Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival in Vail

The 13th annual Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival wrapped up recently for another year at Vail's Cascade Resort. The sister and brother team of Laura and Bill Lodge have built this into quite an event, such that some very well known brewer's from around the country consider it a do not miss. From Dogfish Head's Sam Calagione out of Delaware to Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey in California, to Alaskan Brewery's Geoff Larson, top notch brewers from around the country have come to recognize this festival as one of a kind. Even breweries that do not distribute in the great state of Colorado feel it's worth their while. Bell's Brewery out of Michigan was represented, even though you can't buy their beer within hundreds of miles of our happy valley.

The festival presents a great mix of beer events over a 3 day span. Brewmaster dinners were offered Thursday and Friday nights, with double beer pairings each night. Avery and Dogfish Head shared Thursday's pairings, while Dry Dock and Firestone Walker took the honors Friday night. The nationally recognized Certified Cicerone program presented a workshop Friday morning, and offered their exam on Friday afternoon. The Cicerone program is the brainchild of Ray Daniels, and is akin to the Sommelier certification for wine. It teaches a curriculum that ranges from draft systems and tap lines, to beer styles from around the world, to subjects such as off flavors in beer and how to pair beer and food together. Friday evening offered a fun beer and cheese pairing competition between four breweries. The brewers from Altitude Chophouse and Brewery, Wits End, Coronado and Alaskan breweries each chose a beer and a cheese to match, and let the group of attendees vote on which was the best pairing. Brewer Shawn DeWitt of Coronado Brewing took home the prize for the second year in a row. Saturday offered more seminars during the daytime. Geoff Larson and Ro Guenzel of Lefthand Brewing put on discussion of smoked beer. Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker Brewery held a seminar on oak aged beer, and Steven Pauwels from Boulevard Brewery held a seminar on Belgian beers. The seminar on hops, led by All About Beer Magazine's Daniel Bradford was a special treat. Brewer's Nick Ison of Sierra Nevada, Cam O'Connor of Deschutes, and Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing/Lost Abbey each chose one of their hoppiest brews and broke down the hops in the beer. The attendees got to smell and smash up each of the hops in the featured beers to see how they play together to create the overall hop profile for each beer. It was especially interesting to hear how the brewers felt that the individual notes in each hop came together in harmony in their creations. Dozens of homebrewers got in on the act and competed in the homebrew competition, with over 15 styles represented.

Finally came the big event on Saturday afternoon. Three and a half hours of open tasting on some of the biggest, baddest beers on the planet. Avery's Rumpkin, a 16% pumpkin beer aged in Gosling's rum barrels, poured by Adam Avery himself...no problem. Sam Adam's 29% Utopias, a blend of aged beers and perhaps the most expensive beer per ounce in the country (the 5 gallon keg was said to be worth $6000!)...here you are. Dogfish Head was well represented with their eclectic mix of unique and off centered ales. Most of the big boys in craft brewing were there, and the list reads like a beer lovers Christmas list: Allagash, Anchor, Bells, Boulevard, Deschutes, Firestone Walker, Flying Dog, Green Flash, Great Divide, Lagunitas, New Belgium, Ommegang, Oskar Blues, Shmaltz, Sierra Nevada and Stone were all there. Belgians? How about Orval, St. Feuillien's, Westmalle, Dupont, St. Bernardus, Rochefort and La Trappe. Small up and coming breweries? Dry Dock, Funkwerks, Roadhouse, Grand Teton and our valley's own Crazy Mountain and Bonfire Brewing were all in attendance. My favorite? Three Barrel brewing out of tiny Del Norte in southern Colorado puts out the most unique and mouth watering barrel aged sour beers I have ever tasted! And I'm normally a hoppy guy. Due to the large crowd watching Bronco's game, which aired in the foyer area of the festival, there was actually quite a bit of elbow room available in the tasting halls.

During it all the lounge at the Fireside Bar at the Cascade Hotel served as the informal social center for the festival, and poured a seemingly endless variety of unique craft beers that were donated by the various breweries in attendance. For those that couldn't attend any of the organized events, you could still get a great feel for the festival by just hanging out in the bar.

The festival takes place during the 1st or 2nd weekend in January every year, depending on when the holidays fall. Keep an eye out for announcements for next year's festival, which should come out during August or so. Mark your calendar and make every effort to attend. You will not regret it!

Chip Bartsch
Beer Buyer