BREAKING | Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Announces 2021 Cancellation

There will be no joy in Breckenridge this January as Laura and Bill Lodge, organizers of Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines, have announced the cancellation of the 2021 event. The festival was planned for January 7-9, 2021 in Breckenridge, CO. The cancellation follows similar moves by virtually every onsite beer festival in 2020 and represents one of the first 2021 events to be canceled. It would have marked the 21st annual event.

Organizers attributed the cancellation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions on gatherings.

“Our Big Beers board has met and discussed the pandemic situation. We are very clear that our first priority as a Big Beers community needs to be supporting our sponsors and brewers throughout this bizarre and difficult time as they work hard to adapt business as necessary – and not by asking you to travel and/or otherwise support us in January of 2021,” said organizer Laura Lodge.

Lodge went on to explain that they’ve decided not to move forward with a virtual version of the event, but that they are still exploring the possibility of some scaled-down homage via newsletter or social media that would take place on the originally proposed January 2021 date.

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Event Recap | Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines 2017

This piece was written and composed by PorchDrinking.com staff K.C. Cunilio, Chris Day, Kelissa Heiber, Kara Loo and Holly Gerard, with photo contributions from Holly Gerard of Persika Photography.

Last weekend … Read More

Event Preview | 2017 Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines

January marks the return of one of our favorite Colorado beer events, the (formerly Vail) Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines festival. With activities ranging from brewing seminars and sensory panels to the drool-worthy commercial tasting session featuring an epic beer list from more than 150 breweries from around the world, this fest offers a unique experience attendees are unlikely to forget. Besides dropping Vail from the name, what changes will 2017 bring?

(More: Pour List for 2017 Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines)

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Event Preview | 2016 Vail Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines

If you’ve followed PorchDrinking over the years, you’ll have already know that the Vail Big Beers Belgians & Barleywines (VBBB) festival is our favorite event each year. Enveloped by world class ski terrain, and picturesque mountain vistas, VBBB has become truly a destination event, one that is more prominently bolstered by all-star celebrity brewer attendees, premiere educational seminars, a home brew competition, calibration dinner, and most importantly, one of the preeminent lineups of breweries and rare beers on the festival circuit.

This year Vail Big Beers Belgians and Barleywines returns for its 16th iteration, featuring classic headline names in the industry who always bring the house like, Avery, Dogfish Head, Goose Island, Bells, Great Divide, Perennial, etc, as well as several prominent rising newcomers like Arizona Wilderness, Jackie O’s, and Wicked Weed to name a few. Organizer Laura Lodge was kind enough to share the tentative list of attending breweries for this year’s commercial tasting taking place Saturday, January 9 from 2:30 – 6 p.m. *Update, the commercial tasting has officially sold out online however tickets are still available at select liquor stores in the Vail Valley including: Alpine Wine & Spirits (West Vail), West Vail LiquorMart (West Vail), Avon Liquors (Avon), Beaver Liquors (Avon), Riverwalk Wine & Spirits (Edwards), Wine & Wort Home Brew Shop (Eagle)* Read More