This year marks the tenth annual Big Beers, Barleywines Festival in Vail, and will prove to be a ski and beer lovers dream weekend, whether you are a dedicated homebrewer, professional brewer, or glorified brewmaster. Prepare to surround yourself among some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Rocky Mountains, some of the best skiing in the nation, and some of the most innovative beers the world has to offer.
Being its tenth anniversary celebration, this yearly festival promises to top anything it has ever done for previous years. There will be hundreds of fresh tapped brews from all over the world (mostly 7% alcohol and higher), several 10th annual commemorative brews, which will be tapped during the welcome reception, and discounts for all attendees on lodging, food, and ski and snowboard rentals.
Thursday, January 7th, 2010, will mark the opening day for the festival, and it will kick-off with the calibration dinner, with co-hosts, Adam Avery of Avery Brewing Company, and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Brewing. Friday afternoon, January 8th, will offer up beer seminars, Certified Cicerone exams, and the 10th annual commemorative beer tasting, which will feature various one-of-a-kind brews on tap, which may or may not be released to the general public once the festival is over.
Friday evening will conclude with the annual Brewmasters Dinner held in the Cascade Ballroom, featuring the food and beer pairings of a five course meal. That's five specialty beers matched up with five different chef-prepared courses. The honorary brewmasters of the evening will be a Mr. Lodewijk Swinkels from LaTrappe at Bierbrouwerij Koningshoeven in Berkel-Enschot, Netherlands, and Peter Bouckaert, from New Belgium Brewing Co., in Fort Collins, Colorado.
During the final day of the seminar, Saturday, January 9th, from 10 AM to noon, White Lab Yeast Company will host an Experimental Brewing Seminar called, "Brewing Outside of the Box: Brewers Gone Wild!" Attendees will learn the fine art of creating new taste sensations for future generations. The following afternoon will open the doors to the general public, who will be treated to a tasting showcase of over 150 specialty beers from all points of the world. The showcase will begin at 2:30 PM and conclude at 7:00 PM.
