It’s that wonderful time of year again in Colorado. Am I talking about the aspens turning gold? No. Am I talking about the Denver Broncos taking the field? No. Am I talking about ski season getting started? No.

I’m talking about the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). Honestly, we Colorado people don’t know how good we have it. Each year, we get sample the best beers from across the country. And we don’t even have to leave Denver to do it. I really feel bad for all the beers snobs that live in, say, North Dakota.

This year’s festival is larger than last year’s, with more than 2,100 beers on tap from more than 340 different breweries.

It’s way too late for you to get a ticket to this year’s shindig, but you may be able to win tickets if you tune in to: 97.3 KBCO, 103.5 The Fox and AM760. Also, www.Examiner.com is giving away a bunch of tickets on their promo page.

Lastly, the GABF has a message board where you’ll might be able to find a kind soul willing to sell you tickets. Copy this URL into your browser and you’ll go straight there: http://gabf-2009.zerista.com/

Good Luck.

For the rest of us, here’s three beers to try out this year:

Consecreation: Russian River Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, Calif.

This offering may be the sourest beer you’ll ever dare put in your gullet. The pucker factor on this brew is way high. I personally think it’s sourer than New Belgium’s La Folie, but some of my beer-snob friends disagree.

Pale Ale: Diamond Bear Brewing Co., Little Rock, Ark.

Just about every brewery makes a pale ale. This brewing makes one of the best in the world, and it’s been recognized as such at a little beer event right here in Denver.

Big Hoppy Monster: Terrapin Brewing Co., Athens, Ga.

This is beer is: One. Big. Hoppy. Monster. Go find this beer if you’re a hop head. There is so much hop flavor in this year you can cellar it.

And here are three breweries to make sure you visit just to sample everything they bring:

Elysian Brewing Company; Seattle, Wash.

They make great beers across the range of brewing traditions — German, English and Belgian. They also partner with New Belgium up in Fort Collins.

New Glarus Brewing Company; New Glarus, Wisc.

It’s worth stopping by this brewery to see what kind of beers they brought. They make a cherry beer that other brewers at the festival line up for. But you’ll probably miss it. Try everything else, though.

Oskar Blues Brewery; Lyons, Colo.

This brewery is my personal favorite. They’ve been experimenting with some different styles this year, so it’s worth checking out their stand to see if they make an appearance. Of course, it’s worth stopping by for Gordon, Dale’s, 10 Fidy and everything else they make.

And, get you tickets early next year!

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