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The Great American Beer Festival (GABF), recognized globally as the premier sanctuary for craft beer enthusiasts and the largest ticketed beer competition in the United States, has officially announced the high-profile culinary roster for its 2025 PAIRED event. Scheduled to take place on October 9 and 10 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, PAIRED serves as an intimate, upscale counterpoint to the sprawling festival floor. This year’s selection of chefs represents a cross-section of the nation’s most influential culinary figures, including James Beard Award winners, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, and pioneers of the modern American "slow food" movement. The 2025 iteration is being positioned by organizers as the most ambitious in the program’s history, reflecting a broader industry shift toward elevating beer to the same gastronomic status as fine wine.
The Evolution of PAIRED: From Side Attraction to Culinary Landmark
The Great American Beer Festival was founded in 1982 by Charlie Papazian in Boulder, Colorado, with only 24 breweries and 47 beers in attendance. Over the subsequent four decades, the event migrated to Denver and expanded exponentially, now welcoming tens of thousands of attendees and thousands of different brews. While the main festival floor remains the heart of the competition—where the prestigious gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded—the PAIRED experience was conceived to highlight the versatility of craft beer as a companion to world-class cuisine.
PAIRED operates as a "festival within a festival," offering a more curated environment where the noise of the main hall is replaced by the clinking of glassware and detailed discussions on flavor profiles. The 2025 event continues this tradition, tasking over 25 chefs with the challenge of designing small plates that harmonize with specific, often rare, craft beers. This collaboration is overseen by Adam Dulye, the Executive Chef for the Brewers Association and a renowned expert in the technicalities of food and beverage integration.
Colorado’s Culinary Vanguard Leads the 2025 Roster
As the host city, Denver and the surrounding Colorado region provide a significant portion of the talent for the PAIRED lineup. This year’s local contingent is headlined by Caroline Glover, the force behind Aurora’s Annette and the newly acclaimed Traveling Mercies. Glover, who earned the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mountain in 2022, is making her PAIRED debut. Her inclusion is a significant draw for the event, as her restaurants have consistently been cited by Food & Wine and Esquire for their commitment to seasonal, wood-fired cooking and innovative bar programs.
Joining Glover are Kelly Whitaker and Mara King, whose hospitality group, Id Est Hospitality, has become a dominant force in the Rocky Mountain dining scene. In 2024, their restaurants The Wolf’s Tailor and Bruto maintained their Michelin stars, while Whitaker himself was honored with the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. Their participation in PAIRED signals a focus on sustainable sourcing and ancient grain preservation, themes that resonate deeply with the craft brewing community’s emphasis on agricultural integrity.
The mountain towns are also represented by Matt Vawter of Rootstalk and Radicato in Breckenridge. Vawter, the 2024 James Beard Best Chef: Mountain winner, is known for his refined approach to Alpine-influenced cuisine. Similarly, Josh Niernberg of Grand Junction’s Bin 707 Foodbar—a 2025 finalist for the national James Beard Outstanding Chef award—brings a Western Slope perspective to the table, emphasizing the unique terroir of Colorado’s high-desert plateaus.
The Denver metropolitan area’s established "culinary royalty" will also be present. Jennifer Jasinski, the first Denver chef to win a James Beard Award (Best Chef: Southwest in 2013), will showcase offerings from her trio of Larimer Square staples: Rioja, Bistro Vendome, and Ultreia. She is joined by fan-favorite Carrie Baird of Fox & The Hen, whose appearances on Top Chef and Beat Bobby Flay have made her one of the most recognizable faces in the local industry. Rounding out the local leaders are Paul Reilly of the Italian-centric Coperta and Linda Hampsten-Fox of The Bindery, both of whom have been instrumental in defining Denver’s modern dining identity.
National Heavyweights and Bi-Coastal Influence
While Colorado talent forms the bedrock of the event, PAIRED 2025 features a robust selection of national "heavyweights" intended to showcase the diversity of American regional cooking. From the Midwest, Dan Jacobs of Milwaukee’s DanDan and EsterEv brings a reputation for bold, Asian-inspired flavors. Jacobs, a recent Top Chef finalist and multiple-time James Beard nominee, has become a vocal advocate for the Milwaukee dining scene, and his participation highlights the strong historical link between the Midwest and brewing culture.
The Mid-Atlantic region is represented by a powerful Washington, D.C., contingent. Danny Lee and Scott Drewno of The Fried Rice Collective (Anju, Mandu, and Chiko) are 2025 James Beard finalists for Outstanding Restaurateur. Their work in elevating Korean cuisine has garnered national acclaim, and their presence at PAIRED suggests a focus on spicy, fermented, and umami-forward pairings that challenge the traditional boundaries of beer service. They are joined by Mike Friedman of The Red Hen and All-Purpose Pizzeria, whose Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognized Italian-American cooking is celebrated for its technical precision and soulfulness.
Innovation in the Glass: The Introduction of the Mocktail Bar
In a notable departure from tradition, PAIRED 2025 will feature its first-ever curated Mocktail Bar. This addition reflects a significant shift in the beverage industry, where the "sober curious" movement and the demand for high-quality non-alcoholic (NA) options have skyrocketed. According to data from NielsenIQ, the non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits category saw a 31% increase in sales between 2023 and 2024, with NA beer leading the charge.
The Mocktail Bar will be led by Steve Wildy, a James Beard Award semi-finalist and one of the nation’s most respected sommeliers. Wildy, known for his work with the Vetri Family and his own venture, Mad Wild Wine, will apply his sommelier’s palate to zero-proof mixology. This move is designed to demonstrate that the principles of pairing—balancing acidity, sweetness, bitterness, and body—are not exclusive to alcoholic beverages. By integrating a sophisticated NA program, the Brewers Association is acknowledging the evolving lifestyle choices of its attendees while maintaining its commitment to craftsmanship.
Economic Impact and Industry Significance
The Great American Beer Festival is more than a cultural celebration; it is a vital economic engine for the city of Denver and the broader craft brewing industry. According to the Brewers Association, the craft brewing industry contributed $76.3 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 and supported more than 495,000 jobs. For Denver, the festival typically generates an estimated economic impact of $15 million to $20 million over its three-day duration, filling hotels and restaurants during what was historically a shoulder season for tourism.
PAIRED, specifically, serves as a high-margin component of this ecosystem. By attracting a demographic willing to pay a premium for a combined culinary and beverage experience, the festival helps subsidize the non-profit mission of the Brewers Association. This mission includes lobbying for the interests of small and independent brewers in Washington, D.C., and providing technical resources to improve quality control in the industry.
Official Statements and Curatorial Philosophy
The organizational philosophy behind PAIRED is centered on the concept of "unlimited discovery." Ann Obenchain, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Brewers Association, emphasized that the event is designed to push the boundaries of what consumers expect from a beer festival. "PAIRED is where culinary innovation and brewing creativity meet," Obenchain stated. "This year’s chefs represent the very best of Colorado and beyond, and together they’ll create one-of-a-kind pairings you can only find at the Great American Beer Festival."
Adam Dulye, who curates the specific beer-and-food matches, views the event as an educational opportunity. "The goal is to surprise the palate," Dulye has previously noted regarding his curatorial process. "We look for beers that have complex ester profiles, unique barrel-aging characteristics, or specific acidity levels that can either cut through rich fats or complement delicate seafood. When you put a world-class chef in the room with those tools, the results are transformative."
Looking Ahead: The Future of Culinary-Integrated Beverage Events
As the 2025 Great American Beer Festival approaches, the announcement of the PAIRED lineup underscores a larger trend in the hospitality world: the breakdown of silos between "beer people" and "food people." For decades, wine held a monopoly on the fine-dining table, while beer was relegated to the pub. However, the rise of the "gastropub" in the early 2000s and the subsequent explosion of the craft beer movement have paved the way for events like PAIRED to thrive.
The inclusion of Michelin-starred talent and James Beard winners in a beer-centric environment suggests that the culinary establishment now views craft beer as a sophisticated medium for flavor expression. Furthermore, the introduction of high-end non-alcoholic pairings indicates that the festival is adapting to modern health and wellness trends without sacrificing its "connoisseur" appeal.
Tickets for PAIRED, which include unlimited tastings of the small plates and paired beverages as well as access to the main GABF festival floor, are traditionally among the first to sell out. As Denver prepares to host the 2025 edition, the focus remains on the intersection of community, craftsmanship, and the ongoing evolution of the American palate. For the chefs involved, it is an opportunity to reach a national audience of dedicated epicureans; for the brewers, it is a chance to see their liquid art elevated to the highest level of culinary appreciation.
