Big Beers Festival Organizer Grants Interview Co-Founder and Organizer Laura Lodge Discusses Charity Event

Vail, CO - The Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines Festival is a three day event held in January in Vail, Colorado. Offering beer and food pairings, a commercial tasting, educational workshops and seminars, Big Beers is considered a premier destination beer event and is open to the public. Brother and sister team Bill and Laura Lodge host the event; Bill as founder of the initial concept eleven years ago, and Laura as the active organizer of this charitable event for beer enthusiasts. Laura was recently interviewed regarding her role with Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines.

The Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival is a three day event held in Vail, Colorado each January, featuring educational seminars, two Brewmasters dinners, a Commercial Tasting, a homebrew competition and other tastings and pairings. Designed to welcome the beer connoisseur, the innovative homebrewer, or the novice taster, participants will find events appropriate for all levels of interest. The festival regularly draws breweries from around the world offering literally hundreds of choices. The beer & food pairing competition is a popular option as well as the Cicerone Workshop, a program similar to the Sommelier designation in the world of wine. Additionally, the Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival actively supports the efforts of the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, a local organization that helps individuals who live and work in the Vail Valley that have critical financial need due to medical catastrophes, accidents or long-term illnesses.

Locavores Rejoice!

Vail, CO - A recent group meeting at the Vail Cascade Resort was treated to an exceptional “green” dining event. With a nod to attendees who desired a scrumptious meal that also had less impact on our earth, chefs from Atwater on Gore Creek created a menu that ensured the ingredients had not traveled far. Not only was the food primarily organic, 98% of the food was sourced within 100 miles of the resort qualifying in the popular “locavore” category (people who desire to eat food that is gathered within a local range of less than 100 miles). Banquet Chef Brian Busker was the creative genius for the edible “dirt” made from dehydrated mushrooms and olives that served as the base for colorful seasonal vegetables.