Happy GABF Eve! Four Beery Events and a Taste of Iceland Tonight

The Great American Beer Festival officially starts tomorrow, which makes this GABF Eve – and that’s pretty much a holiday as far as we are concerned. You can celebrate at four beery events today, and if beer doesn’t pique your interest-or maybe you’re not 21-we’ve thrown in a celebration of Icelandic culture for good measure. Keep reading for the tasty details, 

Celebrate the Great American Beer Festival with a five-course beer dinner at The Kitchen Denver at 7 p.m.  The event will feature beers from New Belgium, Avery, Great Divide, Crooked Stave and Odell. Reservations are $120; call 303-623-3127. 

Presented by Sexpot Comedy and Renegade Brewing, Offensively Delicious, a marriage of craft beer and comedy, invites brewers and drinkers alike to sample suds and laugh with comedians Adam Cayton-Holland, Andy Juett, Sam Tallent and headliner Kyle Kinane. The fun starts at 6 p.m. at the Oriental Theater, with unlimited samples from over eleven breweries. Showtime is 8 p.m., and admission (which includes the sampling plus three full pours) is $45; tickets are available at theorientaltheater.com or by calling 720-420-0030. 

1515 Restaurant welcomes Uinta Brewery and Spiegelau Glass Company today for a four-course beer dinner. The dinner gets rolling at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $55. Call 303-571-0011 to save your spot at the table.

Ratio Beerworks has brewed a special beer in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the historical preservation of Larimer Square, and the brewery is throwing a release party today. Wicked Grin, named as a nod to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, in which the author recalls looking upon Larimer Street with a “wicked grin,” will be available for a limited time only. You can join the party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and there will be plenty of beer and bites from Larimer Square eateries Ted’s Montana Grill and Bistro Vendome. For more information, click here. 

Taste of Iceland, a four-day cultural celebration, gets under way today, bringing together foodies, music-enthusiasts and culture buffs alike. Locals can indulge in Icelandic cuisine at Coohills, where noted Chef Ylfa Helgadóttir is partnering with chef Tom Coohill to craft a menu that highlights native Icelandic ingredients; you can also sip on signature cocktails featuring Reyka vodka created by local favorite mixologist Joshua Tallent and receive your own Icelandic portrait on-the-spot from artist Á“lÁ¶f BjÁ¶rg. Other Icelandic activites in Denver including watching a series of documentary and short films at the Icelandic Film Festival; exploring Iceland’s robust storytelling culture with Reykjavik-based writer and editor Eliza Reid; and enjoying unique musical performances by some of Iceland and Denver’s most popular artists at the Hi-Dive. For a complete schedule of events around town, check out icelandnaturally.com. 

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