Despite being a bit tired Friday, I convinced Kim that we should head down the Denver Summer Brew Fest. Though not nearly as big as the Great American Beer Festival (which unfortunately we’ll miss this year), the price was pretty hard to beat. At $35 per person, the event featured over 75 beers from around 25 breweries. Most of the breweries were local to Colorado, though there were a few from the northeast (Stone, Sierra Nevada) and even Alaskan Brewing.

We arrived just after the doors opened at seven and immediately worked out way to the outside patio. We first sampled some beer from Breckenridge, Left Hand, Flying Dog, etc. My favorite of that batch came from Breckenridge with their Lucky U IPA. Though not quite as good as their 471 IPA, this was great fit for the warm evening. We also enjoyed the bands that were playing outside on the stage. It was a nice touch to the fest.

Later we spent the rest of the evening sampling the many breweries inside of the Mile High Station. I finally go to sample Sierra Nevada’s Anniversary Ale, which I really enjoyed. Other beers of note were Upslope Brewing’s IPA along with some of Mountain Sun’s ales. There was a good sized crowd throughout the night, but you rarely had to wait for than a minute to get a pour, unless the pourer was extremely slow (like at Rogue). I also appreciated having the glass sampler, rather than a plastic one. Though when these are dropped they definitely shatter, as a few people discovered throughout the night. We had a great time, and will have to consider their winter brew fest early next year.