The American Beer Revolution Showcased at the Great American Beer Festival®

Since the first GABF in 1982, the event has synchronously evolved with the American brewing community. In 1982, the GABF played host to 800 attendees, sampling 40 beers from 22 breweries. Comparatively, in 2013, 49,000 attendees will be offered over 3,100 beers from 624 breweries in the festival hall. Additionally, 210 judges will assess 4,875 beers in the GABF competition, which represents a 12 percent increase in entries from last year.*

“Bringing together brewers and beer lovers of all shapes and sizes, the Great American Beer Festival is a wonderful representation of just how far the U.S. brewing community has come,” said Nancy Johnson, event director, Brewers Association. “As the demand for festival tickets has grown, the number of breweries interested in participating has likewise skyrocketed.  We worked diligently to ensure that breweries who wanted to participate could do so in some capacity. America’s brewing landscape will truly be displayed in the festival hall.”

Inside the tasting hall, this year’s GABF also pays homage to the growing trend of brewpubs and craft beer and food pairings with the expanded Brewpub and Farm to Table Pavilions. Of today’s roughly 2,500 breweries, 1,100 are brewpubs. This year’s Brewpub Pavilion features 36 breweries, chosen by lottery, representing all regions of the country—a 50 percent increase from the 24 breweries showcased in 2012. The Thursday and Friday night Farm to Table Pavilion reprises its place at GABF, offering attendees an opportunity to experience top-notch craft beer and food pairings designed and prepared by chefs from around the country.