Beefing up GABF

The Great American Beer Festival is getting even greater – size-wise, anyway.

The 34th annual event, Sept. 24-26 in Denver, is expanding into an additional hall at the Colorado Convention Center. That will allow for more than 800 breweries – up from last year’s 700 – and some 60,000 attendees over the three days, compared to the previous cap of 49,000.

But that doesn’t guarantee tickets will be any easier to get. Last year’s festival sold out online a half-hour after it went on sale.

Tickets for the general public will be available beginning July 29 at 9 a.m. Pacific time through Ticketmaster (there’s a presale for American Homebrewers Association and Brewers Association members the day before). Cost is $80, which includes a commemorative cup and 1-ounce samples of more than 3,500 beers.

The additional space will house a “Meet the Brewer” section with 120 booths staffed full-time by brewers and brewery representatives, instead of general volunteers. That’s a response to increasing complaints about the absence of actual brewers at the booths.

Last year, the Inland Northwest was represented at GABF by No-Li, Orlison, Laughing Dog, Kootenai River and Riverport. This year’s list will be released later this month.