As the story goes, during a visit to England for the Great British Beer Festival in the early 1980s, Charlie Papazian – founder of the Great American Beer Festival and considered by many to be the godfather of American home brewing – turned to his British hosts and said that he thought it would be a good idea if the United States had its own beer festival.

To which famed British beer and whiskey writer Michael Jackson replied dryly, “But where will you get the beer?”

Jackson had a point. At the time the United States was home to less than 100 breweries. The nation’s brewing industry had been largely decimated by the effects of Prohibition and industry consolidation. Experts believed that by the turn of the century the United States would be down to two or three massive companies producing Budweiser, Miller and Coors – pretty much the same type of beer brewed to appeal to the masses.

Papazian, however, had a different vision. He knew of bold entrepreneurs and upstart breweries that were trying to revive a long-lost American beer culture – one of stylistic choice and regional variety. They believed that given the opportunity beer drinkers could be become beer lovers and champion the idea of a diverse beer-scape.

In 1982 the first Great American Beer Festival was held at Millennium Harvest House in Boulder with but 24 breweries. Over the years the festival, which now occupies the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, has grown alongside the nation’s breweries, of which there are nearly 8,000 today. The festival features 4,000 different beers from 800 breweries that attendees can sample over the course of four sessions during a weekend every fall.

Over the years, Colorado has become known as one of the nation’s beer hot spots, boasting nearly 400 breweries of its own. In September and October that number swells as breweries from across the country convene for the festival and its famed beer competition which is akin to the Super Bowl of the beer world. The GABF competition is among the largest, most respected and coveted beer competitions in the nation, where winning a medal means instant stardom and increased demand for the few brews that achieve such accolades.

Coloradoans love their beer as much as they love climbing Colorado’s 14’ers or rooting for the Broncos. Beer has become part of our state culture and identity, and the Great American Beer Festival is as much a celebration of Colorado as is it is of the nation.

If you’ve never been, I encourage you to experience the Great American Beer Festival for yourself. The Great American Beer Festival takes place annually in October downtown at the Colorado Convention Center. Dozens of events surround the fest.

Papazian retired from his official GABF duties last year, but before he left, many asked the question, “Did you ever imagine all of this, Charlie?”

Without hesitation, he just smiled and replied, “Yes.”