The 2017 Bluebonnet Brew-off organizers have listened to suggestions from participants, and this year features significant changes.

The traditional Friday tasting festivities have been separated to Friday and Saturday. Friday will feature local and regional “Professional Brewers Showcase”. The Homebrew “Room Crawl” Showcase will be Saturday evening after the Awards Ceremony. Hotel discounts available, click here

We will have a variety of vendor booths. Very popular recently has been a cigar vendor who also hosts an educational session as one of the Saturday seminars.

One of the most exciting new features is a Saturday paired luncheon. The Sheraton’s chef Jeff Glick and his team have developed a 5 course paired menu featuring local beers from Rahr and Sons Brewing Co., Rabbit Hole Brewing, and Lakewood Brewing Company. The first course will incorporate all three breweries, the next three will highlight one brewery each, the dessert will again feature all three. This luncheon is not part of the event admission. Seating is limited and so we encourage early online registration.

For those not attending the paired luncheon, we have several local partners who will have special Bluebonnet meal deals. Details are not yet available, but we anticipate special deals at LUCK (Dallas Trinity Groves), Rockfish (Southlake), Uncle Buck’s (Grapevine brew pub), and the hotel will also offer grab and go turkey or ham box lunches.

We will also have our famous Saturday afternoon Pub Crawl with participants driven by bus to pubs of the route directors’ choice. Sign up on-line for the Pub Crawl with event registration. We expect everyone will have a great time and enjoy the Pub Crawl outing. Pub stops for each route will be published.

And of course the Big Thirsty will be available as a place to sip and visit.

Keynote Speaker

The 2017 Bluebonnet speaker comes to us not from a Brewery but a Meadery. Michael Fairbrother of Moonlight Mead in Londonderry, New Hampshire will join us to tell his story, share mead, mead making, and high gravity brewing. In addition to an accomplished meadmaker, Michael was first a homebrewer is a BJCP National Ranked Judge. He will speak Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Event Schedule

Friday, March 24, 2017

• 1:00 pm – 9:30 pm Registration Desk Opens/Closes
• 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm Bluebonnet Big Thirsty Hospitality Suite open
• 5:00 pm LSC Committee meeting
• 7:00-8:00 Director’s Welcome and Keynote Speaker
• 8:00-12:00 Professional Brewers Showcase /Tasting

Saturday, March 25, 2017

• 9:00 am – noon Late Registration
• 9:00 – 11:00 Technical Talk – High Gravity Brewing – Michael Fairbrother
• 11:00 – 2:00 Lunch special at local restaurant/pub (tentative)
• 11:30 – 5:00 Pub Crawl!
• 4:00 – 6:00 Registration Desk open for awards only arrivals
• 2:00 – 5:00 Cigar Clinic
• 2:00 – 6:00 Bluebonnet Big Thirsty Hospitality Suite open
• 2:00 – 2:45 Educational Seminars – Brewer’s Round Table
• 3:00 – 3:45 Educational Seminars – Wood Aged or Fruit Beers
• 4:00 – 4:45 Educational Seminars – BJCP Certification or BJCP Advancement
• 6:00 – 9:00 Raffle and Awards
• 9:00 – 12:00 Homebrew Club Showcase

Event Tickets

• Online Advanced Tickets – $50.00
• Day of Event Tickets (Walk-up) – $60.00
• Single Day Ticket (Walk-up only) – $40.00

Special Events (additional ticket required)

• Food and Beer Pairing Lunch – $35.00 per person
  LIMITED SEATING TO 115
• Pub Crawl – $15 per person
  Routes to be determined and assigned at registration
• Cigar Clinic – Varies based on cigar chosen

The Bluebonnet Brew Off does not condone drinking and driving, participants are expected to drink responsibly.