Big Beer Week 2025 Preview
Big Beer Week Approaches…. Are You Ready?
Each year, during the first week of March, Lupulin Brewing in Big Lake, MN turns into a barrel aged beer lover’s playground, hosting Big Beer Week. With numerous bottle releases, vintage tappings and wildly decadent infusions, they promise that not a single beer is under 10%. Do you have a ride planned? You will need one!
It started in 2016 with 8 beer releases, one each day. Now, in 2025 it has scaled to 56 tap releases, and 9 bottle releases over the course of those same 8 days. There are rewards for people who go multiple days during the week (aside from great beer). If you attend 4 days, you get a T-shirt with that years Big Barrel Week logo/theme, printed in grey. For those that make it all 8 days, you get that same T-shirt, but in full color print. And for the real die-hards, 8 days earns you the right to purchase your very own custom Lupulin Brewing Hockey sweater. Once you do, you get a new patch for each subsequent year to add to your jersey, and show everyone that you are hardcore - like a badge of beer honor!
I was graciously invited this year to the annual Big Beer Week Preview Dinner, hosted in the Lupulin event space, “The Stave”, led by none other than Lupulin Founder and President Jeff Zierdt, and his son Aaron, who acts as the Lead Innovation Brewer at Lupulin, and therefore is the mastermind behind every barreled beer at Big Beer Week.
It was an intimate event, where we got to try 4 of the beers being released in bottles this year, and hear about them from Aaron himself. Below are my thoughts on what I tried, and what you can expect to see at Big Beer Week 2025 this year when you attend!
BA Wiener Starkbier
All Vienna Malt Imperial Lager, Aged 20 months in Jack Daniels and
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrels - 14.2%
This beer is a perfectly clear, deep amber color. On the nose it was like spiced apple cider
almost, but once you taste it, you get all the caramelly toffee notes of the Vienna Malt.
Riding on top of that is some toasty bourbon heat. A very unique beer to start it off!
Pot Meet Kettle
Black Barleywine, Aged 14 months in Kentucky Owl Bourbon, Woodford Double Oaked, and Sazerac Rye barrels - 13.3%
This one was all dates and raisiny goodness. The molasses and date sweetness hits you up front, and gives way to a nice chocolate fruit note. This was like a liquid raisinette in all of the best ways!
Barrel God Cuvee ‘25
5 barrel blended Imperial Stout: (1) Russel’s reserve 10 year Bourbon aged 37 months, (2) Barbados Rum aged 25 months, (3) Russel’s reserve 10 year Bourbon & 1792 Bourbon aged 23 months, then aged 14 months in Kentucky Owl Bourbon, (4) Barbados Rum aged 12 months, then aged 14 months in Kentucky Owl Bourbon, (5) George Dickel 18 year aged 12 months
Well, that is quite the barrel list, huh? Well, it is all for a reason. This one had a nice raisin aroma, and on the tongue you immediately get some heat from all of those barrels. After all, this is the highest ABV beer that Lupulin has ever made at 16.7%. That being said, it rounds out with a nice dark chocolate, dry bitterness, and ends really balanced
Double Barrel Night Witch ‘25
Imperial Stout aged 21 months in Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon barrels, then aged 13 months in one Kentucky Owl Bourbon barrel and one Sazerac Rye barrel - 15.7%
Night Witch gives more coffee and chocolate vibes, no doubt. With a bit of spice added in from the rye, and a nice bourbon barrel presence from the blending, this one can’t be missed.
To be fully honest, I thoroughly enjoyed every one of these beers. When Lupulin makes something barrel aged, you know it will be good, so you cannot go wrong.
That being said, I think my favorite of the bunch was “Pot Meets Kettle”. Black Barleywines are a style that is not often found, and it was my first time having it. The style lends itself to barrel aging really well, and this particular one had so many layers to it. The dried fruit / raisin sweetness was really nice along with the barrel on it.
The Barrel God Cuvee was a very close second, just simply because of how nuts it is. While it was very boozy, it is still extremely impressive how smooth it is at 16.7%. Just an all around rare beer that you wouldn’t get to try every day.
If you are attending Big Beer Week at all this year, be sure to check out the schedule to find out what the daily infusions, tappings, and bottle releases are, and plan accordingly!
Thanks to the Lupulin crew for the wonderful beer, hospitality, and passion for big beers, and thanks to Marcus Paulsen, the artistic wizard behind all of the Big Beer Week branding and label art!
Cheers to big beers!