Some 432 breweries were arranged by region on the festival floor, allowing attendees to assess brewing styles from the Northeast to the Southwest. All this was made possible by a small army of volunteers that kept the beer flowing for the four sessions.

This year’s GABF competition judging required that 130 judges from the U.S. and abroad examine some 2,961 beers entered in 75 style categories in three days: an amazing achievement, considering the logistics involved. Find complete results of the awards on a database searchable by brewery name, state, award or category at beertown.org.

The lines to get in were long but moved quickly. You could tell the “buzz” beers (the ones that the knowledgeable beer enthusiasts were talking about) by the early lines that formed in front of their booths. These included beers by Dogfish Head, New Glarus and Russian River, among others.

Attendees could choose from among many beery presentations and diversions, such as the Beer Book Pavilion; the brewery-logo wearables sales area; and the food and beer pairings, such as Beer and Chocolate, Aroma in Flavor Perception, Italian Cuisine and Belgian-Style Beer, and Beer and Barbecue with Chef Bruce Paton. The Celebrator’s Lisa Morrison conducted a Beer and Health session. Your writer hosted “Inside the Brewer’s Studio,” an interview session with topics like “Can Cans Contain Quality Craft?” with a lively panel of brewers currently canning their beer; and “What’s Doing in Exotic Brewing,” with exotic brewers Ron Jeffries, Jolly Pumpkin; Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River; Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head; and Philly’s own “Joe Sixpack,” Don Russell.

Fulfilling a lifetime goal, I also hosted three sessions of a beer trivia game show called “Win Beer Stein’s Money,” plus a final show with the winners of all three. The final was won by brewing veteran Pete Slosberg.

All four of this year’s sessions sold out early — an unprecedented two weeks before the event. From its humble beginnings as a homebrewer’s party in Boulder, Colo., with commercial beer being served, to today’s mammoth festival celebrating American beer from all over the country, the Great American Beer Festival is now an institution for beer lovers and a sort of reunion for brewers and industry people. Dozens of side events go on outside the festival building in the town of Denver and at breweries as far away as Fort Collins, over an hour’s drive to the north.

The unofficial meeting place for brewers is Falling Rock Tap House on Blake Street in LoDo (Lower Downtown), near Coors Stadium. Side events like the annual Alpha King judging for the hoppiest beer with balance are held there, and new, rare or unusual beers appear on Falling Rock’s taps regularly.

If beer were a religion (and for some it most certainly is), the GABF would be Mecca and a pilgrimage would be required at some time in the beer lover’s life. I have missed only one year since 1990, and I find the event to be compelling each and every year. Next year’s classic will be held at the same venue, the Colorado Convention Center, on September 24–26, 2009. I hope to see you there!

Also, be sure to check out our video from this year’s GABF above, as well as the pix we took below!