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11th October 2017

American Beer Writers announces 2017 awards in beer journalism

The North American Beer Writers Guild announced the winners of its annual awards at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. We’re delighted that a number of British Guild of Beer Writers members were included in the roll of honour: congratulations to Breandan Kearney, Ron Pattinson and Tomm Carroll, and to all winners.

The winners were:

Best Beer Book

  1. Jeff Alworth – Secrets of Master Brewers
  2. Ron Pattinson – Scotland! Vol. 2
  3. Jeff Cioletti – Beer FAQ

Best Beer Podcast

  1. The Beer Temple Insiders Roundtable
  2. Experimental Brewing
  3. Steal This Beer

Honorable Mention: Drinking on the Last Frontier

Best Beer Blog

  1. Breandan Kearney – Belgian Smaak
  2. Jeff Alworth – Beervana
  3. Robin Shepard – Beer Here

Best Beer and Food Writing

  1. Jesse Friedman – Brewers’ Almanac — On Beer & Nosh in the Year 2017
  2. Bo McMillan – Liquid Bread: Brewers Experiment with Kvass
  3. Nicole Garneau – Science Says You’re Wrong About Pairing IPAs and Spicy Foods

Best Beer and Travel Writing

  1. Brian Spencer – At Bionic Brew, That Which Does Not Kill You Makes You Stronger
  2. Robert Kidd – Not (Just) for Tourists: Patagonia’s Beer Boom
  3. Brian Yaeger – Beer at the End of the World

Honorable Mention: Blake Tyers – GBH in Residence — A Camping Coolship Adventure

Best Local Reporting

  1. Josh Noel – Your next beer may taste like a cocktail, as craft revolution pushes on
  2. Andi Prewitt – Brewers Make Foray into New Areas of Fungi Kingdom
  3. Austin L. Ray – Critical Drinking — Georgia’s Race to the Bottom

Best National/ International Reporting

  1. Matthew Sampson – Just to Live This Here Lifestyle (Scratch Brewing)
  2. Gail Ann Williams and Steve Shapiro – Feral Ones:The Unlikely Origins Of Firestone Walker’s Barrelworks
  3. Joshua Bernstein – Second Acts: As the beer industry matures, brewers ponder their next steps

Honorable Mention: Crystal Luxmore – What is wild yeast and why is it all the rage in beer, wine and cider?

Best Short Form Writing (fewer than 600 words)

  1. Tom Wilmes – When “Local” Isn’t Enough
  2. Rebecca Kirkman – Brewers Showcase Hoppiness Without Bitterness in Zero IBU IPAs
  3. Dan Rabin – On Location: TRVE Brewing Co. in Denver

Best History Writing

  1. Breandan Kearney – Once a Trappist — St. Bernardus Brewery in Watou, Belgium
  2. Arnie Meltzer and Steve Frank – The Evolving Role of Women’s Contributions to Brewing Beer
  3. Jeff Alworth – Bourbon County Brand Stout: The Original Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Beer

Honorable Mention: Ezra Johnson-Greenough – An Oral History of the Horse Brass

Best Technical Writing

  1. Stan Hieronymus – From Bees to Beers: Exploring the Links Between Bees and Beers Brewed with Honey
  2. Brian Yaeger – Savoring Acidity: The Quest to Explain Sourness in Beer
  3. Randy Mosher – Hot Process: Exploring the Role of Heat in Brewing

Best Beer Criticism or Commentary

  1. Andy Sparhawk – A Sour Beer Pickle: Can American Brewers Better Define this Beer Style?
  2. Lew Bryson – Beer Criticism: Are You Doing it Wrong?
  3. Chris Herron – Watch the Hands, Not the Cards — The Magic of Megabrew

Honorable Mention: Tomm Carroll – Anthony Bourdain: The Donald Trump of the Anti-Craft Beer Set