Telluride Blues and Brews Replaces Grand Tasting with All-New Brewers Showcase
Telluride, Colorado (January 26, 2022) - Just as brewers innovate and change their craft with time, so do the festivals that celebrate it. After months of market research and careful thought, the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival is thrilled to introduce the new Brewers Showcase. Honoring its craft beer roots, the new beer experience replaces the traditional Grand Tasting and provides attendees with expanded opportunities to interact directly with breweries and to sample rare, new and classic beer offerings while supporting local and regional craftsmanship in the craft beer industry.
The new Brewers Showcase is a multi-faceted experience with events spanning the entire festival weekend. The Showcase will host five intimate tasting sessions with 21 breweries pouring unlimited samples for attendees. The Showcase also introduces a themed bar presented by the Colorado Brewers Guild serving one-of-a-kind, multi-brewery, collaborative beers along with a House of Brews bar with rotating beer styles each day. To top it all off, the Showcase will kick off with a multi-course beer dinner that will pair curated modern mountain cuisine with unique craft beer.
“The new Brewers Showcase is another thrilling chapter that is true to our heritage and rounds out what we are all about - delicious craft beer and incredible live music in an unparalleled setting.”
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company will return as the long-standing craft beer partner to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Throughout the event, Sierra Nevada will pour many of their classic styles, along with six rare specialty beers and a unique "festival-only" flavor.
“We are excited to revamp the brews program with a fresh, modern take on celebrating craft beer at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival,” said Festival founder and Director Steve Gumble. “It has been incredible to watch the event grow from just a small craft brew tasting on Main Street to a thriving music festival with over 30 artists on multiple stages. The new Brewers Showcase is another thrilling chapter that is true to our heritage and rounds out what we are all about - delicious craft beer and incredible live music in an unparalleled setting”.
Tasting Sessions
The Brewers Showcase will feature five tasting sessions in a new Beer Garden on the festival grounds located in between the Main Stage and the Blues Stage. These sessions will host fewer attendees and breweries than the traditional Grand Tasting, providing attendees with the opportunity to interact with the brewers on a more intimate level than in years past.
Two sessions will be held on Friday afternoon, followed by two on Saturday afternoon and one on Sunday. Four of the sessions will offer attendees a tasting experience with 21 breweries pouring over 60 styles of craft beer. The sessions will run for two hours in length with tickets available for $30 per session.
The late Saturday session will feature 30 or more special, high ABV, barrel-aged, rare, wild and non-traditional craft beers. This session will also run for two hours in length with tickets available at $45 per person.
Tickets for each tasting session will go on sale on March 1 along with all other Festival Passes. Tasting sessions participants must be 21+ in age and must have an accompanying primary entry festival pass (Single-Day Festival Pass or 3-Day Festival Pass). The complete list of attending breweries will be released in spring of 2022 and the complete list of beer styles will be released in the summer of 2022.
Special Collaborative Beers Curated By The Colorado Brewers Guild
SBG Productions is excited to partner with the Colorado Brewers Guild, a non-profit trade association, to present one-of-a-kind, multi-brewery collaborative beers at the 2022 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Each beer will be brewed by two or more breweries working together to produce uniquely delicious and exclusive styles only available at the festival. The collaborative beers will be available for purchase at a new “State Of Craft Beer” Bar located in the Main festival grounds.
This new partnership furthers the mission of the Colorado Brewers Guild to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the state of Colorado through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. The complete list of collaborative beers will be revealed this coming summer.
Rotating Styles In the House of Brews
The House Of Brews Bar returns this year with local, regional and national breweries showcasing their best suds. This year’s House Of Brews features a rotating list of styles from 15 breweries throughout the festival, with five or more styles each day. To ensure a diversified menu for all attendees, the House Of Brews will also have hard ciders, hard kombuchas and hard seltzers available for purchase.
The House of Brews Bar is located on the North side of the festival grounds, adjacent to the Festival Merchandise store and main entrance.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company And The High Altitude Lounge
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company will return as the long-standing craft beer partner to the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Throughout the event, Sierra Nevada will pour many of their classic styles including the iconic Pale Ale and the award-winning Hazy Little Thing IPA, along with six rare, specialty beers and a unique "festival-only" flavor in a special High Altitude Lounge bar.
The selection of specialty beers available at the High Altitude Lounge bar will be unveiled from the Main Stage in between artist sets each day of the festival. Many of the beers at the High Altitude Lounge are only available at Sierra Nevada tap rooms, special events or have spent time aging deep in the brewery’s vaults. The High Altitude Lounge also gives attendees a chance to interact directly with brewery representatives.
The pour list for Sierra Nevada and the High Altitude Lounge will be revealed in the summer of 2022.
Multi-Course Beer Pairing Dinner
The Brewers Showcase will kick off in style on Thursday, September 15 with an evening of brews, world class fare, and, of course, music, featuring an exclusive multi-course dinner, presented by festival partner Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection. This culinary experience will pair curated, modern mountain cuisine by Executive Chef Bill Greenwood with unique craft beers and conversation with brewers. Stay tuned for the menu along with additional event and reservation information.
The Brewers Showcase will join over 30 world-class music artists on three stages, late night "Juke Joint" club shows, free morning yoga sessions, a 5K fundraiser race, mountain activities, local and regional food and craft vendors and much more on September 16-18, 2022 at the 28th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. For more information, visit TellurideBlues.com/Brewers-Showcase.
