Big Beers 20 Year Reunion Brings Out Big Name Brewers & Beers
Each year, one of the more magical aspects of attending the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is the ability to hobnob with some of the industry’s biggest luminaries. In any ordinary year, attendees are already likely to find Adam Avery or Sam Calagione leading a Brewmaster’s pairing dinner or Great Divide’s Brian Dunn strolling the festival floor sampling beers from Cory King of Side Project.
However this year happens to mark the festival’s 20th anniversary, and for the occasion, festival organizers, Laura and Bill Lodge, have pulled out all the stops to invite back every featured brewmaster from years past for a special 20 Year Reunion event on Friday night. The 20 Year Reunion includes the likes of John Mallett of Bell’s Brewery, Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester King, Eric Wallace of Left Hand, Peter Bouckaert, Doug Odell, Matt Brynildson of Firestone Walker, the aforementioned Adam Avery, Sam Calagione, Brian Dunn and Cory King, and many many more.
The weekend will still include the traditional Brewmasters Pairing Dinner, taking place Thursday night featuring Neil Fisher of WeldWerks Brewing and Troy Casey of Casey Brewing & Blending (Tickets currently available). Then Friday the weekend will continue with the 20 Year Reunion, which calls on all past brewmasters to bring a unique, rare, or new collaborative beer to share for the event. Additionally, attendees will be able to enjoy after-dinner snacks and desserts to pair with the beers during this reception-style event from 8:30 – 10:30pm at the Imperial Ballroom of Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge, CO. Tickets are currently sold out to this event, however, tickets are still available to the Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Commerical Tasting (main event).
Now without ado, a sneak preview of the 20 Year Reunion
| 2005 | Adam Avery, Avery | Big Beers' 20th Anniversary beer |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head | 2009 Olde School Barleywine |
| 2006 | Eric Wallace, Left Hand | 25+One Barrel-Aged Ginormous Imperial Stout - 25th Anniversary soaked in whiskey barrels for a year |
| 2007 | Brian Dunn, Great Divide | 22nd Anniversary Ale & High Gives and Hanging Out Belgian Table Beer Collab w/ Ska Brewing |
| 2008 | Doug Odell, Odell | 2016 Pina Agria Pineapple Sour & 2018 Barrel Aged Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout |
| 2009 | Matt Brophy, Flying Dog | TBA |
| 2010 | Peter Bouckaert, Purpose | Smoeltrekker #061 & Itadakimasu #032 - This Smoeltrekker has been renamed in honor of the Japanese term meaning "I will receive" and was inspired by Ponzo. Barrel #032 was blended with Kabosu & soy sauce. Citrus and honeydew aromas, a semi-sharp acidity and slight salinity round out this barrel aged sour. |
| 2010 | Lodewijk Swinkels, Koningshoeven/Brunswick Bierworks | No Beer |
| 2011 | Steven Pauwels, Boulevard | 30th Anniversary |
| 2012 | John Mallett, Bell’s | TBA |
| 2012 | Todd Usry, Breckenridge | Holidale (Whiskey BA Christmas Ale) & Imperial Vanilla Porter aged in Rum Barrels |
| 2013 | Kevin DeLange, Dry Dock | Cross Cultural, Mixed Culture Saison |
| 2013 | Matt Brynildson, Firestone Walker | 20th Anniversary (XX) |
| 2016 | Geoff Larson, Alaskan | Imperial Bock, & 2019 Smoked Porter & Smoked Porter Vintage |
| 2016 | Omar Ansari, Surly | 2019 Mole Darkness |
| 2017 | Phil Leinhart, Ommegang | Bourbon Barrel Aged Adoration |
| 2017 | Florian Kuplent, Urban Chestnut | TBA |
| 2018 | Jeffrey Stuffings, Jester King | Urban Mutation |
| 2018 | Cory King, Side Project | Coexpressionalism Kriek |
| 2019 | Dave Thibodeau, Ska | Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned - 15% ABV lightly-soured beer aged in Peach Street bourbon barrels with cherries and oranges. & “High Fives and Hanging Out” - Belgian-style Table Beer Collaboration with Great Divide |
| 2020 | Neil Fisher, WeldWerks | Midnight Eagle |
| 2020 | Troy Casey, Casey Brewing & Blending | Stout Tribe |
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