Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII

The Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII will be held on Oct. 7 at the renovated McNichols Civic Center Building. The event raises fund for the Pints for Prostates campaign, helping us to reach men through the universal language of beer.

We are expanding the brewery count this year to 54 of America’s top craft beer producers, all pouring rare, exotic and vintage offerings. Brewers and executives from each company will be on hand to discuss the beer with our guests. Sixteen breweries will be taking part in the event for the first time, while nine breweries have participated in all of the previous Denver Rare Beer Tastings. Breweries representing 26 states are on the list. The brewery selection process factored in survey feedback from attendees at last year's event.

We will announce the complete brewery list on June 1, but will be revealing some of the breweries on social media in the next few days.

Tickets for the event go on sale on Father's Day, June 19 at 10 a.m. via ETIX. VIP tickets are $165 and include early admission starting at Noon. General admission tickets are $115 for the 1-4 p.m. tasting. Each attendee receives a commemorative tasting glass, t-shirt, program and pen. A buffet lunch is included in the ticket price and guests will have the chance to bid in an exciting silent auction that includes a variety of unique beer experiences and collectibles. All Denver Rare Beer Tasting ticket holders will be entered into a drawing for a 9-night BeerTrips.com organized tour for two to England. Additionally, we are bringing back the Brewers Health Initiative this year, offering a free men's health screening to beer fans during the GABF weekend.

You can get more information about Pints for Prostates on our website, www.pintsforprostates.org.

 

Here is the list of 54 craft brewers committed to serve beer at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII:

• Adelbert’s Brewing, Austin, Texas*
  
  
• Alaskan Brewing, Juneau, Alaska
  
  
• Allagash Brewing, Portland, Maine
  
  
• Avery Brewing, Boulder, Colo.
  
  
• Bayou Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, La.*
  
  
• Bells Brewing, Kalamazoo, Mich.
  
  
• Big Sky Brewing, Missoula, Mont.
  
  
• Boggy Draw Brewery, Sheridan, Colo.*
  
  
• Boston Beer, Boston, Mass.
  
  
• The Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  
  
• Call to Arms Brewery, Denver, Colo.*
  
  
• Cascade Brewing, Portland, Ore.
  
  
• Casey Brewing & Blending, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
  
  
• Central Waters Brewing, Amherst, Wisc.
  
  
• Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Fla.
  
  
• Coronado Brewing, Coronado, Calif. *
  
  
• Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.
  
  
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.
  
  
• Ecliptic Brewing, Portland, Ore.
  
  
• Elevation Beer Company, Poncha Springs, Colo.
  
  
• Empire Brewing, Cazenovia, N.Y.*
  
  
• Fonta Flora Brewery, Morganton, N.C.*
  
  
• Foothills Brewing, Winston-Salem, N.C.
  
  
• Fort Collins Brewing, Fort Collins, Colo.
  
  
• Fremont Brewing, Seattle, Wash.
  
  
• Funky Buddha Brewing, Oakland Park, Fla.
  
  
• Gigantic Brewing, Portland, Ore.*
  
  
• Great Divide Brewing, Denver, Colo.
  
  
• Haw River Farmhouse Ales, Saxapahaw, N.C.*
  
  
• Holy City Brewing, Charleston, S.C.
  
  
• Hoppin’ Frog Brewing, Akron, Ohio
  
  
• Jester King Craft Brewery, Austin, Texas
  
  
• Laughing Dog Brewing, Ponderay, Idaho
  
  
• Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Warren, Vt.*
  
  
• The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, Calif.
  
  
• MKE Brewing, Milwaukee, Wisc.*
  
  
• Nebraska Brewing, Papillion, Neb.
  
  
• New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colo.
  
  
• NoDa Brewing, Charlotte, N.C.
  
  
• NXNW Restaurant and Brewery, Austin, Texas
  
  
• Odyssey Beerwerks, Arvada, Colo.*
  
  
• Prairie Artisan Ales, Tulsa, Okl.
  
  
• Pyramid Breweries, Seattle, Wash.*
  
  
• River North Brewery, Denver, Colo.
  
  
• Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore.
  
  
• Russian River Brewing, Santa Rosa, Calif.
  
  
• Saint Arnold Brewing, Houston, Texas*
  
  
• Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, Calif.
  
  
• Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif.
  
  
• Surly Brewing, Minneapolis, Minn.
  
  
• Two Roads Brewing, Strafford, Conn.*
  
  
• WeldWerks Brewing, Greeley, Colo.*
  
  
• Weyerbacher Brewing, Easton, Pa.
  
  
• Yazoo Brewing, Nashville, Tenn.
  

(* Indicates first appearance at Denver Rare Beer Tasting.)

Breweries bring some of their rarest brews to the annual tasting. The beer list for the Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII will be released prior to the event. A list of beers served during the first seven years is available on the Pints for Prostates website.

Tickets for the event go on sale on June 19 at 10 a.m. The prostate cancer awareness event will be held on Oct. 7 in Colorado during the same weekend as the Great American Beer Festival. VIP tickets are $165 and include early admission starting at Noon. General admission tickets are $115 for the 1-4 p.m. tasting. Each attendee receives a commemorative tasting glass, t-shirt, program and pen. A buffet lunch is included in the ticket price and guests will have the chance to bid in an exciting silent auction that includes a variety of unique beer experiences and collectibles. During the event, attendees can also participate in the Brewers Health Initiative, a free men’s health screening.

All Denver Rare Beer Tasting ticket holders will be entered into a drawing for a 9-night BeerTrips.com organized tour for two to England. VIP ticket holders will receive three raffle tickets and general admission ticket holders will receive one ticket. Anyone wearing a Pints for Prostates t-shirt or hat to the event will receive another free entry for the drawing. Additional tickets will be available for a donation. The winner will be drawn during the event from tickets collected exclusively at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting. The winner and a guest will travel to England in August 2017 on a trip that includes roundtrip airfare from the continental U.S., 9 nights hotel, ground transportation, brewery tours, pub crawls, guided city tours, 9 breakfasts, 4 beer lunches and 4 beer dinners.

Pints for Prostates is a 501(c)3 non-profit charity and all net proceeds from Denver Rare Beer Tasting go towards the group’s awareness mission and help to fund the education and support programs of the Us TOO International Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, and free prostates cancer screening programs provided by the Prostate Conditions Education Council.

 

There have been some renovations to the space, opening it up a bit near the stairs on each floor, and restrooms have been expanded. This has allowed us to add four additional breweries, so we are at 54 this year. The available ticket count is 250 for VIP and 600 for General Admission.

 

We appreciate all of the comments and suggestions that help us to make the event as enjoyable as possible. We survey guests after the event each year and we are proud of all of the positive feedback we get from attendees. I want to provide a bit of info and some clarifications on a couple of points.

We started the event in 2009 with 24 breweries and 450 guests. This year we will have 54 breweries and 850 guests, so over the years our ratio of breweries to guests has gone down from 1:18.8 to 1:15.7. This helps keep most lines small and we provide seating and cocktail tables for people to relax and enjoy the beer. The VIP session was added as a direct result of requests from guests who said they would willingly pay additional money to support the Pints for Prostates mission for the chance to get in early. These tickets sell very quickly, with many of the guests returning each year, so we plan to keep the VIP in place for as long as the event runs.

All of the proceeds from the event support the work we do, including the Brewers Health Initiative. Brewers donate their beer, but it is a costly event to put on. There are lots of moving parts and we could not do it without a corps of great volunteers. Anyone in Denver during the GABF can stop by our location across from the Colorado Convention Center and receive a free men's health screening. Last year we had nearly 150 men get screened and we hope to at least double that number. The results are confidential and sent directly to the men tested about 10 days after the event. The screenings we sponsor with the Prostate Conditions Education Council alert men to potentially life threatening health conditions and have saved lives over the years.

Regarding beer running out during the VIP session, it has never happened. We ask each brewer to bring 7.75 gallons of beer. Many provide more. Because of the rarity of the beers, some brewers are forced to bring two different selections. In the case of Kate the Great, I remember getting a sample of it nearly two hours into the event the year it was poured. They brought a full half-barrel keg of the beer to the event. Two cases of beer running out earlier than we would have liked was the second year when Cigar City was swamped by guests and beer ran out in 70 minutes (no VIP that year, so all guests did get a shot at the beer). A couple of years ago a jockey box malfunctioned at Grand Teton and only a few people got to taste that beer. We do have some beers run out starting late in the second hour and start of the third. However, we always have at least half of the brewers pouring at the end of the event. I always advise guests if there is a "must have" beer on our list, make that your first stop. If there are 10 "must haves" then make that your plan during the first hour. Once you've gotten past that point, you might be surprised by how much you enjoy something from a brewery that you've not tried before or one that has not yet earned your respect. We try to have an interesting mix of fan favorites and first timers. At any festival, especially one focused on rare beer, there is no guarantee that you will get to taste every single beer. This year's list took several months of work to curate and we already have a waiting list for next year. We really appreciate the giving nature of brewers who often raid private stocks to bring special beers to the event.

Finally, we recognize that this is not a cheap ticket. The proceeds go to help men fight prostate cancer and we try to deliver a solid value for the money. It is not that much more expensive than some GABF tickets or other events during the week. It is not the most expensive ticket when it comes to beer festivals or rare beer releases -- granted you don't leave with a couple of whale bombers, you have to drink them onsite. And, the extras -- buffet meal, t-shirt, chance to win a European beer trip -- all add to the experience at no additional cost. We know not everyone can afford the VIP or event the General Admission ticket, but we try to make the event memorable for those lucky enough to attend. The number of people who come back year after year is one way we judge that we must be doing something right.

Thanks for the support. If you want more information on Pints for Prostates and to review our IRS 990 filings you can visit www.pintsforprostates.org. We are excited for Oct. 7 and Denver Rare Beer Tasting VIII!