The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) is a three-day annual event hosted by the Brewers Association, held in Denver, Colorado, in mid to late September or early October. The GABF brings visitors from around the world to sample thousands of different American craft beers. Over 100 beer judges from the United States and abroad evaluate beer in the associated competition, ultimately judging several thousand beers entered by hundreds of domestic breweries. Gold, silver and bronze medals in 92 beer-style categories (as of 2015) are awarded, though not every medal is necessarily awarded in each category.
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Started in 1982, the GABF was created by nuclear engineer Charlie Papazian in Boulder, Colorado. The original GABF had 22 participating breweries and the 2014 festival had over 700. The GABF is considered the largest ticketed beer festival in the United States.
Statistics
For a list of all medalists, please see the List of Great American Beer Festival medalists