I'll leave it up to others to comment on the quality of the inaugural Denver Rare Beer Tasting to benefit the Pints for Prostates campaign, but I figured I'd post a few photos and offer thanks to all of the people who made the event a success.
First of all, 24 great breweries came through with a group of truly unique and exotic beers. You can check out the list of the brews that were served here. Part of the buzz from the event was created by the fact so many legendary brewers were on hand to talk with beer fans about the special beers being poured.
There were the volunteers, many of them home brewers with a real passion for beer, that made it possible to produce the event. The team at the Wynkoop Brewery received the beer over several days as it arrived from around the country and they provided excellent service as beer fans sampled the brews and enjoyed snacks.
Then there were the 450 beer fans who had the faith to buy tickets for a first time event and started lining up for the DRBT about an hour before the doors opened. There is no shortage of beer events in Denver this week, so it was great to have so many people turn out. Several told me they came to Denver from across the country just for this event, which is pretty impressive.
Then there were a host of folks who donated services to get the programs, signs, glassware and other items produced, including eTix, Harperprints, Image Navigators and Eric Mower and Associates. A special thanks also goes out to the Brewers Association, BeerAdvocate.com and Visit Denver for helping to promote the event, which sold out more than a month ago.
The biggest thanks of all go out to Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer Magazine, and the entire team at the publication, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The amount of energy and expertise they put into the Denver Rare Beer Tasting made the entire event possible. Literally, without Daniel's tireless efforts the DRBT would have never happened.
In the end, the Denver Rare Beer Tasting helped raise the awareness of the brewing community and beer fans about the need for regular prostate health screenings and PSA testing. The funds raised at the event go to help the Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, a group that works with men with prostate cancer and their families. And, while there are plenty of good reasons to have a beer tasting, this is one of the best I can think of and why we are talking about doing it again next year.
4 comments:
I thoroughly enjoyed the first Rare Beer Tasting. There was some truly amazing beers that I never would have had the opportunity to try otherwise. And I've never seen so many brewers in the same place at the same time (I heard one attendee describe it as Comic-Con for beer lovers). Thanks for all your hard work organizing it and I hope you are able to continue it as an annual event. I'll post a few photos from it on my blog after I get home.
I was pleased with the wide selection of fine beers available at this first DRBT. The tasting guidebook was a nice surprise. It made taking notes so much easier. The access to the brewers in attendance was fantastic. Kudos to all who helped organize this event. I thought it went well. The Wynkoop was the perfect place for this. I hope this can become an annual event.
I had never been to a beer tasting before, so I have nothing to compare it to. However, I do know that for me, in the future, this was the event by which all others will be judged. Can't wait for the next one.
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