The Big Beers, Belgians and Barley Wines Festival will kick off a weekend of beer and brewing in Vail today. The fifteenth annual edition includes thirteen workshops and seminars, as well as brewmasters' dinners and a welcome reception (for participating brewers only) that will feature craft-beer and food pairings.

See also: Drink of the Week: Kevin Burke Blends a Light Eggnog at Colt & Gray

Vail Cascade Resort & Spa will host this three-day, beer-centric event. And on this first night, Sam Calagione and Adam Avery, of Dogfish Head and Avery Brewing, will be hosting a double beer-pairing dinner with the Vail Cascade culinary team. The Calibration Dinner is $108 and begins at 7:30 p.m. at Atwater on Gore Creek.

Tickets for the dinner and for any of the events this weekend, which vary in price by event, but start at only $10, can be purchased at bigbeersfestival.com.

To whet your appetite, here are a few words from Avery:

My love of beer began as an infant. My aunt would put a few drops of the precious liquid on my pacifier to ease the pain of teething. My passion grew through the years as my parents had a "European attitude" towards alcoholic beverages. As I grew into adulthood, I found it difficult to find brands that challenged me. My tastebuds required more flavor than breweries at that time were creating.

I was forced to homebrew. All kinds of strange concoctions poured from my kitchen. The cases stacked up.....my friends and I couldn't quaff as fast as I brewed. The creations, I was told, were great. "Start a brewery!" they said. So with the aid of Dad and his friend, Steve Wagner, I turned my hobby into a profession.Twenty years later, my singular goal is to challenge your tastebuds, taking brewing to another level of flavor, quality, and consistency. I am......a beer junkie!

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For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings -- and if you have information for a culinary event you'd like included in our online calendar, send it to cafe@westword.com.

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