Some Quick Thoughts About Colorado Beer Festivals

I wanted to make a quick point about beer festivals in Colorado. This might be a part of a larger conversation that I'll dig into later, but for now, I offer you some thoughts:

During my year here I've been overwhelmed by the amount of beer festivals although completely underwhelmed at the selection of beer at most of them. Every festival tends to have the same breweries and just about the same beers...and those beers are generally beers that I can easily get in bottle shops and at the pubs. If I'm going to pay $30-40 for a beer festival, I'd like to see more experimentation, beers that I'll never be able to try again.

My challenge to our local breweries is to participate in less festivals and/or begin entering unique beers into the ones you do participate in. I understand you're called to enter ridiculous amounts of festivals, providing free beer, but I'd really like to see some new beers at these things. To festival organizers, try and provide some way to reward breweries for providing a beer that will never be available again, or maybe that's available for the first time ever. Maybe have a specialty beer release section, and time it so that beers are released in intervals and excitement is created to try 'the crazy beers.' I'm sure you'll find more and more beer enthusiasts going nuts about your festival then. Like I said, this is just a small part of a larger conversation that maybe I'll dig into more in the future.

What are the festivals where you see specialty batches produced? What are some of your favorite festivals?


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