Russian River, Dogfish, and more: the five breweries with the longest lines at the Great American Beer Fest

Blurred lines isn't only a creepy Robin Thicke song, it's also what beer lovers at the Great American Beer Festival see when they're waiting behind 60 other people to try samples from their favorite brewery. We decided to wait in line with those people at the Thursday night session of the GABF and talk to them about the popular beers they patiently queued up for, all of which you obviously need to drink, like now. Hey, it's 5:00 somewhere! Except it's not because there's only a 1 in 60 chance that you're reading this exactly on any hour.

New Glarus Serendipity beer
Rebecca Feder

The Brewery:New Glarus Brewing
Estimated wait time: 15 minutes
Why people waited in line for it: New Glarus is known for their fruit beers, and everyone we spoke to was pumped to sample them. One brewmaster waiting in line underlined how difficult it is to brew fruit beers well, saying, "I would never attempt a strawberry rhubarb beer." Their beers are also known for not being served outside of Wisconsin other than this weekend in Denver.
Beers everyone was sampling: Serendipity, Strawberry Rhubarb

Pliny the Elder
Rebecca Feder/Flickr:Adam Barhan

The Brewery:Russian River
Estimated wait time: 20 minutes
Why people waited in line for it: Pliny the Elder's reputation was luring people to wait in what looked to be the longest line we saw all night, not including the one near the urinals. One guy said he was curious to see if Pliny lived up to the hype. Spoiler alert: you bet your Roman naturalist and philosopher-loving butt it does.
Beers everyone was sampling: Pliny the Elder, Framboise for a Cure

The Lost Abbey Saison beer bottle
Rebecca Feder

The Brewery:The Lost Abbey
Estimated wait time: 15 minutes
Why people waited in line for it: The SoCal brewer has a strong following in their home state, but the Belgian beer fans from all over the place flocked to wait for their liquid deliciousness. "They don't brew anything that's not great," said one fan, waiting in line for their Saison Blanc.
Beers everyone was sampling: Duck Duck Gooze, Framboise de Amorosa

Cigar City Brewing beer
Rebecca Feder/Flickr:Cogocogo

The Brewery:Cigar City Brewing
Estimated wait time: 10 minutes
Why people waited in line for it: Cigar City's phallus-like logo and limited east coast distribution didn't stop them from getting a fantastic reputation from beer drinkers all over, as many waiting in line had never tried it before, but had heard good things. And hear right they did: that Cucumber Saison was refreshing as all get out. Even a guy who hates pickles would love it.
Beers everyone was sampling: Cucumber Saison, White Oak Aged Jai Alai IPA

Dogfish Head beer
Rebecca Feder/Dogfish Head Brewery

The Brewery:Dogfish Head Brewery
Estimated wait time: 20 minutes
Why people waited in line for it: There was a definite buzz for the Grateful Dead collab beer American Beauty, and not just because everyone in Denver is high all the time and loves the Dead. That's a totally ridiculous stereotype -- some of them love String Cheese Incident! One dude we talked to said he waited for their beers because they're consistently unique -- take Choc Lobster, a porter brewed with live lobsters and chocolate.
Beers everyone was sampling: American Beauty and the 12% ABV Palo Santo Marron