Struth! Great American Beer Festival a sell out

IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says that when tickets went on sale for last weekend’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado all 50,000 sold out in 30 minutes.

In its 33rd year the Festival boasts of being the biggest celebration of beer in the United States, with 700 breweries giving away tens of thousands of 1oz tasting samples of many of the 3,500 labels of every conceivable type of beer that they were also selling in regular size glasses.

Many also hosted lecture sessions on brewing, history, beer-and-food matching and anything else to do with the amber stuff, including the opportunity to meet the brewers.

As well the American Homebrewer’s Association that boasts 43,000 members, had a stand offering advice to novices and seasoned home-brewers alike on how to make a top-drop at home for fun and to save.

Although the Great American Beer Festival was held from Thursday to Saturday, hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, clubs and other drink outlets across Denver also hosted a huge range of events throughout the whole week… from beer dinners to rare beer tastings, beer and cheese and other food pairings – and at one place a full-on American breakfast fry-up with beer every midnight for the week.

Next year’s Festival will be held from September 24-26; you must be a minimum 21 years of age with photo ID to attend.  

THEY SAID IT: As I hurtled through space, one thought kept crossing my mind – every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder. (John Glenn)