Vail Craft Beer Classic

The Vail Craft Beer Classic turns 10 on June 12 and 13, 2026, returning to Vail Village at 141 East Meadow Drive for its most anticipated edition yet. What began as a small regional tasting has grown into one of Colorado’s signature summer craft beer events, with more than 30 beverage producers bringing over 100 beers, seltzers, spirits, and ciders to an outdoor walk-around Grand Tasting set against the backdrop of the Gore Range. Entry is all-inclusive: one ticket gets you access to the full lineup, live music from local performers, stein hosting, keg bowling, curated shopping, and the crowd vote to crown the Best Beer of Summer.

Tickets come in two tiers. Early Access lets in just 15 percent of the total attendee count before general admission opens, giving you shorter lines, more face time with brewers, and a full-size Belgian tasting glass to keep. General Admission follows. Both are available at vailcraftbeerclassic.com, and both sell out in advance for the Saturday session. Book early.

## What’s in the Glass

To kick off the 10th anniversary festivities, attendees receive a Welcome Beer poured by the 2025 Best Beer of Summer winners: Something Brewery from Brighton, Colorado, and Denver’s Danico Brewing. Something Brewery has placed in the top three for three straight years, and both producers are returning with new offerings for 2026. The full pour list is released closer to the event, but the range consistently covers clean lagers, crisp pale ales, bold IPAs, tart sours, dark stouts, and a growing selection of seltzers and craft spirits for those who want to pace across both days.

The Best Beer of Summer competition adds an interactive layer that most tasting festivals skip. You vote as you drink. Breweries put their best forward because the Golden Tap Handle means something to them, and that competitive tension makes the quality notably higher than your average walk-around event.

## Beyond the Beer Tent

Between sessions, Vail Village’s pedestrian streets, restaurants, and the path along Gore Creek give you room to breathe and reset before the next round of pours. The Nottingham Lake waterfront in Avon, about 12 miles west down the valley, is an excellent next-day recovery spot: sandy beach, paddleboard rentals, and a relaxed public park with mountain views. Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, a short walk from the village, is the highest-elevation botanical garden in North America and free to visit, a worthwhile detour for traveling companions who aren’t drinking.

> Quick Tips
> – This is a 21+ event. Bring valid ID.
> – Vail Village is pedestrian-friendly. Leave your car at the Vail Transportation Center and walk in.
> – June afternoons in the mountains shift fast. A light layer in your bag handles the temperature swing when the sun drops behind the ridge.
> – Gondola One and the Eagle Bahn Gondola are both accessible from the village. A scenic gondola ride is a good way to cap a festival afternoon before dinner.

## Who Should Come

The Vail Craft Beer Classic works best for adults who enjoy craft beer culture and appreciate doing it in a beautiful outdoor setting at elevation. It’s a social, unhurried event with no assigned seating or rigid schedule. Couples, groups of friends, and solo enthusiasts all tend to find their own rhythm across two days. Because the Grand Tasting sessions run from 3:30 PM to 7 PM on both days, there’s a full morning available for hiking, river walks, or yoga at Mid-Vail before the festival opens each afternoon.

> If You’re Staying the Weekend
> June fills Vail lodging quickly. Book accommodation well in advance, especially for Saturday night. The town of Minturn, about 5 miles west along the Eagle River, often has better availability and is a short drive or bike ride from the village. The Eagle River corridor between Vail and Minturn has some of the most scenic waterside walking in the valley.

## Plan Your Mountain Weekend

Make the beer festival one part of a fuller Colorado mountain trip. Morning hiking on Vail Mountain, an afternoon at Nottingham Lake, and an evening at the Grand Tasting is a genuinely satisfying Saturday itinerary. Browse lakeside and river-adjacent rentals in the Vail Valley region on Lake.com to set up your mountain base.