Great Divide Brewing Company on Upcoming Cultivate

On Saturday, October 6, Chipotle brings Cultivate, a festival that made its debut in Chicago, to Denver. The free and day-long celebration will bring together food, farmers, chefs, artisans, and musicians for a day full of activities meant to awaken awareness about food's impact on society.

The focus of the festival is on local and few things scream local in Denver louder than beer. Thirteen breweries are participating in Cultivate, pouring beers and showcasing their brand. Eater wanted to hear why local brewers decided to join Cultivate. Hanna Laney of Great Divide Brewing Company answered our questions.

How and why did your brewery become involved in Cultivate? Cultivate reached out to us to be a part of their upcoming festival and we were very excited at the prospect of having a chance to be featured there. We pride ourselves in making beer that pairs uniquely well with food and so this fest seemed like a great fit for us.

What is the extent of the involvement in this festival? Our beers will be poured with other local beer and wine options.

Why is it important for local breweries to be represented? It's very important for local breweries to be represented at festivals like this because it re-enforces a spirit of community that is vital to the ethos of those craft breweries. Craft breweries are unique incubators of community strength, in my opinion. To be involved at a festival that celebrates the notion of community is to further that philosophy. Supporting local breweries, like supporting local food providers and growers, is an integral part of how we can make our society better.

What do you expect to gain for your brewery out of the Cultivate festival? By us being there, we get the chance to interact with the people who love our beer and those who maybe haven't had the chance to try it yet. Being able to share a beer with people is something we truly believe in. This festival gives us an opportunity to share our passion with our neighbors and friends. Denver is the heart of our business and it just makes sense for us to be able to celebrate in the heart of the city.

What do you believe your brewery will contribute to the experience of the festival? The festival sounds like it will be a fun, sunny day of music, food and drink. What better accompaniment to a day in the park than a tasty, locally-brewed craft beer? We hope to help make this a great day for everyone involved. This festival is a celebration and no celebration is complete without beer!

What do you look forward to the most on the day of Cultivate? We're looking forward to just enjoying the revelry of the day. Here at Great Divide, we love a good party. This one sounds like it has all the makings to be excellent! We can't wait to share a cheers with other happy Denver festival-goers.