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Tenth Annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival
Vail, Colorado •
January
7-9, 2010
We had a GREAT time this year! If you missed it, plan on next year!
Congratulations to all the 2009 winners!
 2009 Host: Vail Marriott Mountain
Resort & Spa
Weekend Schedule
Imagine a World Class Winter Wonderland of fun activities in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado…and then top off your trip with a World Class International Beer Festival, complete with Brewmasters’ Dinners and Seminars by some of the world’s most innovative Brewers…
Too good to be true? Read on!
Join us for the Ninth Annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines
Festival Weekend! Come up to Vail to experience
the event that beer connoisseurs are raving about. Homebrewers,
Professional Brewers and Industry Gurus alike speak highly
with regard to the unique format, the unusual international
collection of beers, the organization and the overall quality
of the event. For those of you who are Big Beers Festival veterans, this Ninth Annual event promises to be exceptional, with new and different seminars in addition to our favorites!
“It’s one of the best festivals in the
country. The sheer diversity and availability of such exotic
beer styles all in one location really gives the consumer
a great opportunity. Plus it’s got a nice educational
component that Bill Lodge has dreamed up, which encourages
people to try different styles and not just stick to one thing.”
- John Carlson, Colorado Brewers Guild Executive Director |
“This is an important event, because you can scout so many new beers, especially the Belgians and the barleywines, which can be hard to come by. I've never tried mead before, but it was so light and airy that I'm really loving it."
Chip Nelson, The Arrabelle at Vail Square |
“Ocean liners and dust particles aside, the Big Beers Festival is big in the ways that matter –
the flavors of its brews, the dedication of its organizers,
and the passion of its fans.”
- Rick Matsumoto, Rocky Mountain Brewing News |
“I think this festival is a really important
festival for Colorado…There are very few festivals where
you can have the diversity of beers that Bill puts together.”
- Adam Avery, Avery Brewing Company |
Weekend Schedule
Lodging Rates and Information
 It’s the perfect combination for a Winter Wonderland getaway:
A world-class Beer Festival at a world-class Ski Resort! There
are discounted ski/snowboard rentals available, discounted
lodging, and other arrangements made for Big Beers Festival
attendees. All events will be held at the Vail Mountain Marriott host resort unless otherwise noted.
Thursday evening (7:30) opens the Ninth Festival Weekend with a special treat turned traditional! Last year’s new Thursday Brewmasters’ Dinner with Dogfish Head & Avery has now been declared an annual event, and we’re calling it your festival weekend “Calibration Dinner”. Join Adam Avery, Brewmaster/Founder of Avery Brewing, and Sam Calagione, Founder/President of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, as they start the weekend off right with some incredible beers at Marriott’s Ocotillo Restaurant. See the Brewmasters’ Dinner page for further information.
Friday late morning (10:00 – 11:30pm) will see the introduction of the Cicerone Program to the Vail Valley, festival participants & attendees. The Cicerone Program is the beer equivalent to the Sommelier Program in the world of wine. There are three levels of certification available: Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone, and Master Cicerone. There is no charge for this workshop. For more information see the Seminars page.
Friday afternoon (12:00 – 1:00pm) a crazy brewing posse welcomes you to Vail with the Experimental Brewers’ Welcome Reception, and offers the opportunity to hobnob with some of the most innovative brewers in the world. Guests attending multiple weekend events, Volunteers, Judges, Brewers and Brewery Representatives and are welcome to drop in for some extreme beers and meet our Experimental Brewing panel in addition to a fantastic collection of attending Brewers and brewery representatives nationwide. For more information, including this year’s Experimental Brewers, see the Seminars page.
Friday afternoon (1:30 pm) is the American Homebrewers Association-sanctioned Belgians, Barleywines and Strong Ales Homebrew Competition. This event is a tasting by a select judging panel for entries registered in advance. For more information about the competition, see the Homebrew Competition page. Spectators and interested parties are welcome to attend, although participation is by prior arrangement only.
Friday evening (8:00) is the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner. Our 2009 event host is Centre V Brasserie, located in the Arrabelle at Vail Square in Lionshead. We are quite pleased to announce that Vinnie Cilurzo, Owner/Brewmaster of Russian River Brewing Co. will be joining us from California as our 2009 International Brewmaster. Our Colorado Brewmaster is Matt Brophy, Manager of Brewing Operations for Flying Dog Brewery. As a friendly reminder, the Brewmasters’ Dinner has a tremendous following and is almost immediately sold out each year.
 Saturday morning (10:00 am) is one of the newer elements of our Big Beers Festival Weekend. Beginning last year, White Labs Yeast Company has graciously underwritten an Experimental Brewing Seminar, titled “Brewing Outside of the Box: Brewers Gone Wild!”. This year’s “Brewers Gone Wild” will be speaking on Experimental Brewing from differing perspectives with the 2009 theme “Micro to Macro”. See the Seminars page for further information…it’s definitely worth getting out of bed!
Saturday afternoon, the Commercial Tasting portion of the Big Beers Festival begins at 1:00 pm. and continues through until 7:00pm. This international tasting is open to the public and showcases over 175 different commercially produced specialty beers from around the world. Saturday’s event includes the 2009 Homebrew Competition Awards Presentation, showcases two educational seminars by our featured Brewmasters from Russian River Brewing Co. and Flying Dog Brewing Co. and again this year Julia Herz of the Brewers Association will be moderating her innovative seminar on Beer & Food. This Beer & Food Pairing Challenge features a panel of Importers/American Craft Brewers and their brews. See the Seminars page for further information.
Lodging Rates and Information
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 The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival actively
supports the efforts of the Vail Valley Charitable
Fund, a local organization that helps individuals
who live and work in the Vail Valley that have critical financial
need due to medical catastrophes, accidents or long-term illnesses.
For more information about the VVCF, see our website at www.vvcf.net or contact Karen Simon, 970-845-6339.
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