Vail Big Beers Fest tabs 2011 brewmasters

VAIL, Colorado – Steven Pauwels and Chris Bauweraerts have been selected to join Sam Calagione and Adam Avery for the 2011 Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival in Vail. Pauwels and Bauweraerts will be the event’s 2011 featured brewmasters, hosting the brewmasters’ dinner at Atwater on Gore Creek with Executive Chef Adam Votaw in addition to individual educational seminars throughout the weekend. The Big Beers Festival is hosting its 11th annual event at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa from Jan. 6 – 8, and coordinators estimate that 1,200 guests and participants will attend. For the weekend overview, visit http://www.BigBeersFestival.com.Pauwels, Brewmaster for Boulevard Brewing Co in Kansas City, Missouri, is a transplant from Belgium, and has spent more than a decade overseeing all aspects of brewing and quality control as the regional craft brewer’s sales have more than tripled. Pauwels is also responsible for 13 additions to Boulevard’s brand lineup, including the critically acclaimed Smokestack Series line of artisanal beers.Bauweraerts, co-Founder of Brasserie d’Achouffe in Achouffe, Belgium, will not only be respresenting his Chouffe lineup of beers, but also other products within the Duvel-Moortgat portfolio. Bauweraerts founded Achouffe in 1982 as a hobby with his brother-in-law, and the pair have grown the brewery into a commercial venture that has been quite successful. Well known for the friendly elf that decorates all of their labels as well as their exceptional beers, the Chouffe products have a unique niche within the Duvel-Moortgat lineup.Avery and Calagione, founders of Avery Brewing Co. & Dogfish Head Craft Brewery respectively, anchor the Big Beers Festival and roll out the carpet annually with their Calibration Dinner on Thursday evening of Big Beers weekend. Calagione will also be speaking about his recent adventures around the world with Discovery Channel at a special seminar on Friday night.Big Beers Festival weekend also includes the Cicerone Workshop, led by creator Ray Daniels, which is a program similar to the Sommelier designation in the world of wine. Sponsored by All About Beer Magazine, this workshop is free and the public is encouraged to attend, whether attending other Big Beers ticketed events or not. Highly regarded within the beer industry, the certification is recommended for all food and beverage staff as well as beverage retailers and beer connoisseurs.For a full schedule listing, information about the Big Beers Festival’s worthy beneficiary, the Vail Valley Charitable Fund, discounted lodging and ski/snowboard rentals, visit http://www.BigBeersFestival.com.