The British Guild of Beer Writers announces shortlist for 2026 awards
The British Guild of Beer Writers has announced the shortlist for its prestigious awards, celebrating beer, pub and cider journalists, bloggers, broadcasters and all-around communicators.
Work was entered into 14 separate categories for a chance to win an esteemed award and prize money, with judges reviewing 232 pieces of work. All entries were judged by the Guild’s independent panel, composed of David Jesudason, Beer Writer of the Year 2025 and Chair of Judges; former Brewer of the Year and Elusive Brewing founder Andy Parker; Steve Dass, Alcohol Free Brewer Consultant and Founder at Curry Smugglers; Lotte Peplow, Brewers Association's American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe; Susan Low, Freelance Food, Drink & Travel Writer and editor; Rod White, Master Brewer and Brewing Academic at Nottingham University; Aimee Harbison-Roper, Owner at The Barrel Drop; and Katrina Mirpuri, Journalist and social media specialist.
Discussing this year’s awards, David Jesudason said,
“It’s been an overwhelming honour to chair the judging, especially as I’ve now done it twice in three years; it shows how the narrative of beer and pub writing has been permanently changed. All the finalists have demonstrated quality writing, and it was a pleasure judging their exceptional work”
The finalists in each category (with credits in italics) are:
Best Audio or Video Beer Communication - Sponsored by Fuller, Smith & Turner
Lloyd Lugsden - Pubs of the Shire - Episode 1: Liz at the Welly
Em Sauter and Don Tse - All About Beer Podcast - The Science Of Beer
Natalya Watson - ‘Cheers with Nat’ Ep 4 – Christina Wade: Beer historian, spooky girl, and castle person
Jaega Wise - Desi Pubs - Food Programme, BBC Radio 4 (credit: Producer - Sam Grist)
Best Beer News & Business Communicator - Sponsored by St Austell Brewery
Rachel Auty - A Pint of Love - Yr Heliwr, Nefyn (Credit: Katie Greenhalf and Rachel Auty in partnership with CAMRA and Plunkett UK)
Matthew Curtis - With the ‘Irish pub pandemic’, does Manchester have too much of a good thing?
Ben Gibbs - It Tastes Great! (Honestly)
Pete Turner - Where's your beer from? (Instagram)
Tim Webb - Beer in the UK
Best Beer Publisher - Sponsored by Damm UK
Belgian Smaak
Final Gravity
Pellicle Magazine
The Grocer
Best Book about Beer or Pubs - Sponsored by Heineken
Andreas Krennmair - Bavarian White Beer
Lloyd Lugsden - Pubs of Olney
Lydia Wood - LOCALS - An Illustrated Ode to London's Pubs
Best Commissioned Beer Writing - Sponsored by Greene King
Anthony Gladman - Always Burning: 150 Years of the Carlsberg Research Laboratory
Breandán Kearney - Keeping the flame alive
Joey Leskin - Birdhouse In Your Soul — Lucy Do and The Dodo Micropub in Hanwell, West London
Jacopo Mazzeo - Cask Beer: A Suitable Case for Treatment
Lana Svitankova - To irritate our foes to make our mothers happy
Adrian Tierney-Jones - A Scanner Dreckly — The Life and Legacy of St. Austell Proper Job IPA
Best Communication about Beer and Travel - Sponsored by Visit Flanders
Ben Gibbs - When Bathams Move
Emma Inch - Bridges
Jacopo Mazzeo - Sarajevska Pivara: A Well of Life in Sarajevo
Adrian Tierney-Jones - The Shape of Pils to Come — 30 Years of Birrificio Italiano’s Tipopils
Best Communication about Cider
Gabe Cook - Africa's Greatest Cider Maker
Ruvani de Silva - American Heirloom Cider Apples Part Three
Ben Gibbs - It's Not Apple juice
Alistair Reece - Apple Tree Woman
Adam Wells - On cider and voice and struggle and AI
Best Communication about Diversity in Beer - Sponsored by The British Guild of Beer Writers
Ben Gibbs - Welcome, On Certain Terms
Emma Inch - My Round
Joey Leskin - Birdhouse In Your Soul — Lucy Do and The Dodo Micropub in Hanwell, West London
Jaega Wise - BBC Radio 4 - The Food Programme - Desi Pubs (credit: producer Sam Grist)
Best Communication about No and Low Alcohol Beer - Sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I
James Beeson - Low & no’s road to success
Ben Gibbs - It Tastes Great! (Honestly)
Laura Hadland - Alcohol free - where are we now?
Jane Peyton - Why Do I Feel A Buzz From Non-Alcoholic Beer?
Best Communication about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs
Lucy Corne - Out of Africa: a snapshot of the continent’s craft beer scene
Laura Hadland - How brewing is meeting the climate challenge
Jacopo Mazzeo - Cask Beer: A Suitable Case for Treatment
Best New or Citizen Beer Communicator -Sponsored by Harvey’s
Martin Avis - Inside Anspach & Hobday: The Rise of London Black
Imran Rahman-Jones - Brewdog and Innis & Gunn – Two breweries, one downfall
Elizabeth Townsend - First Draught Podcast: Episode 4 - Pints and Pivots
Best Self-Published Beer Writing
Ben Gibbs - Welcome, On Certain Terms
Will Hawkes - London Beer City: July Heatwave Special
Emma Inch - Haunting
Adrian Tierney-Jones - Idle Chatter — and potholes
Best Short-Form Beer Writing - Sponsored by Shepherd Neame
David Bailey - Hundreds of Bottle Caps
Ruvani de Silva - Young Americans Are Falling for Traditional British-Style Beer Service
Emma Inch - My Round
Katie Mather - The Highland Laddie, Leeds
Adrian Tierney-Jones - Idle Chatter — and potholes
Elizabeth Townsend - On Loneliness (Instagram)
Best Technical Communication about Beer - Sponsored by WSET
Matthew Curtis - Knees to the Earth — French & Jupps Maltings in Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire
Laura Hadland - Heritage Brewing: The Union Sets
Nick Law - Sludge, Soup and Everything In Between: Can You Re-use Dry Hops [with Garage Project, NZ]
Timothy O’Rourke - Birth of Pale Lager
Brewer of the Year - Sponsored by SIBA
Matthew Brown - Twice Brewed
Kate Hyde - Hand Brew Co.
Dann Paquette and Martha Holley-Paquette - Saint Mars of the Desert
Vinny Rosario - Moonwake Brewery
Mark Welsby - Runaway Brewery
Beer of the Year
Northern Helles - Donzoko Brewery
Oud Bruin - The Kernel
Pickle? - Barney’s Beer
Proper Job 0.5% - St Austell Brewery
Reverence - Abbeydale Brewery
The winners and runners-up, alongside the Guild’s ‘Beer Writer of the Year’, will be announced during the esteemed annual dinner and awards, held at Big Penny Social in London on Wednesday 25th of November.
Notes to Editors
About the British Guild of Beer Writers
The British Guild of Beer Writers was formed in 1988 to help spread the word about beers, brewing and pubs. With close to 300 individual members and 60+ corporate members, its mission is “to improve the standards of beer writing and improve the public knowledge of beer and pubs.” Its members include the cream of the country’s beer communicators – be they journalists, authors, bloggers, producers, photographers, broadcasters, illustrators, or PR consultants. Corporate members of the Guild include brewers, brand owners, distributors, pub companies, and many suppliers associated with the brewing trade.
The British Guild of Beer Writers is grateful to the following sponsors, whose support makes possible our annual awards and dinner: Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC, Greene King, Harvey’s, HEINEKEN UK, Shepherd Neame, St Austell Brewery, SIBA, VISITFLANDERS, WSET, Damm UK, Wiper & True, Titanic Brewery, Signature Brewery, and Butcombe Brewery.
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