

Where: 1345 Champa St., Denver — Sculpture Park

Cost: $25

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: For the second year in a row, Imbibe has teamed up with the Colorado Brewers Guild to bring you SeshFest. This event celebrates session beer, defined on the event’s website as brews that are “under 5 percent ABV with a balance of flavor between hops and malt and a clean, crisp finish all combine to give a beer high drinkability.” Session beers allow beer lovers to enjoy numerous tasty brews in one sitting without feeling overwhelmed by the negative effects alcohol. Join Imbibe along with some of Denver’s most delicious food trucks for some art, lawn games, and music. Check out all of the participating breweries and vendors by visiting the event page.

Beer Olympics & Beer Fest

Beer pitchers at GABF. Photo by Brent Andeck

Beer pitchers at GABF. Photo by Brent Andeck

When: August 1, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Where: 101 W. 14th Ave., Denver, CO — Civic Center Park

Cost: $2/ticket – one ticket will get you a Denver Beer Olympics official beer, two tickets will get you one craft beer from any brewery present

Tickets: Available here

The Low Down: What better way to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in an effort to help fight blood cancer than participating in Denver’s very own 2015 Beer Olympics? The events include flip cup, beer pong, beersbee, quarter, cornhole, das boot, hammerschlagen, and a beer relay. Sign up your team up now to participate in some fun drinking games, or just to walk around and drink beer with friends while supporting a good cause.

Pizzeria Locale Boulder Takeover with Katie Parla

Photo courtesy of Pizzeria Locale's Facebook.

Photo courtesy of Pizzeria Locale’s Facebook.

When: August 4

Where: Pizzeria Locale, 1730 Pearl St., Boulder

Cost: $25/person,  $38/person with the optional Italian craft beer flight; the full Pizzeria Locale menu will also be available

Reservations: Call 303-442-3003

The Low Down: After graduating with an art history degree from Yale, a master’s degree in Italian gastronomic culture from Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata,” a sommelier certificate from the Federazione Italiana Sommelier Albergatori Ristoratori, and an archeological speleology certification from the city of Rome, it is no wonder that Katie Parla knows almost everything there is to know about the food and beverage culture of Rome. With the help of the Pizzeria Locale crew in Boulder, Katie has created a delicious lineup of Roman-inspired street food which will be complemented by a hard-to-come-by selection of Italian craft beers. This special menu will be offered for one evening only, so don’t miss out.

Mark your Calendars

National Oyster Day

When: August 5, 2015

Denver Burger Battle

When: August 6, 2015

Cost:   $69 – General Admission

$109 – VIP

Tickets: Available here

The Nickel Celebrates One Year with Gifts for All

When: August 7-8, 5 – 11 p.m.

Where: The Nickel, 1100 14th St., Denver

The 2015 Caffeine Crawl

When: August 15

Where:  Multiple routes throughout Denver

Cost: $25

Tickets: Go here