The Great American Beer Festival is the ne plus ultra beer event in the U.S. For beer people, it’s like a combo Academy Awards/Star Trek convention/family reunion, with a dash of ancient Greek Bacchanalia thrown in for good measure. For sheer size alone, nothing comes close to the GABF: 462 breweries serving 2,200 beers to 49,000+ attendees. But quantity does not trump quality in Denver; many breweries pour their rarest and most delectable offerings to the assembled thirsty throngs. In fact, there’s so much outstandingly great beer at the GABF, it’s a wonder the Denver convention center doesn’t implode into a supernova of awesomeness. Naturally, we’re doing our part to make sure the 2010 GABF is an epically good time. On the festival floor, we are serving some extremely rare and unique beers. Check it!

• Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale
• Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial IPA
• Stone Cali-Belgique IPA
• Stone Imperial Russian Stout 10th Anniversary Blend—GK’s Madman Mix
• Double Dry-Hopped Stone IPA
• Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers
• 2010 Stone Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine
• Kelsey McNair / Ballast Point / Stone San Diego County Session Ale (at the ProAm booth)

Naturally, we’re not content to merely pour our delicious liquid arrogance at the Festival, so we’re also mixing it up with a handful of wicked events. Behold!

• 9/14 at 6pm, Mizuna will be hosting an absolutely eye-popping 5-course Brewer’s Dinner featuring Stone, Great Divide, The Bruery, and Moylan’s. Promises to be an incredible food-pairing event.
• 9/16 at 10pm, the good folks at the Falling Rock will be busting out their private stash of cellared Stone beers, including vintages of Stone Imperial Russian Stout and Stone Vertical Epic Ales.
• 9/17 at 3:45pm, the Cheeky Monk will be hosting a special Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone Saison du BUFF collaboration tapping, with Sam Calagione, Bill Covaleski, and our very own Greg Koch in attendance.
• 9/18 at 1pm, Wynkoop Brewing Company will play host to the second annual Pints for Prostates Denver Rare Beer Tasting. This charity rare beer event was a raging success last year, and this year promises to double down on the yumminess.
• 9/18 at 7:30pm, yours truly ill be hosting a panel in the Brewers Studio Pavilion entitled “How to Ignite a Revolution: Craft Beer Activism” on how you, the noble drinker, can make the world safe for the beer you love. Joining me on the panel will be Ashley “The Beer Wench” Routson, Pete “Legislative Smackdown” Johnson, and Scott “Short’s Brewing Co. Maven” Newman-Bale.
• And a few others, so check back for updates.

So if you’re not among the lucky 49,000 beer Trekkies who snagged a ticket to this year’s festivities, let this be a lesson to you.