What the Funk!? GABF 2016

I know they are separate. I'm specifically asking about GABF.

 

Beers will not be released until the day of or day before I believe.

 

Damn, that's brutal. Appreciate the help tho

 

Anyone have any news on this year's WTF? I would've thought tickets would be on sale by now.

 

Outside of the Rare Beer event, I haven't heard of any events really yet. I could swear by last year I had my WTF and Avery midnight breakfast tickets already. Haven't heard about either event yet (and I'd actually like to go to the Avery breakfast event again this year).

 

Totally: WTF 9/23/15 announced 7/14, on-sale 7/20.
GABF two weeks later = should've announced 7/28, on-sale 8/1; or at least this week...

meanwhile, frustrating to see CS announce "Mercantile Invitational: Brewer's Table" dinner also that week (10/5)

 

The Mercantile is straight up fiyah.

 

Brewery list for GABF released

 

Well, the lack of communication regarding this event continues...http://www.wtfinvitational.com/

"INFO TEXT ABOUT BUYING TICKETS WOULD GO HERE AND LEAD TO THE PAGE TO BUY THE TICKETS."

They planned their website about as well as they plan the event, apparently. Food info is listed as "coming soon".

The "Our Mission" page. Huh? Can't even take the time to proofread??

Does the brewery list seem worse to people this year? No DeGarde, no Side Project, no Wicked Weed, no Sante,


Reasons not to go:
-Disaster last year (they forgot to have ice on hand, for god's sake)
-No communication regarding the disaster
-WAY oversold
-Terrible layout
-Poor volunteer coordination resulting in them drinking a lot of the beer during VIP
-Food was a disaster last year
-It's on a Tuesday night
-Tickets are $100. Denver Rare Beer seems like a WAY better value given the beer list
-Late August seems a little late to the game, completely incommunicado the entire time and then launching the website 6 days before ticket sales
-The list goes on

Reasons to go:
-INFO TEXT ABOUT REASONS TO GO WOULD GO HERE AND LEAD TO THE PAGE TO BUY THE TICKETS IF THERE WAS A REASON TO GO.

OK, so maybe that last one was a bit harsh, but I'm seriously grasping here.

 

Only able to glance/scan, but yeah. Bruery Terreaux, Almanac, Wicked Weed pouring GABF (non are CSA Distro); they have truckloads of sours, to reliably pour til end of WTF. Rare Barrel, Casey, Black Project will be out in first hour...

from last year and a recent share, absent are a few I'd expected & hoped:
de Garde, Side Project, Hill Farmstead, SARA, Casa Agria, Libertine, Commons, Logsdon, Block15, pFriem, Ale Apothecary, Yazoo, Blackberry Farm, Toolbox, Holy Mountain...

like we really need Melvin, Against the Grain, Gigantic, Ecliptic, Crux ?

 

I'm a bit confused as to why/how Cantillon is available for the fest. Aren't there, like, only 6 bottles for CO per drop?

 

All of those breweries are are CS artisans distributing brands, of course they are going to give love to their portfolio.

 

In the past there was a single location (1-3 tables) with all of the imported sour brewers, who are all there through the distributor. The lines for the Cantillon beers (released at scheduled times throughout the fest) were obscene by any standard. I've always skipped them at past WTF fests. There was always plenty of other great stuff to be had.

I'm 90% sure I'm not going. I'm 100% sure I'm not going if that brewery list doesn't get significantly longer.

 

[Press Release] Denver, Colo. – August 18th 2016 – What the Funk!? Invitational is returning to Denver for the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, with proceeds benefiting a local non-profit organization! Last year’s WTF!? Invitational festival raised $26,000 for two local non-profit organizations, Cancer Climber and Water for People. The fifth installment of WTF!? will take place at the EXDO Event Center (1399 35th St. Denver, CO 80205) on Tuesday, October 4th, 2016 from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

What the Funk!? Invitational is a celebration of all things barrel-aged from boozy and strong to wild, sour, and funky. Seeking out the fascinating and inspiring artisans, this invitational style festival provides a curated interactive setting where beer enthusiasts can mingle, meeting the brewers and other alchemists who create sought after barrel-aged liquids. Sponsored by Denver-based Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project and Shelton Brothers, this festival features numerous breweries from across the United States and around the World making some of the best barrel-aged libations.

In a break from last year’s setup, which featured its fair share of complications on festival day, this year’s festival will return to its roots at the EXDO event center. In order to make sure this year’s festival goes off with a bang, and maybe a few popping corks, the brewery has also partnered with Shelton Brothers for a little added excitement. The EXDO Event Center offers a large open space, with unobstructed access to the brewers and artisans, all in a meet and greet style hangout.

“We learned a lot from last year’s festival,” said Crooked Stave Owner/Brewmaster Chad Yakobson. “It is always our mission to put on the best barrel-aged festival we possibly can by bringing in exciting brewers from around the world that would not be here in Denver if it were not for this festival. That did not translate in 2015 as it did in year’s past, as we would have hoped. All we can do is hang in there and strive to make this year the best of any of the years for every festival goer.”

WTF!? Invitational is one of the only festivals in the world to feature so many of the best barrel-aged beers under one roof with all the artisans present. This year will feature more beer from each brewer in attendance, a simplified layout in order to easily access all the brewers, as well as a reduced number of tickets available, with the size of the crowd decreasing by 25% from last year. “With a smaller crowd of participants, back to our old home at EXDO Event Center which holds 1500 people and more beer it should mean a great experience and amazing night of tasting many rare barrel-aged beers from around the world,” said Co-curator of WTF?! and Crooked Stave COO Yetta Vorobik-Yakobson. “Plans are also in place to minimize the time in line by pre-screening and allowing guests to get checked in early so participants can be ready to taste right at 6:00 p.m.”

Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, August 24th, 2016 at 10 a.m. Mountain Standard Time onwww.wtfinvitational.com. This year’s WTF!? Invitational will offer general admission tickets for $100, taxes and fees included and 800 total tickets available. Proceeds from this year’s What the Funk!? Invitational will benefit Water for People, a local non-profit organization that works to provide clean water systems to developing countries.

 

I mean...at least they finally said something and acknowledged that last year was bonkers.

 

Almanac is CSA, but it's a small point. The price is the only thing keeping me away from WTF, I'm sure it'll be a great time.

 

Unfortunately, not to apologize for the people who paid money for last year's fiasco but instead to try and generate hype for this years.

 

Exactly.

 

I hope it's a great event and I hope they move it back to Wednesday next year. I will definitely try to attend in that case. I certainly like what they said above in terms of how they are going to address the issues from last year. When the fest was last at the EXDO I thought it ran very smoothly and I had a great time.

 

Fuck that noise. WTF 2014 was as close to perfect an experience of a beer festival as I'd been to. Why did they need to learn that moving it to a smaller venue, inviting too many people, giving volunteers carte blanche to do whatever they wanted to, running out of beer and food, not having enough port-a-potties or staff working the door or any idea how to organize tables is not a good idea?

They did everything right in 2014 and just about everything wrong last year. Did they simply forget how to run a successful festival in between?