The Great American Beer Festival will welcome nearly 50,000 people to the Colorado Convention Center October 2 through October 4, along with an astounding 3,500 beers from 726 breweries, making it the biggest and best sudstravaganza in the world. Tickets sold out months ago (although you can find them online if you're willing to spend some extra dough), but that doesn't mean you can't get your craft-beer vibe on in Denver and its environs. Starting on Saturday, September 27 and continuing for ten days, breweries, bars, restaurants and other venues up and down the Front Range will host beer dinners, concerts, parties, special tappings, bar crawls, meet-and-greets, smaller festivals and classes that should thrill every beer lover -- from near and far.

Here is our guide to GABF-related events, a list that we will be updating on a weekly -- and probably daily -- basis as new activities are planned and introduced. Cheers!

See also: Nearly 1,400 breweries register for GABF, 81 percent higher than last year

Friday, September 26

Photographer Patrick Andrade and RELIC studios will debut the photography show, Beer Boom, tonight at 5 p.m. with an opening reception in the newly renovated upstairs space at the Wynkoop Brewing Company. For the past several months, Andrade, a former war photographer, has been photographing Denver area brewers and breweries using the Wet Plate Collodion process - or Tintype - process that was introduced in 1850s and is familiar from historic photos of soldiers, presidents and outlaws of that era. The resulting works will be displayed on extra large, museum-quality canvas prints made from the Tintypes. Fourteen breweries participated in photo shoots, including Wit's End, Station 26, Renegade, Cerebral, Black Shirt, Grandma's House, Wynkoop, Great Divide, TRVE, Caution, Strange, Copper Kettle, Dry Dock and Former Future.

Ernie's Bar & Pizza will load up 27 of its taps from nine different breweries today starting at 11 a.m. for an event running into GABF week that is called the Grass Roots of Beer. Each of the breweries will bring one of the flagships that help get them started, as well as a few specialties. They include: Chocolate Stout, Red Banchie Ruby American Ale and Dobblebock from Boulder Beer; Escape to Colorado IPA, Blue Ski Lager and Big Bad Baptist from Epic Brewing; Little Mo Porter, First Cast IPA and Apis IV from Elevation Beer Company; West Coast IPA, Hop Head Red and Double Stout from California's Green Flash; Glyder Cider and Grass Hoppa from Colorado Cider Company; Redacted Rye IPA, Hypocrisy Pale Stout and Consilium Pale Ale from Renegade Brewing; Hoppy Boy, Raspberry Wheat and La Petite Saison from Twisted Pine; Amber, Scenic Kolsch, Peach IPA and Neomexicanus Pale Ale from Crazy Mountain; 3 Philosophers, Hennepin Belgian Style Saison and Hop House from Ommegang.

Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill will feature $10 flights of New Belgium beers today from 3 to 6 p.m. and give drinkers a chance to win tickets to the October 4 session of GABF. The beers include Snapshot, Trippel, Hop the Poind, Tour de Fall, Salted Chocolate and Fat Tire.

Verboten Brewing in Loveland will release two barrel-aged versions of its GABF Pro-Am beer, Crossroads Scottish Wee Heavy, at 3 p.m. today. The first was aged in a Blue Corn Bourbon Barrel, the second in a Rye Whiskey Barrel. Try tasters of the original and two barrel versions for $7 today through October 3, while supplies last.

Saturday, September 27

The Falling Rock Taphouse will kick off GABF week a little early this year with a Fresh Hop Festival co-hosted by the Colorado Brewers Guild and Imbibe Denver. Running from noon to 4 p.m., the fest will feature more than 25 fresh- or wet-hopped beers from Colorado and elsewhere. Fresh-hopped beers are made by adding hop cones that have been harvested in the previous 24 hours, giving them a slightly different, more earthy flavor. Falling Rock used to host a fresh-hop festival in late October in conjunction with Oregon's Deschutes Brewing, but that changed last year when Deschutes moved its fest elsewhere and the Guild stepped in. Some of the participants include Black Bottle, Black Sky, Boulder Beer, Breckenridge, Copper Kettle, Crazy Mountain, Dad & Dude's, Elevation, Fate, Great Divide, Grist, Kannah Creek, Our Mutual Friend, Pateros Creek, Station 26, Strange Craft, Telluride Brewing, The Old Mine, Tommyknocker, West Flanders and Wynkoop. Tickets are $40 when purchased in advance at imbibe-events.com/fresh-hop. A portion of proceeds benefits the Guild.

Hops & Pie will celebrate its fourth anniversary today beginning at noon with a tap takeover by Avery Brewing that features Pumpkyn, Uncle Jacob's, Bad Apple, Beast, Chai Brown, Kaiser, Gorde, Lilikoi, 5 Monks, Rufus Corvus, Obscuro, Uberschwein.

River North Brewery will introduce J. Maria (Tequila Barrel Aged) in the taphouse and for sale in bottles today at 1 p.m. It's the brewery's signature farmhouse ale aged in artisan tequila barrels. "Notes of pepper, citrus and cinnamon balance the malty backbone of classic J. Marie, creating the perfect mix of sweet and spicy," the brewery says about the 10.2 percent ABV beer. "No lime or salt required." River North bottled 135 cases; they cost $15 with a limit of three.

Green. Beer. Fest. takes place from 2 to 10 p.m. today in the Boulder Bandshell, at 1212 Canyon Boulevard in Boulder. Formerly known as the Frack Free Brew Festival, the event mixes politics and beer and features live music and living exhibits that highlight ways to save the world. Admission is free, but it's $30 in advance for a beer pass and $40 at the door.

Dorchester Social Eatery and Rooftop Lounge will host the Fort Collins Brewing Company Beer Brunch today featuring Bernard, a 22-ounce Belgian Style Dubbel and Major Tom's, a 16-ounce American Wheat paired with chef Michel Wahaltere's Charuterie, Croque Madame, Grilled Nutella Sandwich and Brussels Waffle.

Odell Brewing in Fort Collins continues its week-long 25th anniversary celebration today with several beer tappings and food truck pairings from Jax Fish House, Common Link, and Taco Stop. Featured beers include 90 Shilling, IPA, Gramps and Mountain Standard.

The culinary team at newly-revamped Boone's Tavern have teamed up with Boulder Beer for a four-course collaborative beer brunch with Boulder Beer at Boone's Tavern today at 11 a.m. The menu includes: Chorizo jalapeño puff roll with arugula salad, paired with Buffalo Gold Golden Ale; poached egg, grilled artisanal bread, bacon fig jam, and pico de gallo with Sweaty Betty Blonde; frog in a pond, crispy pancetta, sweet tomato chutney, and pesto powder with Dragonhosen Märzen; white chocolate mousse, fresh berry compote, and sponge cake with Shake Chocolate Porter. Tickets are $35 per person. Call 720-961-0320 t reserve a spot.

Sunday, September 28

Avery Brewing will release Rumpkin today at 1 p.m. at its Boulder taproom. This monstrous pumpkin ale was aged in rum barrels and weighs in at 16 percent ABV. The taproom will open at 11 a.m. and be pouring rare beers for people in line. Twelve-ounce bottles of this annual release are $12 each.

Odell Brewing continues its 25th anniversary celebration today with an Oktoberfest party in the Fort Collins taproom. In addition to the release of its Oktoberfest beer, there will be a pig roast (free with purchase of Oktoberfest beer for first 100 people), Common Link selling Oktoberfest-themed foods and live music from The Constant Tourists.

Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs will host a pre-sale for its ever-popular Venetucci Pumpkin Ale today from noon to 6 p.m. "Each year both the pre-sale and the release party have a cult following, resulting in lines from the Bristol Pub clear out the door to the street. This year, fans will be allowed to reserve four bottles of the ale, one more than in years preceding," the brewery says.

Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse is hosting an insane Sour Sunday lineup today featuring more than 25 sour beers on tap from the likes of Cantillion (in Belgium), Russian River, The Bruery, Firestone Walker, New Belgium, Almanac, Crooked Stave and many more. There will also be bottles from Cantillon and others. Go to Backcountry's Facebook page for detailed info.

Monday, September 29

Falling Rock will jump start GABF week with its seventeenth annual Great American Beer Festival kickoff party. Denver's patriarch of craft beer bars will tap a variety of brews, including special kegs and one-offs, starting at 5 p.m. Be there early to get a good spot for watching the beer clock count down to zero.

Speaking of Falling rock, Upslope Brewing will begin pouring a collaboration beer, Southern Hemisphere Rye Pale Ale, at 5 p.m. there. Upslope will also tap the beer at both of its Boulder breweries.

Cheba Hut in Denver will host a Colorado Craft Brew Kickoff Party for GABF starting at 6 p.m. and featuring a collaboration beer between Golden's Cannonball Creek and Call to Arms Brewing, which will open next year on Tennyson Street. The beer, Peace & Assist, is a Belgian farmhouse ale brewed with hibiscus, pink peppercorns, and cardamom, and fermented with a brett/Dupont yeast blend.

Strange Craft Beer Company will tap Barrel-Aged Strange Tail tonight. It will also host the Cheese Peddler for a cheese-and-beer paring featuring five of each for $30 at 6 p.m.

Freshcraft will host Breckenridge Brewery, which will raffle off tickets to the Karl Denson Show later in the week, and give away shwag starting at 7 p.m. On draft will be 471 Over the Moon, BA Cherry Oatmeal Stout, and Mango Mosaic Pale Ale.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will be tapping a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is Blackberry Dark Origins at noon.

The Samuel Adams Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru Tasting Tour will stop in town today and stay through the Great American Beer Festival; Denver is the third stop on this twelve-city tour in which Boston Beer Company is showcasing its latest passion project, Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru, a Belgian-style ale that was aged in Hungarian oak tuns for two years and fermented with micro-organisms found in the Barrel Room at the brewery. The beer debuted in August in San Diego at the Beer Bloggers Conference, and will be available on draft in Denver this week. The brewery will announce the bars that will serve the beer on its website.

Loveland Aleworks will be tapping numerous specialty small-batch beers every day of the week this week, and will have two distinct sour beers on tap at all times and possibly more. Some of the beers will include a chocolate coconut porter, soarachi Ace IPA, and Jasmin Tripel. The brewery will also make a strong showing in the convention center at GABF, pouring American Sour ale with Raspberries, Belgian Dubbel, Coconut Porter, IPA, Hefeweizen, and Baltic Porter.

Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse in Boulder will host a night dedicated to the breweries distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans. Beers on tap include: Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break, Imperial Doughnut Break, I Love You With My Stout; Perennial Artisan Ales The Last Word and Funky Wit; Almanac Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine 2014; Stillwater A Saison Darkly; Off Color Brewing Apex Predator; Crooked Stave Surette; Jackie O's Brick Kiln Barleywine; Breakside Passionfruit Sour Ale and Aztec Ale; Oakshire Pumpkin Porter and Pumpkin Maricaibo Especial 2012.

Tuesday, September 30

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will re-release First Descent Old Ale, a 15.5 percent whopper of a beer today at the taproom. The brewery will release several other rare beers over the course of the week.

Renegade Brewing will tap a Rye Bourbon Barrel-Aged Hammer & Sickle (Russian Imperial Stout) today at 6 p.m.

Star Bar will tap a sixtel of Peace & Assist today at 4 p.m., a collaboration between Golden's Cannonball Creek and Call to Arms Brewing, which will open next year on Tennyson Street. The beer, Peace & Assist, is a Belgian farmhouse ale brewed with hibiscus, pink peppercorns, and cardamom, and fermented with a brett/Dupont yeast blend. The crew from Call to Arms will be there at 6 p.m.

Colorado Plus Brewpub in Wheat Ridge will host the Women of Colorado Craft Beer Calendar Release Party today from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Copper Penny Photography and the and the women who posed for the Pinups will be on hand. Calendars are $20 each, and you can get them signed by all thirteen model/brewery employees.

The Vine Street Pub and Brewery is hosting it's annual Brewer's Dinner today to celebrate GABF. Chef David Lawrence and head brewer John Fiorilli will show off their culinary and creative chops by pairing eclectic dishes with barrel-aged beers. In addition to testing the pairings, Lawrence has gone into the brewery and grabbed some brewing ingredients to cook with. So, for instance, "instead of just throwing some Pale Ale into a cheese and beer soup, look for hop infused lemon granita, or a show stopper dessert that features Heritage malted Barley as the topping for a locally sourced pear crisp," the brewery says. In the meantime, the beers will include two different blended sour barrel-aged beers will accompany duck prepared two ways. There will also be an Oktoberfest paired with the brown butter vinaigrette drizzled over the roots and radish first course. The dinner, limited to forty people, costs $60 per person and requires advanced purchase.

Stone Brewing will be among more than twenty breweries participating in the 2014 Paramount Café Beer Festival today from 5 to 8 p.m. One hundred percent of the proceeds from beer sales will be donated to the Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association. Stone beers available will include Stone Enjoy By 10.31.14 IPA and 2013 Stone Old Guardian OAK-SMOKED Barley Wine.

Upslope Brewing in Boulder will release its GABF-award-winning Pumpkin Ale today with a party in its Flatiron Park tap room. Although the beer will start flowing at 11 a.m. the official party runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and includes live music from Alex Maryol and food by Heirloom food truck. Four-packs of the sixteen-ounce cans will return to shelves this week or next.

Hops & Pie will also focus on Upslope today, tapping a collaboration beer that they two entities brewed together. Plum & Cardamom Saison, plus other Upslope beers, will be on tap all day at the restaurant, in addition to the Upslope's two Boulder taprooms.

Freshcraft will host New Belgium Brewing today at 7 p.m. along with reps from its barrel program. Beers in tap include: NBB Love Blackberry, Transatlantique Kriek, The Odd Couple, Fat Tire, Tour De Fall. Snapshot.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will tap a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is Surette Reserva at noon.

Backcountry Pizza and Taphouse in Boulder will have beers from Melvin Brewing in Jackson, Wyoming, and Comrade Brewing, here in Denver, on tap. They include: Melvin Morris DIPA, FYM DIPA, Hubert; and Comrade Super Power IPA; Fresh Hopped Super Power IPA, and Donny.

Jake's Brew Bar in Littleton kicks off GABF week by tapping a host of beers distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans. They include Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Doughnut, Evil Twin Femme Fatale Kobosu, Stillwater Autumnal, Stillwater Folklore, Almanac Heirloom Pumpkin and Almanac IPA Hop Bomb. And when those tap out, Jake's will dig into Evil Twin Love You With All My Stout, Almanac Dark Pumpkin Sour, Almanac Cerise Sour and Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break. Also, Gnar Dogz will be out back serving food. The beers tap at 5 p.m.

Former Future Brewing will hold a beer-and-empenada pairing today at 7 p.m. featuring four beers and grub from Maria Empanada. Tickets are $18 and they can be purchased in the taproom or by calling 720-441-4253).

Strange Craft Beer Company will tap its fresh-hopped IPA today, called Fresh-Hopped 1,000 Barrels Heather's Ale. A portion of the proceeds will go to a cancer charity.

Verboten Brewing in Loveland will release and sell bomber bottles of Night Has Fallen, a blended barrel-aged American sour. Bombers will be available starting at 1 p.m. Buy two bottles and take home a free logo glass.

Fort Collins Brewery will invade Denver's Lower 48 Kitchen today from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for a GABF kickoff party featuring six beers paired with small plates.

Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a series of collaboration beers this week in honor of the Great American Beer Festival. Today's is with Black Sky Brewing. The Rolling Italian food truck will also be in the house.

Barrels & Bottles Brewery in Golden will host a tap takeover from 5 to 10 p.m. by the breweries distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans. The fifteen brews on tap include: Crooked Stave Origins and Batch 100; Almanac Strawberry Sour and Dark Pumpkin Sour; Prairie Cherry Funk; Evil Twin Yin, Yang and Imperial Biscotti Break; Perennial Abraxas and IPA #8;Stillwater Of Love & Regret and A Saison Darkly; Local Option Die Konigen; Off Color Troublesome; and Gigantic IPL.

Star Bar will bring back its Beer Rep Karaoke and GABF kickoff party tonight staring at 9 p.m. where beer-industry reps, um, sing. There will be lots of great beer on tap, including rare offerings from Firestone Walker and Stone, including 2013 Stone ESPRESSO Imperial Russian Stout, Stone Passion Project and Matt's Burning Rosids Imperial Cherrywood-Smoked Saison w/Sour Cherries & Apple Blossoms.

Wednesday, October 1

Former Future Brewing will release its first-ever bottle today at 4 p.m. when it begins selling Bourbon Barrel Prim & Porter, which is a blend of the brewery's regular porter and a version that was aged for two months in Barrel #13 from Law's Whiskey House (which opens later this year in the Platt Park neighborhood. At only 6.5 percent ABV, its a "wonderfully rich and decadent beer with bourbon on the nose and a full, chocolately mouthfeel," the brewery says. Former Future will also be screenprinting t-shirts for free if you bring your own with the Prim & Porter logo. They'll have a limited selection of colors and sizes to purchase for $10.

Falling Rock Taphouse will be tapping rare and unusual beers all day, starting at 3 p.m. with some brews distributed by Crooked Stave Artisans. After that, it's Upslope at 4 p.m., Ballast Point at 9 p.m., Shelton Brothers at 9:30 (outside), Cigar City at 10 p.m. and Schmaltz at 11 p.m.

Hops & Pie will also host a tap takeover by the out-of-state breweries distributed here by Crooked Stave Artisans. They include, Perennial, Almanac, Breakside, Stillwater, Evin Twin, Jester King, Westbrook, Boneyard, 10 Barrel and Oakshire. Starts at 11:30 a.m.

Falling Rock will also tap Up 4 It today at 4 p.m. The beer is a collaboration between four breweries across the country that all have the suffix "Up" in their name. The whole-cone Hopped Honey Pale Ale was conceived by Boulder's Upslope Brewing, along with Upland Brewing Company, Upstate Brewing Company, and Upright Brewing.

Star Bar will tap specialties from Cigar City and Surly Brewing today at 6 p.m. Details are TBA.

At Ska Brewing's Pints & Pipes, which takes place at the weed-themed Cheba Hut downtown, anyone who orders one of three Ska beers on tap between 6 and 8 p.m. on will get a free hand-blown glass pipe with the Ska logo etched into it.

World of Beer -- Cherry Creek will host a barrel-aged beer competition tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. Guests will be able to submit a vote for their favorite wood-infused beer from a wide array of various craft breweries throughout the country, including Stone's limited release 2012 Double Bastard Ale aged in Red Wine Barrels. For $40, attendees will receive unlimited four-ounce samples from among more than thirty barrel-aged beers of their choosing. Tickets may be purchased at World of Beer for $40 per person. For more information please call 303-757-0506.

Take a ride on the Od(d) Corridor Brewery Bus Tour today, which will feature four breweries: Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada, Big Choice Brewing in Broomfield, Front Range Brewing in Lafayette and Odd13 Brewing in Louisville. GABF reveler who want to get out of downtown and explore the beers of the northern suburbs can hop on board at 9:30 a.m. near the Colorado Convention Center. Tickets are $35 and include transportation (drinking is allowed on board!), a buffet lunch from Lundada, and happy hour beer pricing. The bus returns at 3 p.m. Get info and register at www.uniiverse.com/oddcorridorbrewerybustour2014.

Oskar Blues brings back the Oskar Blues Ordeal this year, Wednesday through Friday by taking participants to a variety of its locations in Longmont and beyond. Today's adventure begins at 11 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver where the OB bus will pick you up an take you to CHUBurger, the brewery's Longmont burger joint, "for a tasty Ten FIDY handshake." That will be follwoed by a Cajun-style lunch at Homemade Liquids & Solids restaurant, an ice cold root beer at REEB Cycles fabrication shop and B. Stiff & Sons Root Beer brewery and cannery, and the Tasty Weasel taproom for beer and a tour. After that, it's on to the REEB Cycles retail shop, the CyclHOPS Bike CANtina and then Hops & Heifers Farm for a barn burner and pig roast. Enjoy live music, a bonfire, plenty of food, specialty brews, and views of the Boulder Flatirons. The party lasts until 8 p.m., when the bus heads back to Denver. Tickets, $100, are at eventbrite.com.

And if you don't want to party for the full day, you can still catch the Oskar Blues trolley at 4:30 p.m. at the Tasty Weasel and just attend the Hops & Heifers Barn Burner & Pig Roast: live music, a bo fire, plenty of food, specialty brews and views. Tickets, $65, are at eventbrite.com.

Left Hand Brewing will take over Ace Eat Serve from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. for the second annual Brewery Ping Pong; 32 breweries will face off in a tournament while drinking Left Hand beers.

Cedar Creek Pub in Aurora will tap some rare beers today at 11 a.m. and keep on them on tap all week until they kick. The beers include Port Brewing/Lost Abbey Older Viscosity, Dry Dock Bligh's Barelywine, New Holland Dragon's Milk Stout, New Belgium Le Terroir, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Biere, and Almanac Dark Pumpkin Sour.

River North Brewery will be offering a horizontal tasting of its farmhouse ale finished four different ways: Classic J. Marie, Wine Barrel J. Marie, Whiskey Barrel J. Marie and J. Marie Barreled & Bretted will all be on tap side-by-side. Doors open at 3 p.m.

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery, which is the closest brewery to the Colorado Convention Center, will tap Lunar Eclipse Imperial Stout today; it has an ABV above 16 percent. There will also be at least sixteen other beers on tap.

Braun Taphaus in Olde Town Arvada will hold a multi-brewery tap takeover, "East Coast, West Coast, No Coast," today through October 5. Sam Adams (East Coast), Lagunitas (West Coast) and New Belgium (no coast) will each take six taps. Brews include: New Belgium's La Follie, Quad Shandy, Le Terroir; Sam Adams Fat Jack, Oats McGoats, Vixen; and Lagunitas Lil Sumpin Wild, Couch Tripping and Hop Stoopid.

Renegade Brewing will tap a Tequila Barrel-Aged Agave Pale Ale today at 6 p.m.

Stoney's Bar & Grill welcomes GABF revelers with a tap takeover by New Belgium and Odell, two Fort Collins craft behemoths who will battle it out tonight starting at 7 p.m.; whoever blows their eight kegs first wins. There will also be a free barbecue with 500 pounds of game on the patio. and a live bluegrass band at 7 p.m.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will tap a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is Nightmare on Brett aged in Port Barrels at noon. Then, at 5:45 p.m., owner Chad Yakobson will host a toast with Mama Bear's Sour Cherry Pie toast. And finally, at 6 p.m., the brewery will tap its Sour Plum collaboration with Firestone Walker Brewing.

12 Degree Brewing in Louisville will lay out a beer-and-cheese pairing today from 4 to 7 p.m. The event includes a taster flight of five five-ounce Belgian-inspired 12 Degree beers and a large spread of selected handcrafted cheeses from Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy. Oh, and the goats themselves will be on hand so that you can pet them and watch them act goofy. Tickets are $22 and available at twelvedegree.com/goats.

Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a series of collaboration beers this week in honor of the Great American Beer Festival. Today's is Dubble Trubble in collaboration with High Plains Tap House. The Bakin' Bakery food truck will be in the house.

Copper Kettle Brewing will tap a cask conditioned version of its Oktoberfest with pumpkin pie spices added today. This will kick off the brewery's month of Wednesday casks which will all be themed using pumpkin and spices.

Renegade Brewing and Sexpot Comedy have teamed up to present a craft beer fest/comedy show beginning at 6 p.m. tonight at the Oriental Theater. The night begins with the mini-beer fest, which includes an open tasting of more than twenty beers from nine different breweries: Epic, Breckenridge, Brooklyn Brewery, Brewery Ommegang, Santa Fe Brewing, Boulevard Brewing, Schmaltz Brewing (HE'BREW), Community Beer, and one yet to be announced. Then, at 8 p.m., each brewery will send a representative on stage to perform a short stand-up routine. After that, local comedians Andy Juett and Adam Cayton-Holland will take the stage, followed by headliner Nikki Glaser. Tickets, $40 in advance and $45 at the door, are available at ImbibeDenver.com and renegadebrewing.com. A portion of proceeds will go to MaxFund no-kill Animal Shelter.

Longtime local beer ambassador Marty Jones will launch the Brew Night Show at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7) tonight at Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret. The beer-focused talk and variety show will feature an interview with Brewers Association founder Charlie Papazian. There will also be beery humor and music from Jones, along with more interviews with beer-industry leaders like Green Flash brewer Chuck Silva and beer journalist Stephen Beaumont. And, of course, there will be beer; the tap list includes brews from Green Flash, Odell, Crazy Mountain, Wasatch, Squatters and Dude's Brews. Tickets, $20, are available at lannies.com and include a free year's subscription to Draft Magazine. A post-show party begins at 9:30 p.m. and includes a book signing with Charlie (his Complete Joy of Homebrewing and Homebrewer's Companion get re-issued on September 30.) and more music and fun.

The Beerliner, a red-and-silver rolling bus out of Austin, Texas, will be parked outside the Wynkoop Brewing Company for four days beginning today, serving craft beers from Texas and spreading the word about the Lone Star State's craft breweries. See the bus, meet the brewers and sample selections from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Real Ale Brewing Company, Live Oak Brewing Company, North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery and others. The Beerliner will be open Wednesday through Saturday before and after the GABF sessions on those days. New beers are tapped every two hours.

The Kitchen Denver brings back its annual Young Guns Beer Dinner tonight at 6 p.m., featuring a five-course family-style meal with two beers each from Almanac Beer Co., Cigar City, Crooked Stave, Jester King and Prairie. All-inclusive tickets are $130 per person and are non-refundable. Get them at eventbrite.com.

Linger is teaming up with Great Divide and Dry Dock for a six-course paired dinner today at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $60 per person; reservations can be made by calling Linger at 303-993-3120. Pairing include Dry Dock Rye-Zing Sun Honey Rye Saison with Bay Scallop Ceviche with soy-honey glaze & plantain chips; Great Divide American Sour with spent Grain Pork Bao Bun with Sweet & American Sour sauce; Dry Dock Wee Heavy with vegetarian Curried Coiffeur, Lentils & Rehydrated cherries; and Great Divide Peach Grand Cru with Peach Hand Pie with Grand Cru Custard & Candied Bacon.

The crew from Boulder's Upslope Brewing will be at Freshcraft around 7 p.m. to tap some of their heavy hitters, including Sour Belgian Pale Ale, Pumpkin, Belgian Dark Strong 2014 Pro AM entry, and a collaboration with Freshcraft called Fight Milk.

Thursday, October 2

Freshcraft will welcome Elevation Beer Company today starting at 3 p.m. when the brewery will bring out Frontier Mo'Jo, which is Elevation's Little Mo' Porter aged for three months in Wyoming Whiskey Bourbon Barrels, with Mountain Phoenix Dark Roast Coffee. "Made in Collaboration with Freshcraft, Elite Brands, and Wyoming Whiskey, this single-barrel release was designed as a one-time only special release especially for tapping during GABF...it shows subtle notes of Bourbon, Coffee, and Chocolate." Freshcraft will also tap Elevation's 7437 DIPA, 8 Second Kolsch, and Mustache Ride (PT Woods Distilling Barrel-Aged Apis IV).

And at 10 p.m., Freshcraft has a special double header lined up with beers from Ska Brewing (Modus Hoperandi, Cru D'Etat, Hoperation Ivy, and Down the Hatch, which is a Ska collaboration with Freshcraft) and Cigar City (Invasion Pale Ale, Lemongrass Ginger IPA, 1% Berliner Weisse, Hunahpu's Imperial Stout).

Falling Rock will be tapping rare and unusual beers all day, starting at 1 p.m. with Boulder Beer. After that, it's Rogue at 2 p.m., Lagunitas at 3 p.m., Magnolia at 4 p.m., Left Hand at 9:30 p.m. (outside), Ommegang at 10 p.m., Green Flash at 10:30 p.m. (outside), and Cigar City at 11 p.m.

Hops & Pie will tap a variety of Sun King beers today starting at 11:30 a.m. They include Afternoon Delight, Port Barrel Wee Mac, Hop Up Offa That Brett, Barrel Aged 666, Lonesome Dove and Whip Flight.

Lucky Pie Pizza and Taphouse in Denver will tap four special collaborative firkins created by Lucky Pie and Left Hand Brewing Company from 1 to 3 p.m. You can try them all and vote for your favorite. Stick around until 4:30, when California's Green Flash Brewing will tap some beers.

San Francisco's Magnolia Brewing Company will begin distribution in Denver and Boulder during GABF. The sixteen-year brewrey, founded in on Haight Street, recently opend a new facility, which allowed it to sell beer outside of California for the first time. Founder Dave McLean, brewer Ben Spencer and others will be here, hosting a multi-course beer brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at Old Major, where they'll pour Magnolia beers to a Grateful Dead playlist. They'll also be at Falling Rock at 4p.m., tapping Proving Ground IPA, Blue Bell Bitter and Smokestack Lightning.

The Denver Bicycle Cafe rolls out a Kick The Keg after-party for GABF that starts around 9:30 or 10 p.m. Strange Brewing, Caution Brewing, Big Choice Brewing and Comrade Brewing will take over the taps as each features three beers in addition to a firkin that they collaborated on. Each brewery is putting together prize packages that will be awarded to the patron who kicks the first of their kegs throughout the night. DBC will also tap a sour beer called Chainsaw Prince Karate, which is a collaboration with Big Choice and Odd13; Epically Strange, a cherry imperial stout collab between Epic and Strange; an Earl Grey infused English mild from Caution; and Koffee Kream milk stout from Comrade. There will be $6 and $12 flights offered all evening and swag giveaways.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will tap a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is Passion Party at noon. Then at 6 p.m., it will tap its Batonnage and Dry-Hopped Batonnage that it brewed in collaboration with Mr. B's Wine & Spirits.

Dorchester Social Eatery and Rooftop Lounge will feature four rare and cellared beers from the Stone Brewing Company today at 9 p.m. Guests can enjoy these beers solo or with a food pairing.

River North Brewery will hold a cellar sale today (time is TBA) of rare bottles from the past year. The exact format and start time of the cellar sale will be announced soon.

Epic Brewing will hold its second Fifty Firkin Fiasco, a tradition it began last year, just as the Utah-based brewery was opening its award-winning production brewery and taproom in Denver. The event will include tastings of fifty beers -- created by brewers and cellar staff -- that have been aged in casks with a variety of ingredients -- some of them a little crazy -- including spices, sweets, other beverages and possibly seafood. The event will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. and tickets cost $25 and include a seven-ounce tasting glass. The first 100 people through the door will also receive a "50 Firkin Fiasco" t-shirt. The brewing staff will be on hand to discuss the beers, and guests will be allowed to explore the brewery. Food vendors will also be onsite. Some of the firkins include: Santa Cruz Brown Ale with toasted oak and whole leaf Chinook hops, Mid Mountain Mild Ale with cascara coffee cherries, Hopulent IPA with sweet orange peel, 825 State Stout with Novo Coffee "Finca Cilladiana" blend, Hop Syndrome Lager with coriander and Capt'n Crompton's Pale ale with whole leaf Cascade hops and grapefruit.

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will tap its Fresh Hop IPA today. There will be at least sixteen other beers on tap, including another fresh-hop variation.

Oskar Blues brings back the Oskar Blues Ordeal this year, Wednesday through Friday by taking participants to a variety of its locations in Longmont and beyond. Today's adventure begins at 8 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver where the OB bus will pick you up an take you to Oskar Blues Grill & Brew in Lyons, where the company got its start, for a southern-style breakfast and a breakfast beer. You'll get a tour and a chance to hand-can and label your own souvenir beer. From there, you'll go to Oskar Blues Hops & Heifers Farm for more beer and tractor rides. After that, the bus will stop for lunch and beers at the REEB Cycles retail shop and the CyclHOPS Bike CANtina. Then it's over to the brewery and the Tasty Weasel tap room for a tour and, yes, more beer. Finally, you'll check out CHUBurger, Oskar Blues' craft-casual joint, for a Ten FIDY handshake, before heading back to Denver at 3 p.m. Tickets, $100, are at eventbrite.com.

For the second year in a row, heavy-metal-loving beer makers TRVE Brewing and 3 Floyds will host a GABF after-party/concert at the Summit Music Hall featuring EyeHateGod, Valient Thorr, Primintive Man, Call of the Void, Khemmis and Abrams. There will be beer on hand from TRVE, 3 Floyds, Real Ale Brewing and Surly (who are also metal heads). Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Euclid Hall will bring back its annual Midnight Breakfast with Avery tonight at 10:45 after the GABF session ends. If you can score (or afford) tickets, this dinner breakfast is always one of the most epic events of the week as it pairs numerous specially-prepared dishes with rare, often impossible-to-find Avery beers. This year, these will include Meretrix, Uncle Jacob's, 2003 Czar and others. Doors open at 10:45 p.m. and dinner gets underway at 11. Find tickets, $125 per person, at brownpapertickets.com.

Crazy Mountain Brewing will host the Winter Wondergrass GABF party, featuring Whitewater Ramble, tonight at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver. The band will be presenting a jamgrass tribute to the music of Jerry Garcia. The venue will be serving beers from Crazy Mountain, Great Divide, Left Hand and Breckenridge breweries. Admission is free before 9 p.m. and tickets are $10 after that.

Copper Kettle will be releasing on draft a Barrel Aged Saison, a sour beer aged in wine barrels with Brettanomyces.

Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a series of collaboration beers this week in honor of the Great American Beer Festival. Today's is with Black Sky Brewing. The Taste of Texas food truck will be in the house.

Verboten Brewing in Loveland will continue its barrel-aged GABF madness by releasing its Bourbon Barrel Imperial Brown.

The 20th annual KROC World Brewers Forum takes place today from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Denver Marriott City Center; speakers include Eric Nichols of Beryl's Beer Company, Shaun O'Sullivan from 21st Amendment Brewery, and author Stan Hieronymus. There will be twenty-plus homebrews on tap at this free event, and the winners of the 8th Annual KROC Great American Beer Challenge will be announced. There will also be a drawing and a silent auction. Prizes up for grabs include gift certificates, glassware, t-shirts, growler fills, and more.

Friday, October 3

The B-Side will host Kenny Lager's Yacht Rock Recovery Day today from noon to 5 p.m. featuring a variety of lagers, fried chicken and dancing.

Beers Made By Walking strolls back into Denver today from noon to 4 p.m. for its yearly GABF-week event featuring more than thirty "place-based" beers that were inspired by plants found during walks or hikes taken by the owners or employees of a variety of breweries. "Each beer is a unique, drinkable portrait of the landscape," according to the event founders. "Brewers have hiked up 14,000 foot mountains, trekked through lush canyons, camped in national parks, and strolled through community gardens to find inspiration." Tickets to the fest, which takes place upstairs at the Wynkoop Brewing Company, are $40 and include unlimited samples (until the run out) and a commemorative glass. Half the proceeds will be donated to the Cottonwood Institute, a Denver nonprofit that inspires young people to initiate positive change by strengthening their civic engagement, environmental stewardship, and leadership skills. Breweries that participated include: Aspen, Bonfire, Boulder Beer, Breckenridge, Copper Kettle, Coopersmith's, Crazy Mountain, Crooked Stave, Elevation, FATE, Fonta Flora, Former Future, Fossil, Fullsteam, Horse and Dragon, Ladyface, Odell, Oskar Blues, Our Mutual Friend, Paradox, Pateros Creek, Riff Raff, Scratch, Station 26, Strange, TRiNiTY, TRVE, West Flanders, Wicked Weed, Wild Woods, Wit's End and Wynkoop.

Hops & Pie will tap brews from Cigar City and Sweetwater today that aren't normally seen in Colorado at 11:30 a.m.

Copper Kettle is releasing three beers in the tasting room today. Fresh Hop #9 is a fresh hopped beer using the homegrown hops of one of the brewery's regulars, John Smoller, who is #9 in the company's Brew Club. The Hoppa is a pale ale brewed with freshly harvested Cascade and Columbus hops from the Western Slope. Horhound Stout was specifically made for the Beers Made by Walking event at Wynkoop Brewing Company on October 3. Horhound is part of the mint family.

Denver Beer Co is hosting its 2nd Annual Collaboration Celebration today from 3 to 9 p.m. This year, the brewery collaborated with five different breweries across the country to create five different beers, which will all be tapped at this block party. There will be bands, food trucks and all five beers. They include Double Tricticale IPA, made with NoLi Brewhouse in Washington; Citrus Session, made with Florida's Green Bench Brewing; Double IPA made with Saranac in New York; Apple Ale, brewed with locally-owned Stem Ciders; and Smoked Baltic Porter, made with Jack's Abby Brewing in Massachusetts.

Falling Rock will be tapping rare and unusual beers all day. But it will kick things off at noon with its annual Sierra Nevada Kill A Keg event, featuring the California brewery's Harvest Ale. After that, Falling Rock will tap beers from Boulevard at 1 p.m., New Holland at 2, Anderson Valley at 3 and Epic at 4 p.m. After the GABF session, the taphouse will tuck into beers from Chicago at 9:30 p.m. (outside), followed by Stone at 10, Dogfish Head at 10:30 (outside), Elevation at 11, and Epic at 11:30.

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will tap Whiskey Barrel-Aged VooDoo Goat Barleywine today. It is also Meet the Brewer Day. And there are at least 16 other beers on tap.

Freshcraft will host Odell Brewing and Boulevard Brewing, of Kansas City, today at 2 p.m. The breweries, who both celebrated their 25th anniversaries this year, recently collaborated on a commemorative beer called Silver Anniversary. This will be the only place you can try it today. Freshcraft will also tap Boulevard Hibiscus Gose and Foeder Projekt #1, along with Odell's Friek, Gramps Oatmeal Stout and 180 Shilling.

And at 10 p.m., Freshcraft will host a Stay Classy San Diego party featuring beers from Stone and Green Flash. They include Stone's Enjoy By, Go To, Bourbon Barrel Arrogant Bastard, Passion Project and Wootstout 2.0, along with Green Flash Bourbon Barrel Aged Tripel, Sour Blonde, Hop Head Red, Green Bullet, and East Village Pilsner.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will tap a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is Blaeber of Love at noon. Then at 6 p.m., there will be Evil Twin/Crooked Stave collaboration night.

Dorchester Social Eatery and Rooftop Lounge will be pouring beers from Grist, Station 26 and Elk Mountain today from noon to 6 p.m. Then, beginning at 6 p.m. Surley Brewing Company will be serving at the Dorchester's rooftop lounge.

Oskar Blues brings back the Oskar Blues Ordeal this year, Wednesday through Friday by taking participants to a variety of its locations in Longmont and beyond. Today's adventure begins at 8 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Denver where the OB bus will pick you up an take you to the Hops & Heifers Farm for a soul-saving Gospel Brunch that includes food, live music, breakfast beers and Mama-mosas. From there, you'll head to the REEB Cycles retails shop and CyclHOPS Bike CANtina for more beer, followed by a stop at the REEB Cycles fabrication shop and B. Stiff & Sons Root Beer brewery & cannery. Then it's on to the brewery and theTasty Weasel tap room for a tour and more beer. And finally, you'll head over to Home Made Liquids & Solids restaurant for a Cajun-style lunch before taking the bus back to Denver at 3 p.m. Tickets, $100, are at eventbrite.com.

Pints for Prostates will host its annual Denver Rare Beer Tasting VI today from 1 to 4 p.m. at the McNichols Building at Civic Center Park. The charity-driven event, which always sells out, is one of the most popular of GABF week because of the rare, exotic and vintage beers that are served. In this case, there will be selections from at least fifty breweries (find the complete list at their website). General admission tickets are $110 (VIP tickets are already sold out) and include beer, a commemorative tasting glass, t-shirt and a buffet lunch. There will also be a raffle and silent auction. The event raises money for prostate cancer research and awareness raising. Tickets are at etix.com.

City, O'City will host up-and-coming Chicago brewery, Pipeworks, for a beer brunch today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pipeworks is rolling out its Denver sales in partnership with Tivoli Distribution. The three-course meal and a dessert will all be paired with Pipeworks beers. The cost is $45. Call City O' City at 303-831-6443 for reservations.

The Alpha King Challenge returns to the Rock Bottom downtown this year.The somewhat informal competition pits the very hoppiest of the hoppy beer against one another, and while most of beer is reserved for the judges, there is usually enough to pass around -- in small amounts -- to those in attendance. The event is sponsored by Hopunion, Brewing News Publications and Three Floyds. Kirk McHale of Thai Me Up/Melvin Brewery has won the past two years in a row. Judging begins at 1 pm. The King will be crowned between 3 and 4 pm.

Chain Reaction Brewing will tap a series of collaboration beers this week in honor of the Great American Beer Festival. Today's is Chain Smoking Stranger with Strange Craft Beer. The Jorge food truck will be in the house.

Beryl's Beer is celebrating the week with their neighbors at Smirk by hosting Beers on Blake from 4 to 10 p.m. There will be ping pong and corn hole tournaments with prizes, food from Buck Creek BBQ, beer specials, and a Colorado Beer t-shirt sale.

Avery Brewing will combine its annual Robe One Out party with its annual Soft Core Hard Core party tonight starting at 10 p.m. at Star Bar. Soft Core Hard Core typically features low-alcohol beers and high-alcohol beers on tap, including Pump[KY]n, Rumpkin, Chai Brown, Lilikoi Kepolo, GORED, Out of Sight Coffee Stout, Chinook Wet Hop Pale Ale, Fall Day IPA, and Überschwein. Robe One Out, meanwhile, allows you to slip into something for comfortable. A limited number of Avery plush robes will be for sale.

Saturday, October 4

Berkeley Untapped, a cool new spot on Tennyson Street, will tap Peace & Assist today at 4 p.m. The beers is a collaboration between Golden's Cannonball Creek and Call to Arms Brewing, which will open next year on Tennyson Street. The beer, Peace & Assist, is a Belgian farmhouse ale brewed with hibiscus, pink peppercorns, and cardamom, and fermented with a brett/Dupont yeast blend. The Call to Arms posse will be there all night long, and Untapped is donating 25 cents from each pour to an environmental, humanitarian, or animal charity.

Falling Rock will wrap up GABF today by tapping beers from Avery at 4 p.m. After the GABF session, it will then tap beers from Odell at 9:30 p.m. (outside), Firestone Walker at 10, Sun King at 10:30 (outside), and finally, New Belgium, at 11 p.m., which is how Falling Rock ends its GABF partying each year.

The 12th Annual GABF Falling Rock Beer Tasting and bottle share with Dr. Bill starts tonight at 8 p.m. downstairs at Falling Rock Taphouse. This annual gathering of beer geeks is hosted by Bill Sysak, the beer ambassador for Stone Brewing. This year's lineup off 100-plus offerings includes brews from: The Lost Abbey, Russian River, Cascade, Alesmith, Firestone, Green Flash, Ballast Point, Crooked Stave, DFH, Stone, Avery, New Belgium, Great Divide, The Bruery, 50/50, Cigar City, Upright, Stillwater, Deschutes, Mikkeller, Evil Twin, Pretty Things, Iron Fist, Nebraska, Alpine, Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, De Dolle, Upland. There is a suggested donation of $40.

At noon, Lucky Pie LoDo will tap a variety of beers made by three mountain breweries that are distributed by Elite. They are Telluride Brewing, Elevation and Crazy Mountain.

Join TRVE Brewing at the Deer Pile, above City O'City, tonight at 8 p.m. for a beer dinner honoring beer, heavy metal and vegetarian cuisine. For $55, you get six TRVE beers paired with a five-course dinner from Chef Kurt Eichenberger and Sous Chef Randa Duffy. Tickets are $55, but space is limited since Deer Pile only seats thirty. Make reservations by calling 303-831-6443.

Freshcraft hosts Firestone Walker Brewing today at 4 p.m. The California brewery will have reps on hand to drink and talk about Parabola, Stickee Monkey, Agrestic, Lil Opal, Pivo Pils.

Then, at 10 p.m. Freshcraft will welcome the Surly Brewing, which will be pouring Darkness 2012, Cultivate, Damien, Pentagram and Cacao Bender. There will also be cans of Surly Furious, Coffee Bender, and Hell.

River North brewery will host its second annual Empty the Cellar Party from 1 to 10 p.m. with brewers' choice rotating rare kegs all day.

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery will tap Cognac Barrel-Aged Voodoo Goat Barleywine. There will be at least 16 other beers on tap.

Denver Bicycle Cafe will host East vs West vs No Coast today. Billed as an a "Anti-After Party," this will be a friendly competition between the coasts (or lack there of) and also incorporate representation from France, Japan and Belgium. For the American Coast war, they'll have beer from Russian River, Cigar City and Telluride to name just a few of the selections of the full 12 tap takeover. The first (no)coast to kick a keg is the winner, and the person to do so wins the grand swag package.

Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project will tap a different beer each day this week in honor of GABF. Today's is L'Brett d'Peach at noon.

Strange Craft Beer Company will be tapping a vertical of its GABF-award-winning Dr. Strangelove Barleywine today. Try both the 2012 and 2013 versions. Watermelon Hefe will also go on tap.

Copper Kettle will feature Smore's Porter on cask. This beer is a homebrewer's collaboration with Paul Mahoney, Certified Cicerone and Jorge Chavez, a Brew Club Member, and his wife Toshia.

Highland Tap & Burger will host Oskar Blues during the afternoon today and pour some rare beers from their taproom. They'll also roast a pig. Then, at 10 p.m., come try some rare beers from Avery Brewing, including Chai Brown Ale, Uberschwein, Wet Hop Pale Ale, Fall Day IPA, and Lilikoi Kepolo. The kitchen will stay open until 1 p.m.

Both World of Beer Cherry Creek and World of Beer LoDo will welcome in Cigar City, Stone, Elevation, Bull & Bush, Ommegang and many others for a Beer Geek's paradise event.

The Pour House Pub will say farewell to GABF with a party featuring Left Hand and Boulevard Brewing beers from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sunday, October 5

What!? You still need a beer? Or, you're still in town? Well then, here's the perfect event for you. Station 26 Brewing -- which is on the way to DIA -- is hosting its monthly Bluegrass Brunch today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a full beer menu, plus music from the Hayward Strangers, donuts from Glazed & Confuzed, barbecue from Rolling Smoke BBQ, and ice cream from Milk Money.

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