Tickets to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver went on sale this week, and this year, you don’t even need to like beer to find something to drink.

For the first time in its 43-year history, GABF will serve liquor as part of what it’s calling The Distilling Experience . Twenty spirits companies, mostly from Colorado, will be on the festival floor serving quarter-ounce samples of whiskey, gin, vodka and more. As with beer, all samples will be poured for free.

Founded in 1982, GABF remained staunchly a beer-only event for four decades . But as consumer tastes shifted in recent years, the festival broadened its offerings. In 2023, some breweries were permitted to serve seltzer, cider and hard kombucha . Last year, the festival added ready-to-drink cocktails (RTDs) to the men

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