Colorado Brewers’ Festival

When the gates open for this year’s Colorado Brewers’ Festival (on Saturday, June 28^th & Sunday, June 29^th in downtown Fort Collins), the COBF will be one of only five US brewfests in the 25-and-older demographic. A very exclusive beer group, that one. Three more US beer fests turn 25 later this year, see the list below this note.

The COBF and its 25 & up peers played a crucial role in touting small-batch brewers long before the nation’s current craft beer explosion. These fests were also showcasing collections of small brewers long before the beer-fest-rich days we now enjoy in CO and the US. (Beer Advocate’s web site listed over 6,000 beer fests in 2013.)

Would you be in for a preview of the Colorado Brewers’ Festival? It makes for a great centerpiece in a look at the best summer beer fests in the US and Colorado.

When the fest debuted in 1990, the beer culture of the time is hard to imagine now. Colorado had just nine microbreweries, listed below. The founder of one of them had yet to consider a career in politics. The US had just 211 craft breweries and America was the globe’s most snickered-at beer nation.

Today Colorado’s craft brewery roster is heading to 300, it’s “Governor Hickenlooper,” America’s total is racing to 3000, and the US is the grandest brewing nation on the planet.

But the COBF is a mature dog with new tricks:

Online advance ticket buyers this year are entered into a drawing for a complimentary year of beer from Odell Brewing.

COBF Breakfast and Brews at The Mainline

The first annual pre-COBF brunch takes place Saturday, June 28th, from 9-11 AM at The Mainline (in the Olde Towne section of downtown Fort Collins). Breakfast & Brews attendees enjoy a special beer breakfast of brunch dishes and morning-minded beers. After breakfast, attendees will enjoy a short walk to the festival grounds in a tuba & drum powered procession and be the first beer lovers to enter the festival grounds. Breakfast & Brews costs $40 and includes brunch, a COBF “Beer Pass” wristband, commemorative “beer can” festival glass, and tickets for ten samples of beer. Brunch tickets at www.downtownfortcollins.com .

All Brewers Eve Beer Dinner

Then second annual pre-COBF All Brewers’ Eve Beer Dinner takes place Friday, June 27 from 6-9 PM under a big-top tent on the festival grounds. Designed with beer geeks in mind, it features gourmet food (by El Monte Grill and The Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant) and samples of a wide array of limited-edition and extra-specialColorado beers. Brewers and staffers of the participating breweries will be on hand to mingle with attendees and fellow beer enthusiasts. Tickets are available for $60 atwww.downtownfortcollins.com . Attendees receive a special commemorative beer glass as part of the event.

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Colorado Brewers’ Festival

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