In a state home to some of the biggest names in beer, you can expect Denver to put on a good brew fest.

The Denver Beer Fest has already gotten underway, running from September 23, 2011 to October 1, 2011 this year.

The weeklong festival features beer tastings a plenty, brewery tours and beer-paired dinner specials all throughout the city.

However it all rides on the main act, the Great American Beer Festival, America’s most prestigious craft beer festival and competition.

While tickets for the Great American Beer Festival have long since sold out, you can still join in on the pints in the Mile High City. Those with long layovers or folks lucky enough to snatch up cheap flights for this week, join in on the beer-haze over Denver. After a few tastes, the city really will feel a mile high.

Pair up your brew fest with a meal: As part of the Denver Beer Fest, a number of restaurants in the city are offering special dinners with beer pairings. Many of the menus are prefixed in price and selection. You can see a full list of restaurants in Denver offering the beer-paired meals and on what days on the Denver Beer Fest website.

Carry out important research on a brewery tour: For the Denver Beer Fest, you might not score a ticket to some of the events, but you can always try and go on a brewery tour while in Denver. Coors Brewery, just outside of Denver in Golden, offers tours of the biggest single site brewer in the world. Those who would prefer to stick closer to city can tour Denver’s first brewpub, Wynkoop Brewing Co, right across from Union Station. Other breweries within reach of Denver offering tours include Great Divide Brewing Co., Breckenridge Brewery, New Belgium Brewing Co., Boulder Beer Co. and Avery Brewing.

Taste a brew only for the Denver Beer Fest: Coors, the big brew master in town, has come up with a special brew just to share at the Denver Beer Fest. Coors Brewery is rolling out a sample of an exclusive AC Golden beer, brewed just for the event. Samples are offered on a brewery tour.

Butterflies and Beer in your Stomach—On September 27th, the Denver Butterfly Pavilion and Insect Pavilion is hosting its own Denver Beer Fest event. In a space with over 1,600 butterflies, you can sample an array of brews from O’Dell’s Brewery. If you don’t score a spot at this event, you can still visit both the Denver Butterfly Pavilion and O’Dell’s Brewery on your own watch.

A Beer with Breakfast?: As part of the Denver Beer Fest, the Capitol Hill Mansion Bed and Breakfast is serving up Wynkoop Brewing Company’s Rail Yard Ale with its breakfast. In case you feel bad about consuming so early in the morning, rest assured. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.  

Flickr: deege@fermentarium.com