You can’t walk five blocks in Colorado during the summer without being wrist-banded for a beer festival. With so many to choose from, we wanted you to know how to pick’em, and how to get the most out of the ones you end up at. Here's some expert advice on how to do it, from Kevin Delange, co-owner of Dry Dock Brewing.

You can’t walk five blocks in Colorado during the summer without being wrist-banded for a beer festival. With so many to choose from, we wanted you to know how to pick’em, and how to get the most out of the ones you end up at. Here's some expert advice on how to do it, from Kevin Delange, co-owner of Dry Dock Brewing.

What is festival season like as a brewery?
It’s crazy, we’ve done so many festivals in the past few years, and there has been an influx of them. We recently decided to slash our festival attendance in half because we don’t have enough beer. We’re growing so fast, and we don’t have enough staff. But it’s still going to be crazy. There’s one weekend, I think July 19, we have four at once.

How do you decide which ones you’re going to go to?
Our first criterion is, is it a really fun festival? If someone wants to go work, we’ll participate. The next criterion is location. In the past, we’ve done ones that are close to the brewery and tasting room. Now, as we expand, we will give a little more preferential treatment to Colorado Springs or Fort Collins, because those are the markets we have more potential to grow in. Then there’s the charity: Is it successful, and has it been around for a while? And finally, how did the festival go last year? Sometimes they’re not organized well, it’s not attended well, or it’s a drunk-fest. People don’t taste beers, aren’t talking to you about your beers, they’re just going around and drinking. If we get into those, we won’t go back the next year.

Do you have a favorite festival?
Ours is the Brewer’s Rendezvous in Salida.

Why do you participate in festivals?
It’s a great way to get exposure. Festivals are worthwhile because they support the charity and brand awareness. I think all these new breweries in Colorado will be well served by going to a lot of festivals.

What makes a successful festival?
The festivals where people really wanna taste the beer, experience new beers and have a chance to communicate with the breweries are the most successful.

How do you pick the festival that will be best for you?
I always look for something that’s more than just a beer festival. Go to one that’s also a barbecue challenge like the one in Conifer in the fall. Go to one that’s a chili cook-off. There’s a really great one in Dillon that’s also a bluegrass festival. There are so many; there’s no reason to go to one that’s just a beer festival.

How do you get the most out of a beer festival?
First, you walk through the whole festival and see who’s there, and then try breweries you haven’t tried. Then try different styles that you wouldn’t normally drink. After you’ve experienced new breweries and new styles of beer, you can go back to old favorites, enjoy the other aspects of the festival and relax.

Is there a good way to drink at a festival? We hear going from light to dark won’t ruin your palate.
Ideally you do that, but it’s impractical at a festival. The main things are palate cleansers. Just bounce around, and taste whatever you want.

What is the most important thing to remember?
Not drinking too much. People wanna get value for their dollar, but the most important thing is to get home safe.

Do you have any etiquette tips?
I don’t think so. Drunk-fests are what they are, but most of the people who go to beer fests are already respectful. You don’t see a lot of inappropriate behavior at beer festivals.

How can you tell if you shouldn’t even bother with a festival?
It’s hard to tell until you get there. The biggest thing is over crowding; about 30 percent of them are oversold. You get there, and it’s a mess. There are so many people you can’t get a beer, you can’t talk to the brewer. It doesn’t make sense to go to one that’s super packed. You don’t know until you go, but if you pick those ones that have another aspect to them, they’re usually better coordinated. And you can take breaks and go listen to bluegrass or eat some barbecue or whatever.