VALENTINE, TX (KWES) - As many people get ready for Valentine's Day, one local brewery is making it a memorable one for locals and West Texas visitors.
Big Bend Brewing holds their Valentines in Valentine Texas celebration as a way to get couples from all over to come together, but also to give back to a small town.
They're introducing Old Love this year. Old Love is the name of Big Bend Brewing's Barleywine they've been working on for the past year.
"It's a 10.7% AVB so it's a very heavy, rich, decadent, flavorful beer. It's headed by our amazing director of brewing operations Jan Matysiak," said Mahala Guevera, Vice President of Operations for Big Bend Brewing.
And now Old Love will be getting new love. With only 214 bottles made, it's a beer that only you can only get your hands on at their Valentine's in Valentine party this Wednesday.
"It's a super special limited-edition premium treat for people who make the investment who drive all the way out here for this party," said Guevera.
In the small town, where the population has dwindled over the years, will triple on February 14th. On the same day of every year, locals and even people out-of-state come by to celebrate the love holiday right in ol' Valentine, Texas.
"It draws people from not only the town of Valentine, but we've had people that come from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco to come to the party," said Guevera. "People love West Texas and they love an excuse to come experience the community of West Texas. The Valentine's Day party is a perfect time to do that."
What started out as an idea of a get-together in a small ghost town, has ended up as a party where hundreds of people flock to six years later.
"We loved driving through Valentine, and there's a beautiful mercantile building that was abandoned for many years," said Guevera.
Held at the Old Mercantile, built in 1907, it was a grocery store that served the area for ranchers for about 70 years. But once a year, these 111-year-old floors come alive as grounds for one of the biggest Valentines Day celebrations here in West Texas.
"Our founder Matt Kreuger drove by the Mercantile building and thought wouldn't it be a good place to have a party, six weeks later, he owned it and six weeks after that, we through our first Valentine in Valentine Texas party," said Guevera.
With the 14th falling on a Wednesday, they call it "Locals Night," where West Texas bands come to perform.
"So many of us are so busy in our daily lives, it's hard to take time to appreciate that moment of coming together and taking time under the stars to enjoy your neighbors and enjoy great live music," said Guevera.
But Big Bend Brewing is actually doing something bigger with some of the money they receive. All in the effort to give back to the City of Valentine, and to the Valentine school district's senior class, where they can use that money for their traveling program.
"Those kids work really hard to raise funds and we're happy to donate a big portion of the proceeds from the door to this experience of these West Texas kids to travel the world," she said.
A moment where Valentines Day celebrations are more than pint-sized, and where love, laughter and beer brings back life to a small and quiet town.
For event details, visit their website here.
