There are going to be 800 breweries and upwards of 3800 beers, if you don’t have a plan, you are going to miss out on something.
After all in a single session, barring any huge lines, if you managed to try 10 beers (1 oz. pours) per hour for a total of 40, you are still tasting less than 2% of what is available. Let that sink in, you are only going to enjoy 2% of the available beer so make sure that 2% is memorable.
There are a couple of different strategies that can be employed but no matter what I recommend downloading and planning on the “My GABF” app. You can pick a route based on geographical location, type of beer, or particular brewery. Personally, I am going to focus on particular regions and breweries.
As the festival gets closer certain “Unicorn” Beers will be announced so I might alter my plans based on that information.
My Two Day GABF Plan:
Day 1, try to hit the breweries listed and then explore on Day 2, this way there is room for long lines or detours while still trying the breweries on my list.
Regions of the Country:
Regions I plan to Visit: New England, Southeast, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic
Regions if there is Time: Pacific, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest
Regions I am Avoiding: Mountain (with an exception of one specific brewery) because I live and can travel easily to these places.
Breweries On My List:
Melvin Brewing – Jackson, WY
Wicked Weed Brewing – Asheville, NC
Cigar City Brewing Company – Tampa, FL
Alesmith Brewing Company – San Diego, CA
Almanac Beer Company – San Francisco, CA
The Bruery – Placenta, CA
Green Flash Brewing Company – San Marcos CA
The Rare Barrel – Berkley, CA
Russian River Brewing Company – Santa Rosa, CA
Allagash Brewing Company – Portland, ME
5 Rabbit Cerveceria Inc – Chicago, IL
Rhinegeist Brewing – Cincinnati, OH
Scratch Brewing Company – Ava, IL
Bayou Tech Brewing – Arnaudville, LA
Founders Brewing Company – Grand Rapids, MI
Jester King Brewery – Austin, TX
What does your plan look like?
Are there any breweries or regions that you would suggest?
I am always looking for recommendations.
Hard 12 Brews 
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