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.

Side Project Brewing Big Beers — Side Project co-founder, Cory King (right) Photo by Justin Graziano, @BeerBreathCO

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).

Jeffrey Stuffings of Jester King, Big Beers 2017 — Photo by Holly Gerard, Aperture of Ales Photography

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