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2013 Brewmasters' Dinners Our 2013 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines event host is the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, and they have again enthusiastically wrapped their arms around both of our Brewmasters’ Dinners.
At the end of his apprenticeship, Todd cooked for several different chefs as business required. Started working at the Bristol Hotel Company's flagship hotel in 1987 as a Sous Chef. During his 16 year tenure at Bristol Hotels, Todd held the following positions, Sous Chef, Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Director, Director of Convention Services, Rooms Director, and General Manager. As GM, Todd was responsible for renovating and repositioning 5 properties, all with heavy food and beverage operations in Jackson MS, Atlanta GA and Omaha NE. Todd completed the American Hotel Motel Association's Certified Hotel Administration program in 1996. He was awarded as "Hometown Hero" by the Jackson MS Chamber of Commerce and inducted into the Chamber's Leadership Jackson program. Todd moved back to Texas in 2000 and started working as District Manager and Corporate Executive Chef for Alonti Café and Catering managing 8 stores. In 2005 Todd Moved to Hot Springs to join the Homestead Culinary where he worked as the Banquet Chef and Executive Sous Chef. In 2011 Todd moved to Vail, Colorado to work with Destination Hotels and Resorts Vail Cascade Property. Todd is an Eagle Scout and worked at Philmont Scout Ranch as a Ranger. Chef Todd has included his entire team in the Brewmasters' Dinner preparations, and has in fact divided his team in half. The team members for each half have not been announced as yet, but will be posted soon.
Kevin DeLange is the owner and operator of Dry Dock Brewing Co. and The Brew Hut, sister businesses in Aurora, Colorado. After earning a Masters degree in History from Iowa State University, Kevin spent a number of years in corporate America before diving into entrepreneurship in 2002 with his purchase of The Brew Hut, an existing business selling homebrewing equipment and ingredients, after brewing only six extract batches. Under his leadership, The Brew Hut has enjoyed 40 quarters of year-over-year growth. After only three years as a retailer, Kevin decided to make the leap into craft brewing, opening Dry Dock Brewing in 2005 when the 800 sq. ft. space next to The Brew Hut became vacant. Built almost solely on word-of-mouth advertising and quality beers, Dry Dock has garnered some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including 2009’s Small Brewing Company of the Year award at the Great American Beer Festival. Despite two expansions in June 2009 and January 2011, keeping up with production has been the biggest challenge. To keep up with demand, Dry Dock is currently working to expand to a 40bbl brew house in a 30,000 sqft facility by the end of the year.
2007 Russell Schehrer Award 2012, 2010, 2006 and 2004 World Beer Cup Champion Brewmaster Like most college students, Matt Brynildson’s initial exposure to beer was, as he puts it, “limited to American industrial lagers.” But a fortuitous foreign exchange tour in Europe—during which he sampled some of the world’s finest brews—inspired a passion for fine beer that ultimately put him on the fast track to brewing success. Today, Matt is regarded as one of the most talented brewers in the nation. After graduating from Kalamazoo College with a degree in chemistry in 1993, Matt—by then a dedicated home brewer—joined Michigan’s KALSEC Inc. as a hop chemist, performing research and development on hops for the brewing industry. There, he worked under the tutelage of Rudy Held, former head brewmaster at Stroh’s, and refined his brewing education in the company’s vast brewing library. In 1995, Matt continued to advance his brewing skills by attending a course at the famed Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology in Chicago. Shortly thereafter, Chicago’s new Goose Island Brewing Company tapped him, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become head brewer. Under Matt’s guidance, Goose Island’s brews enjoyed phenomenal success, ultimately serving eight Midwestern states with an output of 50,000 barrels. Matt joined SLO Brewing Company on California’s Central Coast in January 2000, revitalizing the company’s brewing program while earning broad industry acclaim along the way. When Adam Firestone and David Walker purchased the former SLO Brewing facility in Paso, they tapped Matt to head their brewing operations. Since then, Matt has helped launch Firestone Walker Brewing Company on what All About Beer Magazine called a “white-hot run of medals” at major beer competitions. He was named the 2012 World Beer Cup Champion Brewmaster for the category of mid-size brewing company, which followed his earning of the same honor at the 2004, 2006, 2010 World Beer Cups. He was also named 2007 Great American Beer Festival Brewmaster of The Year for the category of mid-size brewing company, an honor that he also earned in 2003.
_____________________________________________ In turn, both welcoming us to the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa and opening our 13th Anniversary weekend, the Calibration Dinner on Thursday night will begin in the Library and Mountainside Room, and continue in Atwater on Gore Creek. As is traditional, Adam Avery and Sam Calagione will be co-hosting the opening festivities. Sam Calagione, Founder/President, Dogfish Head Brewing & Eats, Milton, DE Today Dogfish Head is among the fastest growing breweries in the country. Dogfish Head has focused on brewing stronger, more exotic beers since the day it opened as the motto “Off-centered ales for off-centered people” attests to. Dogfish Head has grown into a 180 person company with a restaurant/brewery/distillery in Rehoboth Beach and a production brewery in Milton, Delaware, selling beer in 27 states. Sam currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Brewers Association and was a finalist in 2011 and 2012 for a James Beard Foundation Award in the Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional category. Fast Company Magazine named Sam one of The 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011. He is the author of “Brewing up a Business” and “Extreme Brewing,” and co-authored “He Said Beer, She Said Wine.” Sam lives in beautiful Lewes, Delaware, with his wife and Dogfish VP Mariah and their two children Sammy and Grier. Adam Avery, Founder/Brewmaster, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO I was forced to homebrew. All kinds of strange concoctions poured from my kitchen. The cases stacked up.....my friends and I couldn't quaff as fast as I brewed. The creations, I was told, were great. "Start a brewery!" they said. So with the aid of Dad and his friend, Steve Wagner, I turned my hobby into a profession. Nineteen years later, my singular goal is to challenge your tastebuds, taking brewing to another level of flavor, quality, and consistency. I am......a beer junkie!” Now that you are familiar with this year’s Hosts, here’s the lowdown on the Dinners themselves: The format of the Brewmasters’ Dinners is rather unique. It is a “double” beer pairing in the full sense of the term. The chef for each dinner is challenged to design a menu around the creations that the Brewmasters offer. Each course features one beer from each brewery, therefore considerably more difficult than a single pairing for each. And Chef is pairing five courses for each dinner, which makes for an incredible beer adventure as well! This year the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, Dry Dock Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing Co. and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery have all agreed to follow the historical precedent of donating product and assisting us with our special event, and it has made it possible to keep the cost of dinner to our guests quite reasonable. The cost of dinner will be $82/person, plus tax and gratuity. There are a couple of different options for purchasing tickets. You can purchase them online by going to our Big Beers Festival Tickets page. You also have the option this year of purchasing directly from our event coordinator by check. Cancellations are fully refundable, providing that we can rebook your seat. (Thus, refunds will only be issued after the replacement reservation has been paid in full.) _____________________________________________ Previous Brewmasters' Dinners 2012 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner
2012 Calibration Dinner 2011 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner 2011 Calibration Dinner 2010 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner 2009 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner Centre V Restaurant in the Arrabelle at Vail Square, Vail, Colorado
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2008 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner 2008 Calibration Dinner
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2007 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner
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2006 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’ Dinner Lord Gore Restaurant, Vail Village, Vail, Colorado
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2005 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Brewmasters’
Dinner
For further endorsement, here’s what Marty Jones said about the 2005 Brewmasters' Dinner in the February/March 2005 issue of Celebrator:
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If you love craft beer, you must come have dinner
with us! The 2013 events will be a tremendous treat. The original weekend event was suggested by Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, and much ado has been made of them by our guests.
Our Colorado Featured Brewmaster for the Thirteenth celebration of the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is Kevin DeLange, Founder/Owner of Dry Dock Brewing Co. in Aurora, Colorado. 
Our Thirteenth Annual 'International' Featured Brewmaster is Matt Brynildson, Brewmaster for Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California. 
When Sam Calagione opened Dogfish Head in 1995 it was the smallest commercial brewery in America making 10 gallons of beer at a time. 
