Hello All, I am finally going to pull the trigger and attend either GABF or EBF next year. The only problem is that I cant decide which one would be better. Being in Chicago travel times either way are pretty close. So ill ask for people who have been to both which one did you like more and why.
Both are great fests in their own rights . GABF is huge and has the most beer .EBF is smaller but offers some fantastic beers some of which are only brewed for the event.
Having never been to either, I didn't vote, but if there was a vote for which one I'd go to if I had the chance, it would be GABF
The big attraction for GABF isn't necessarily the fest itself, but all the events that go on surrounding it. If you're looking for a full-on beer immersion trip, GABF is probably your better choice.
I love EBF because it's small and well managed. The beer selection is insane and the lines are not insane. I'm not voting since I haven't been to GABF, but every time I see a picture of those crowds it makes me cringe.
Haven't been to EBF, but attended GABF this year for the first time, It was by far the largest beer event I have ever seen, was able to try some beers I really wanted to try like Vanilla Rye, Sip of sunshine, Last Snow, Darkness, Gold Angel, beatification, Veritas 15. Down side was only one-ounce pours. Night before GABF, stopped by Crooked Stave, Great Divide and Epic. Ended up at Falling Rock pouring Pliny, Blind Pig, and Cantillon Cuvee Saint-Gilloise. Lots of other Beer events around the convention center
I also did not vote because I haven't been to GABF. I actually have no desire to go to GABF, though I would go to Denver around the time of GABF because there are so many events around that city. I think the bar and beer scene during that time would make it an awesome place to be. EBF is awesome. At a lot of festivals, I'm not impressed by the selection because brewers tend to try to appeal to the mass audience and not necessarily beer geeks. EBF, to me, is a beer geek's paradise. There are a good number of breweries that do tap takeovers around the city for EBF as well, but I don't think it's as prolific and varied as Denver during GABF. There are fewer options. I don't think that you can go wrong with either, but I would personally vouch for EBF.
I haven't been to EBF, but GABF is awesome. It's a little crazy, but they keep improving it every year. I talked to some people who are long time veterans and this years fest (2015) was the best yet. Very well organized. Most breweries didn't even have lines, and the ones that did were 5 minutes tops. I got a chance to try all 4 beers from FFF, 2 from Rare barrel, all the special releases from Deschutes (Abyss, Jubilation, Dissadent), Avery Tweak, Special sours from Destihl, all 4 beers from Surly, Morning Wood and Last snow from Funky Buddah. I also tried a sour from Cigar City that I can't remember, Cave-aged Backwoods Bastard from Founders... I got to meet Adam Avery, the head brewer from Surly, and the brewer from Funky Buddah. It was insane. You could go to all 4 sessions and still not hit all the highlights (not recommended to do both sessions on Saturday). I also hit special tappings at River North and Falling Rock, and got some special bottles from a few places around town. In addition to that, the public transportation system in Denver is pretty efficient for getting you everywhere if you don't want to drive. And NEXT year the light rail line to the airport will be complete, so you can take light rail from the airport straight downtown, and it actually has a station across the street from the Convention Center. I'm sure that EBF is great. All I'm saying is that GABF is pretty great too. ETA: more space than last year, 2 entrances, 750 breweries, 3800+ beers.
