In the Effort of Safety, Big Beers Postpones 21st Anniversary to 2023
It’s with great sadness that we report the Big Beers team has announced they will not be hosting one of our favorite beer festivals this coming January. We completely understand their decision—packing hundreds of beer fans into a small heated room with high ABV beers pouring wouldn’t lead to the best experience, public health wise.
For the sake of these kind of festivals, I’m going to jump on my soapbox—get vaccinated. If you don’t know where, check here: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Here’s the announcement email in its entirety:
Once again, our Big Beers board has met and discussed how we, as an event and as part of the craft beer community, should react to the pandemic in all of its aspects.
The path we have each walked throughout this unprecedented time differs greatly, personally and professionally. Breweries are a good example of this, with some experiencing tremendous growth and others hanging on by their fingernails.
We have watched other events carefully throughout this year to see how event planners within and outside of the beer industry have been managing the risks that gathering in large groups can present. In April we were excited that we would most likely be able to hold Big Beers as planned in January and reached out to our brewers to see if it would be financially feasible for them to participate. We got an overwhelming "yes!" to our inquiry, although with many qualifications about bringing fewer people, not staying in Breckenridge for as many days, and ensuring the safety of their teams.
Since that time we have watched the gradual slide toward reformatting events, requiring proof of vaccine/negative tests, converting events to being virtual again, and cancellations.
For our part, we have worked through a myriad of ideas about how we could find a way to host Big Beers safely. Some of our weekend events could be adapted to socially distance and creatively mask, but the Commercial Tasting - our cornerstone event that carries us financially - simply isn't feasible. Different ideas about multiple sessions, reducing attendance, requiring proof of vaccination/negative test, masking to pick up your beers and returning to your table to consume...none of them ultimately provide assurance that we could provide a 100% safe environment, an experience that matches the caliber of our traditional Big Beers Festival, and is financially feasible.
[If you are thinking that hosting the Commercial Tasting outside in January in Breckenridge is a sane idea, consider frostbite and frozen beer before you even work through the expense. I know someone will!]
This is not the email that I wanted to be sending at this point in 2021. I wanted to be emailing all of the brewers to tell them how to register for participation in January to celebrate our 21st Anniversary and finalizing everything with the ticketing company to put tickets on sale in the next 10 days.
However, as a Board of Directors we were unanimous in our decision that we need to wait to safely celebrate. We remain clear that we need to prioritize the health and well-being of our guests, brewers, sponsors, volunteers and staff over the disappointment of postponing our 21st Anniversary again. And we know that when we can safely gather it will be one amazing festival; fantastic beer, phenomenal people and a terrific reunion.
Beaver Run continues to support Big Beers and has offered every flexibility that we could possibly ask. They have been patient and understanding, prioritizing the next 10 years of Big Beers over forcing us to do an event in 2022. For this we are eternally grateful. We plan to be back in Breckenridge in person in 2023, and hope that you will all save the dates of January 5 - 7 for Big Beers.
Our perspective about a virtual Big Beers hasn't changed (we can't even come close to our actual event experience), but we are brainstorming how to be present over our traditional Big Beers dates in some different way via newsletter and social media to celebrate with all of our Big Beers family. If you have ideas about how we could achieve this, please let me know.
We are still thinking that our 21st Anniversary will include an emphasis on blurring the lines between beer, wine and spirits - within beer - specifically along the lines of barrel aging and cocktail inspired beers. If you have additional ideas, please send them my way.
So for now we wish you, your family, and your community good physical and mental health + good business health, and are happy to support you in any way that we can.
Most sincerely, Laura, Bill, and the Big Beers Board of Directors
