Brewery of the year
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The UK and Ireland boasts brilliant breweries. Brilliant businesses employing brilliant people producing brilliant beer. But which brewery has really stood out head and shoulders over the rest during the last 12 months?
If you’re part of a team at one of this breweries, or want to suggest one that is really standing out, this is the place to do it.
We want to hear about key moments for the business such as new investments that have been made, new distribution deals, its work in the community, or ways the brewery has grown and improved its team.
Short list
Anspach & Hobday
North Brewing Co
Northern Monk
Signature Brew
New brewery of the year
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While the last few years have proven to be a challenging period for brewing and hospitality, there has also been a raft of excellent new breweries opening, too. And they are all forging their own path, producing different styles of beers in different part of the UK and Ireland.
So like our Brewery of The Year category, if you’re part of a team at one of this breweries, or want to suggest one that is really jumping out, this is the place to do it. Let’s hear about those early landmark points for the business. The ways the business has offered employment to local people.
It could be the investments that have made, securing sales deals for those first beers. You could highlight work in the community, commitment to staff development. It could be all of the above…
Short list
Azvex
Balance Brewing and Blending
Floc Brewing
Great Beyond Brewing Company
Sureshot
Two Flints
Wilderness Brewery
Brewer of the year
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The Brewers Choice Awards have recognised some of the finest brewers the UK and Ireland has ever produced. But thankfully for the industry, and the countless fans of excellent beers, the sector is blessed with a wealth of talent and this accolade recognises that.
We want you to nominate a brewer who is really making a difference in the brewing industry. We want to acknowledge a brewer that is truly an industry tour de force. What sets them, apart from the rest? Is it the beers they create, expansion they’ve overseen or a team they’ve built. Maybe it’s all of those.
And, of course, if you want to put yourself forward – get that entry submitted!
Short list
Seb Brink – North Brewing
Jordan Childs – Mash Gang
Mark Tranter – Burning Sky
Young brewer of the year
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This should come as no surprise… There are some incredibly-talented young brewers working in the brewing industry in the UK and Ireland. Some young brewers are running their own operations, others are cutting their teeth working at established outfits.
Regardless, these brewers are making their mark on the industry and are certain to have a long, successful career in the field. Young is, also, a subjective term. You are only as old as you feel, of course. But for the purpose of this category, a young brewer is anyone under the age of 33.
If you’re submitting an entry on behalf of yourself, tell us about your responsibilities and successes in last 18 months. Here you can also nominate someone that has gained you respect. Maybe it’s a recipe that’s been developed, or the impact made on the company’s operations.
Equally, it might involve improvements to quality and consistency thanks to the work carried out in the lab. Again, it might be all of the above!
Short list
Mark Hamblin – Powder Monkey Brewing Co
Nadia Spencer – Brew York
Patrick Smith – Campervan Brewery
Pietro Maltinti – Northern Monk
Samuel Fraise – Attic Brew Co
Virginia Casadio – Lost and Grounded Brewers
Beer of the year
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In previous years this category has recognised some truly world-class beer. And guess what? We want to do that again. We want to celebrate the very best beer the UK and Ireland has to offer. We’re not looking at dozens of categories, instead recognising one beer – The Brewers Choice Awards Beer of the Year.
Six small pack samples of the beer should be sent to: Brewers Choice – Beer of the Year, Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1PA. Beer should arrive anytime before 1 July 2024. Late arriving beers may mean it is not entered into the awards.
You will also need to provide brief tasting notes for the beer and also your thoughts on why this beer should be recognised as the beer of the year. Entries must be available to purchase publicly at the time of entry.
Short list
Burning Sky – Petite Saison
Double-Barrelled – Parka
Northern Monk – Faith
New beer of the year
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We can think of countless fantastic beers that have been produced in recent months. In your entry, tell us how this beer is shaping a trend or exploring new techniques and flavours. Or nominate why you think this beer should win.
Six small pack samples of the beer should be sent to: Brewers Choice – New Beer of the Year, Reby Media, 42 Crouchfield, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1PA. Beer should arrive anytime before 31 July 2024. Late arriving beers may mean the beer is not entered into the awards.
You will also need to provide brief tasting notes for the beer and also your thoughts on why this beer should be recognised as the New Beer of the Year. Entries must be available to purchase publicly at the time of entry, and have been brewed for the first time on or after 31 July 2022.
Short list
Exale – Jazz Dragon
Saltaire – El Dorado
Stroud Brewery – Easy Peasy
Branding of the year
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Great branding helps sell beer. Now we have that revelation out of the way, we want this category to showcase the stunning array of design that breweries leverage to brand their beers.
From the striking to the subtle, modern beer is blessed with some truly impressive branding; from the work that graces bottles and cans to keg founts, cask badges and beyond. Show us what you got!
To showcase this, please submit a maximum of two pages of A4 saved as a pdf document or nominate branding that you feel should be recognised in this ever-popular category.
Short list
Anspach & Hobday Brewery – London Black
Corinium Ales – Bottled Range
McColl’s Brewery– Brewery Rebrand
Sustainability champion of the year
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Sustainability in brewing can longer be a simple buzzword or a box-ticking exercise. We are seeing a growing number of breweries embrace innovation and implementing measures to affect positive change. And the 2024 Sustainability Champion celebrates that.
Whether you’re a brewery that has changed your way of working for the better or you’re a manufacturer or supplier that boasts leading game-changing products or services, this is your chance to platform just that.
Tell us what issue you are tackling, how you’re approaching it and, most importantly, the benefits.
Short list
Anspach & Hobday Brewery – London Black
Corinium Ales – Bottled Range
McColl’s Brewery– Brewery Rebrand
Innovation of the year
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Innovation can take the form of a new product. It might be a piece of equipment or a software tool; a process or way of working – or something that changes the way we work in the future.
Have you undertaken a project in brewing that combines elements in a new way, or know someone that has?
This could be a brewery using ingredients in a disruptive way, to changes you’ve made to the wider production process.
Equally, this could be a manufacturer or supplier that is offering new game-changing equipment or a service that can affect the future of beer for the better.
Short list
Anspach & Hobday Brewery – London Black
Corinium Ales – Bottled Range
McColl’s Brewery– Brewery Rebrand
Global ambassador
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Brewing is an international endeavour. Brewers on one continent are shaped by the trends on another. There are a number of brewers that lead the charge in guiding international trends and building collaboration across borders. With this award we want to recognise brewers that help build the international brewing community.
Nominate the brewer you feel has gone further to enhance the global brewing industry.
The Roger Ryman Lifetime achievement Award
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There are few brewers who pass through this industry without being changed by it. With the Lifetime achievement award we look to recognise a brewer who has shaped the industry around them, supported others on their journey and strengthened the UK brewing scene.
Nominate the brewer you feel has left an indelible mark on UK brewing.
2024 judges
Melissa Cole
Paul Davies
John Keeling
Chris Lewington
Jenn Merrick
Lotte Peplow
Sean Robertson
Tim Sheahan
past winners
2023
Brewery of the year: Five Points Brewing Company
New brewery of the year: Duration Brewing
Brewer of the year: Matthew Howgate
Young brewer of the year: Aaron McClure
Beer of the year: Machina, Mondo
New beer of the year: Turtles All The Way Down, Duration Brewing
Branding of the year: Lakes Brew Co
Global ambassador: Garrett Oliver
Lifetime achievement: Evin O’Riordain
2022
Brewery of the year: Lost & Grounded Brewers
New brewery of the year: Lakes Brew Co and Moonwake Beer co
Brewer of the year: Colin Strong
Young brewer of the year: Lara Lopes
Beer of the year: Helles, Lost & Grounded Brewers
New beer of the year: A Hymn for the Fields, Field Recordings
Branding of the year: Abbeydale Brewery
Global ambassador: Rudi Chequire
Lifetime achievement: Derek Prentice
2021
Brewery of the year: Five Points Brewing Company
New brewery of the year: Duration Brewing
Brewer of the year: Matthew Howgate
Young brewer of the year: Aaron McClure
Beer of the year: Machina, Mondo
New beer of the year: Turtles All The Way Down, Duration Brewing
Branding of the year: Lakes Brew Co
Global ambassador: Garrett Oliver
Lifetime achievement: Evin O’Riordain
2019
Brewery of the year: Northern Monk
New brewery of the year: Bohem Brewery
Young brewer of the year: Alice Batham
Beer of the year: Faith, Northern Monk
Lifetime achievement: John Hatch