If there is still plenty of blank space in your 2019 calendar, you might consider filling some of those dates with a beer festival or two. True, it seems that there are multiples fests happening each weekend in almost every state (and abroad as well), but there are some that rise to the top of a foamy glass and are worthy of your attention, time, and ticket dollars.
Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Festival
Breckenridge, Colorado, January 11–12, 2019
It’s not too late to make your way to the mountains in Colorado for a weekend of high ABV beers at a high altitude. Now in its twentieth year, the Big Beers, Belgians, and Barleywines Festival brings brewers from across the country to Breckenridge for skiing, educational seminars, and special beer-pairing dinners. The highlight is the commercial beer tasting where almost 100 breweries gather and pour from across their offerings, so long as it fits into the above categories. What you get is a (mostly) IPA-free fest and a chance to explore boozy depth from strong ales, winter warmers, Belgian-style quads, and all manner of barrel-aged goodness. There are dozens of affiliate events, tap takeovers, and even a pop-in bar at the host hotel run by Falling Rock, the venerable Denver beer bar. There’s a reason that this festival is routinely ranked as one of the best in the country. If you can’t make it this weekend, get it on your calendar for 2020. BigBeersFestival.com
Wakefest Invitational & Anniversary Celebration
Miami, Florida, February 2, 2019
J. Wakefield Brewery is bringing more than 120 breweries to south Florida for a day of DJ sets, rare beers (including thirty of their own), food trucks, and general revelry in the sunshine. As with so many other fests of this type, there will be special bottle releases, including an imperial stout collaboration with Bottle Logic that was aged in 8-year Willett bourbon barrels. VIP ticket holders get a shot at some rare barrels, but others will be available for general-admission attendees. These brewery invitational beer festivals have become popular in recent years, with breweries such as Firestone Walker, WeldWerks, and Cigar City tapping brewing-industry friends and encouraging them to raid their cellars for something special. These types of festivals offer attendees a chance to meet the brewers and owners behind the brands, while ticking off some rare beers on Untappd. In the case of Wakefest, expect a lineup that will give even the most jaded of beer drinkers something to look forward to. JWakefieldBrewing.com
Baker’s Dozen
Portland, Oregon, March 5, 2019
With a claim that it’s the world’s “only coffee beer and doughnut festival,” a group of thirteen breweries, coffee roasters, and doughnut shops will gather in Portland, Oregon, for the fifth annual celebration of breakfast and beer. Presented by long-time beer writer Brian Yaeger, the event is held at Ecliptic Brewing and features ten other breweries (including Modern Times and McMenamins, which both have their own coffee roasters) and a meadery. Ticket price includes beer samples, the chance to taste every doughnut on offer, and so many cups of coffee. The festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., meaning that you will likely have so much energy from all that sugar and caffeine to run a race or climb a mountain in the afternoon. Facebook.com/BakersDozenPDX
Minnesota Craft Beer Festival
Minneapolis, Minnesota, April 13, 2019
Here’s an annual event that brings some of the best breweries in the Midwest and upper Midwest plus a few national brands to Minneapolis-St. Paul each April. While there has been a trend toward smaller, more intimate beer events in recent years, an event like this is a great reminder of the fun that can be had at large-scale events. This festival is sponsored by Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®, and with more than 130 breweries pouring more than 400 beers, it’s a full embrace of pretzel necklaces, cheers at dropped glasses, and that little voice in the back of your head saying that yes, you can and should in fact get on the dance floor. Each brewery has been asked to bring a taproom-only beer or a rare offering. Last year the festival took place during a full-blown blizzard, and it still sold out, showing the hearty nature of Minnesotans. We’ll hope for better weather this year, but regardless, plan on making your way to the Twin Cities for a Saturday afternoon of unlimited samples and a full array of beers. MinnesotaCraftBeerFestival.com
Toer de Geuze
Belgium, May 4–5, 2019
While not exactly a festival, this event is your chance to visit the lambic breweries of Belgium. Toer de Geuze is a biennial event (happening in odd-numbered years) where the gueuze-blending houses open their doors to the public. Tours and samples of lambic, gueuze, kriek, and other lambic beers are available. Maps are available, and you can tour the spots over the course of a weekend by bike, car, or bus. This is the twelfth time organizers have held the event, and it brings gueuze lovers from around the world eager for a peek inside some of the more well-known and obscure producers of this classic style: Boon, De Troch, Lindemans, Oud Beersel, Tilquin, Timmermans, De Cam, De Lambiek, and more.
horal.be/en/toer-de-geuze