Writing - The Beer Thrillers

2024 North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) Awards

B. Kline — Sun, 20 Oct 2024 19:30:26 +0000

2024 North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) Awards

North American Guild of Beer Writers

2024 NAGBW Awards

The 2024 NAGBW – North American Guild of Beer Writers – awards are in and its time to show and express our love and gratitude and enjoyment for all the writers who make the craft beer (and beer) industry as a whole such a great experience, who contribute to the industry in lots of various ways, via their writing, their photography, their blogs, their magazines and magazine articles, and in so many other ways. Thank you and congratulations to all the winners from this year’s 2024 NAGBW Awards!

And the winners are….

Best Beer and Food Writing

First Place: David Nilsen. “How to Pair IPAs with Craft Chocolate.” Bean to Barstool
Second Place: Grace Weitz. “Stumbling Into the Hot Pink Restaurant With the Most Pleasurable Food in France.” Hop Culture

Best Blog/Newsletter

First Place: Jeff Alworth, Beervana.
Second Place: Dave Infante, Fingers.
Third Place: Douglas Veliky, Beer Crunchers.

Honorable Mention: Shana Solarte, Top Crop.

Emerging Voice: Cat Wiest, Hopwire Blog.

Best Book

First Place: Matthew Curtis. Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars. 2023.
Second Place: Beth Demmon. The Beer Lover’s Guide to Cider: American Ciders for Craft Beer Fans to Explore. 2023.
Third Place: David Nilsen. Pairing Beer and Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together. 2024.

Best Brewery Profile

First Place: Lucy Corne. “Women-Led, Women-Brewed — Kweza Craft Brewery in Kigali, Rwanda.” Good Beer Hunting.
Second Place: Holly Regan. “Things Are Not What They Seem — Hildegard Ferments & Botanicals in Seattle, Washington.” Good Beer Hunting.Third Place: Claire Bullen. “10,000 Human Decisions — On Mariage Parfait Oude Geuze, Frank Boon, and Belgian Lambic Culture.” Belgian Smaak.

Honorable Mention: Maloy Luakian. “Supernatural Creatures And Blended Cultures — Dokkaebier’s Story Of Shapeshifting.” Good Beer Hunting.

Emerging Voice: Jacqueline Kehoe. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger — How Iowa’s Big Grove Brewery Defies the Odds and Categorization.” Good Beer Hunting.

Best Business Writing

First Place: Michael Stein. “When Beer Goes Flat.” Slate
Second Place: Courtney Iseman. “Building the On-Ramp: Vocational Programs for Brewers.” Brewing Industry Guide.

Third Place: Ken Pishna. “Non-alcoholic beer is growing; Should your brewery grow with it?” Malteurop Malting Co.
Honorable Mention: Pete Brown. “Thornbridge to prove Britain’s brewing heritage can be profitable.” The Drinks Business

Emerging Voice: Jacqueline Kehoe. “Wisconsin Intuition — How New Glarus Brewed a State Identity with Spotted Cow.” Good Beer Hunting

Best Commentary or Criticism

First Place: Dave Infante. “The Bud Light Fiasco: How AB InBev Fell for the Gamergate Playbook.” VinePair.
Second Place: Courtney Iseman. “Is Craft Beer Cringe Right Now?” InsideHook.
Third Place: David Nilsen. “On Curiosity, Empathy, and the Flavor of Beer.” Belt Magazine.

Best General Beer Podcast

First Place: Dave Infante. VinePair Taplines
Second Place: Breandán Kearney. The Belgian Smaak PodcastThird Place: Emma Inch. Same Again?

Honorable Mention: Emily Hutto. RadCraft Industry Relief

Best Historical Writing

First Place: Mark Dredge. “From One to All — The Past, Present, and Future of Lager Yeast.” Good Beer Hunting.
Second Place: Tony Rehagen. “The Utterly Fascinating History and Mystery of Oklahoma’s Choctaw “Choc” Beer.” Garden & Gun.
Third Place: Anaïs Lecoq. “Garçon, un Picon! — The Past and Future Success of Amer Bière in French Drinking Culture.” Good Beer Hunting

Honorable Mention: Noelle Phillips. “Angry Hen Brewing and the Legacy of Shirley Warne.” The BC Ale Trail

Best Local Reporting

First Place: Courtney Iseman. “Secondary Fermentation — New York City’s Strong Rope Brewery and the East Coast Cask Revival.” Pellicle Magazine.
Second Place: Eli Radtke. “THC Takes Over the Twin Cities.” Heavy Table.
Third Place: Brian Yaeger. “Oral History Of Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale.” Bend Source Weekly.
Honorable Mention: Alexander Gates. “An Ode to Lahaina’s Beer Scene.” Frolic Hawaii.
Emerging Voice: Shamim de Brún. “The Quest For A Perfect Smithwick’s in Dublin.” Totally Dublin.

Best National or International Reporting

First Place: Alyssa Pereira. “The Man, Now Myth — Searching for Tony Magee.” Good Beer Hunting.
Second Place: Lucy Corne. “Get to Know Umqombothi, a South African Tradition.” Craft Beer & Brewing.
Third Place: Joshua Bernstein. “The Real Mystery of Bud Light.” The Atlantic.
Honorable Mention: Dave Infante. “How Sapporo USA Sank Anchor Brewing Co.” VinePair.

Best Beer Review

First Place: David Nilsen. “Precious and Grace — Brouwerij Van Steenberge’s Tripel Van De Garre.” Pellicle Magazine.
Second Place: Melinda Guerra. “Stardust and Loss: Friendship, Grief, and a Shared Saison.” Final Gravity.
Third Place: Brian Yaeger. “One Of The World’s Most Obscure Beers Comes To Bend.” Bend Source Weekly.
Honorable Mention: Loren Green. “A breath of fresh air.” Heavy Table.

Best Short Form Writing

First Place: Cliff Lucas. “Café de Hanekeef.” Belgian Smaak
Second Place: Bryan Roth. “b-Roll no. 701.” Good Beer Hunting.
Third Place: Andy Crouch. “Oh Brother: Newly Sober Hulk Hogan Releases “Real American Beer.” All About Beer.

Best Technical or Brewing Podcast

First Place: Jonny Garrett. The Craft Beer Channel.

Second Place: Jen Blair. False Bottomed Girls.

Third Place: John Holl. All About Beer Brewer to Brewer.

Best Technical Writing

First Place: Joe Stange. “Czech Lager: The Art of the Addictive.” Craft Beer & Brewing.
Second Place: Don Tse. “It’s the Malt’s Fault (How Malt Choices Affect Beer’s Shelf Life).” Brewing Industry Guide.
Third Place: Shana Solarte. “How Yeast Affects Flavor.” Top Crop.
Honorable Mention: Matthew Curtis. “Old Gold, Heritage Malts Return to British Beer.” Craft Beer & Brewing.

Best Travel Writing

First Place: Ruvani de Silva. “My Father, Lion Lager, & Home.” Final Gravity.
Second Place: Michael Clarke. “A Happy Valley of Beer — Investigating the Pubs and Breweries of Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England.” Good Beer Hunting.
Third Place: Jon McMahon. “Anarchists, Surrealists, & Spanish Brewers.” Final Gravity.
Honorable Mention: Brian Sorensen. “No Blitz — How Arkansas Tech University Fans Tailgate in a Dry County.” Good Beer Hunting.
Emerging Voice: Drew Pit. “Rebirth and Reinvention — As Chattanooga Grows and Changes, Local Beer Follows Along.” Good Beer Hunting.

Background on the Awards

From NAGBW themselves:

This year, the competition consisted of 269 works from 96 authors, writers, journalists, historians, podcasters, professors, and other creators. These entrants represent 10 countries, 29 U.S. states, and two Canadian provinces.

Roughly 50 judges selected the top works across 15 categories. These judges collectively have more than 900 years of experience in journalism, media, academia, brewing, and related fields. Judges could award first, second, and third place awards, as well as an honorable mention. They could also designate an emerging voice award to a piece of work by an individual who has covered the beer industry for less than three years.

North American Guild of Beer Writers

For More of our Award Articles

Looking for more articles about breweries and brewers winning awards? Check these out:

Thank You For Reading

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MAPS OF BREWERIES

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Happy Birthday to Amy

AmyMWolfe — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 17:46:14 +0000

Happy Birthday to Amy

Join me in wishing Amy a happy birthday! Today is the anniversary of her 28th birthday! (And no, I will not be saying what anniversary that is!)

This is our third year getting to celebrate Amy’s birthday here at The Beer Thrillers. (Amy’s Birthday) and (Happy Birthday Amy). Here’s to many, many, many, many more years of her here at The Beer Thrillers!

I would love if everyone out there today could host up a Big Damn Beer (10% or greater) (#BDB) in Amy’s honor, and enjoy it with friends and family, in celebration of her birthday. She is very beloved here, and we want her to feel extremely special.

Its a struggle getting to keep up with the site and everything with all of her obligations as mother to Scarlet (who at 21 months old is running rough-shod over everything), as well as all of the work she does for the Alzheimer’s Association. She is extremely proud of her work, and we are extremely proud of her. She is very hard working, helping out tremendously both as a writer, editor, and doing all kinds of other things here for the site and blog. We love you Amy! Happy Birthday!

Celebrate

So in honor of Amy, please grab a 10% or higher beer – a Big Damn Beer – a #BDB – and check out one of her articles below, or celebrate with friends and family. There’s nothing more that Amy loves to do than enjoy a beer or two with family. (In fact, we’ll be doing that tonight as part of her birthday celebration).

Thank you to Amy, and thank you all for coming along and wishing her a Happy Birthday!

Amy’s Column Series

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

Book Review: Knife (Salman Rushdie)

B. Kline — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 17:50:23 +0000

Book Review: Knife by Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie’s “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder” is a poignant and introspective memoir that offers a raw, unflinching account of the author’s near-fatal stabbing in August 2022. This work serves as both a testament to Rushdie’s resilience and a profound exploration of the aftermath of violence, weaving together personal narrative, philosophical musings, and literary craftsmanship.

Reading Knife by Salman Rushdie on my work break. (Via our Instagram – The Beer Thrillers)

Narrative Structure and Style

Rushdie employs a chronological approach to recount the events surrounding the attack and his subsequent recovery. The opening chapter, with its chilling precision, stands out as some of the most compelling prose in Rushdie’s oeuvre. His description of the assailant as “a sort of time traveler, a murderous ghost from the past” encapsulates the surreal nature of the incident and its connection to the long-standing fatwa against him. The author’s trademark wit and sardonic humor are evident throughout the text, even in the face of grave circumstances. Rushdie’s decision to refer to his attacker simply as “the A” (for Assassin, Assailant, or Asinine) demonstrates his refusal to grant his would-be killer undue significance while simultaneously showcasing his linguistic playfulness.

Thematic Exploration

Violence and Its Aftermath

At its core, “Knife” is an examination of the physical and psychological repercussions of violence. Rushdie’s detailed account of his injuries and recovery process serves not only as a personal narrative but also as a universal exploration of trauma. His observation that “in the presence of serious injuries, your body’s privacy ceases to exist” speaks to the vulnerability and loss of autonomy experienced by victims of violence.

Identity and Resilience

The memoir grapples with questions of identity in the face of life-altering events. Rushdie’s struggle to reconcile his pre-attack self with his post-attack reality is palpable throughout the text. His determination to “reclaim his life” and his defiant stance of living “like a free man” underscore themes of resilience and the indomitable human spirit.

The Role of Art in Healing

Rushdie’s decision to “answer violence with art” is a central theme of the book. The act of writing itself becomes a form of therapy and reclamation, allowing the author to process his trauma and assert control over his narrative. This aspect of the memoir reinforces the power of literature as a tool for healing and understanding.

Literary Techniques and Devices

One of the most intriguing aspects of “Knife” is Rushdie’s use of imagined conversations with his attacker. While these sections have been criticized by some as the least potent part of the book, they serve an important function in exploring the author’s need for understanding and closure. These fictional dialogues allow Rushdie to confront questions of motivation and ideology that would otherwise remain unanswered. The author’s use of metaphor is particularly striking, especially in his treatment of the titular knife. By describing the knife as “morally neutral in itself,” Rushdie invites readers to consider broader questions about the nature of violence and human agency.

Critical Analysis

While “Knife” is undoubtedly a powerful and moving account, it is not without its flaws. The book’s structure can feel somewhat disjointed at times, with Rushdie seeming to struggle with the balance between personal narrative and broader philosophical musings. Additionally, the imagined conversations with the attacker, while conceptually interesting, occasionally veer into territory that feels forced or contrived. However, these minor shortcomings are overshadowed by the memoir’s overall impact. Rushdie’s ability to transform a deeply personal trauma into a work of literature that speaks to universal themes of resilience, freedom, and the power of art is truly remarkable.

Conclusion

“Knife” stands as a significant addition to Rushdie’s body of work, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of one of contemporary literature’s most influential figures as he grapples with mortality and the aftermath of violence. More than just a personal account, this memoir serves as a meditation on the enduring conflict between forces of fanaticism and those of artistic freedom. In confronting his own brush with death, Rushdie has created a work that reaffirms the vital importance of literature in our understanding of the human experience.

My GoodReads Rating: ****
GoodReads Global Average Rating: 4.06 (as 0f 7.18.24)
My LibraryThing Rating: ****1/4

Knife by Salman Rushdie

Knife by Salman Rushdie (cover via GoodReads)

The back of the book blurb:

From internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.

What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.

Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again.

Knife – GoodReads

The Attack on August 12, 2022

On August 12, 2022, at approximately 10:47 a.m. EDT, Salman Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York when tragedy struck. As Rushdie prepared to speak about the United States as a safe haven for exiled writers, an assailant rushed the stage and launched a vicious attack.

The attacker, later identified as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from Fairview, New Jersey, stabbed Rushdie multiple times. The assault was brutal and persistent, with Matar continuing his attack even as several people attempted to restrain him. In total, Rushdie suffered fifteen stab wounds to various parts of his body, including his face, neck, abdomen, chest, and right eye.

Henry Reese, the co-founder of City of Asylum who was on stage to interview Rushdie, was also injured in the attack, sustaining a shallow knife wound and bruising near his right eye. The swift response of a New York state trooper and a sheriff’s deputy present at the event led to Matar’s immediate arrest.

The aftermath of the attack was dire. Rushdie was quickly airlifted to UPMC Hamot, a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he underwent emergency surgery. Initially, his condition was critical, with Rushdie on a ventilator and facing potential loss of an eye, liver damage, and severed nerves in one arm. Despite the severity of his injuries, Rushdie’s resilience shone through. By August 13, he had been taken off the ventilator and was able to speak. However, the attack left lasting impacts, including the loss of sight in his right eye and limited use of his left hand.

This horrific incident brought renewed attention to the longstanding threats against Rushdie, which began with the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini following the publication of “The Satanic Verses”. The attack, occurring decades after the initial threats, served as a stark reminder of the enduring nature of extremist ideologies and the ongoing risks faced by writers who challenge religious and political norms.

See articles:

Stabbing of Salman Rushdie (Wikipedia)
Salman Rushdie (Wikipedia)
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder (Wikipedia)
Satanic Verses Controversy (Wikipedia)

Legacy of Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie in 2024 (via The Atlantic)

Salman Rushdie’s legacy is multifaceted, encompassing his literary achievements, his influence on other writers, and his role as a champion of free speech. His impact on literature and society extends far beyond his own works, shaping the landscape of contemporary fiction and public discourse.

Literary Legacy

Rushdie’s contribution to literature is profound and enduring. His novels, particularly “Midnight’s Children,” have redefined the boundaries of magical realism and postcolonial literature. The Booker Prize committee recognized the lasting importance of his work as early as 1981, describing “Midnight’s Children” as “a work of extraordinary ambition and abundance” and “of amazing imaginative fertility as well as of political courage”.

Rushdie’s unique style, blending magical realism with historical fiction, has influenced a generation of writers. His exploration of themes such as migration, cultural hybridity, and the connections between Eastern and Western worlds has opened new avenues for literary expression.

Authors like Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith have been influenced by Rushdie’s approach to tackling cultural identity and the immigrant experience. (In turn, Salman Rushdie himself was inspired by writers as diverse as Franz Kafka, Anton Chekhov, Italo Calvino, Karel Capek, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jorge Louis Borges, James Joyce, Joseph Conrad, P. G. Wodehouse, and many more.)

Salman Rushdie’s influence on contemporary writers is both profound and far-reaching. His willingness to tackle controversial themes, such as cultural identity, migration, and the intersections of religion and politics, has inspired a new generation of authors to explore these complex topics in their own work. Writers like Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith have drawn from Rushdie’s bold narrative style and thematic focus, incorporating similar explorations of cultural hybridity and the immigrant experience into their novels.

Rushdie’s blending of magical realism with historical and political commentary has also left a lasting mark on global literature. His innovative storytelling techniques, seen in works like Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses, have encouraged younger writers to experiment with form and genre. For instance, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth reflects Rushdie’s influence in its intricate exploration of multiculturalism and identity within a modern context. Moreover, his advocacy for free speech and artistic freedom has emboldened many authors to challenge societal norms through their writing, ensuring that his legacy continues to inspire literary innovation.

Champion of Free Speech

Perhaps Rushdie’s most significant legacy lies in his unwavering commitment to free speech and artistic freedom. The controversy surrounding “The Satanic Verses” and the subsequent fatwa against him thrust Rushdie into the role of a symbol for freedom of expression. His refusal to be silenced in the face of threats and persecution has inspired writers and artists worldwide to tackle controversial themes and push the boundaries of acceptable discourse.

Cultural Impact

Rushdie’s influence extends beyond the literary world. He has played a crucial role in changing perceptions of South Asian writers and culture in the West. As one of the first desi authors to achieve widespread recognition in Europe and North America, Rushdie helped pave the way for greater representation and understanding of South Asian perspectives in global literature.

Academic and Critical Recognition

Rushdie’s work has become a staple in academic studies of postcolonial literature. Scholars have extensively analyzed his exploration of postcolonial identity and cultural hybridity, recognizing the profound insights his novels offer into the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity in a globalized world.

Ongoing Relevance

Even in his later works, Rushdie continues to address contemporary issues. His novel “Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights” (2015) explores themes of transnationalism and cosmopolitanism, demonstrating his ability to evolve and remain relevant in changing times. Rushdie’s perspective on the role of literature in society remains influential, with his assertion that the job of the modern writer is “to try and open up the universe to show people all of its possibilities”.

In conclusion, Salman Rushdie’s legacy is that of a literary pioneer, a cultural bridge-builder, and a tireless advocate for freedom of expression. His work has not only entertained and challenged readers but has also shaped the course of contemporary literature and public discourse on issues of identity, culture, and artistic freedom.

Other Book Reviews

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. As well as our brand new Tumblr page. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We are also now on BlueSky as well, so make sure to check us out there also. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

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If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

2023 North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) Awards

B. Kline — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 15:40:44 +0000

North American Guild of Beer Writers

Award Season

It is yet again another season of awards. The season of awards, not leaves falling, and changing color, not the season of flannel and firepits… nope…. no sirree…. this is the season of awards!

Before getting into the actual awards of this year and who won, you can take a look at past ‘awards’ articles here on The Beer Thrillers:

You can check out those articles here:

2023 North American Guild of Beer Writers Awards and Winners

NAGBW Logo

Best Commentary or Criticism

Honorable Mention
Damian Kerlin: “Gay Men Drink Craft Beer, Too — On Lad Culture, Stereotypes, and Beer’s Cultural Barriers,” Good Beer Hunting

Honorable Mention
Mark LaFaro: “Non-Alcoholic Beer Has a Story Problem,” Final Gravity Zine

Third Place
Jeff Alworth: “What the Hell is Happening in New Jersey?,” Beervana

Second Place
Ash Croce: “What the Aftermath of the Craft Beer Reckoning Means for Survivors,” VinePair

First Place
Dave Infante: “Hop Take – The Cowardly King of Beers Bends the Knee to Bigots,” VinePair

Best Beer and Food Writing

Honorable Mention
Robin Shepard: “A better wheat?,” Isthmus

Third Place
Ariana DiValentino: “Don’t Stop the Beet — Finding the Root of Lasting Joy in Beetroot Infused Beer,” Pellicle Magazine

Second Place
David Nilsen: “Pairing the Beers of Chimay with Craft Chocolate,” Bean to Barstool

First Place
Lana Svitankova: “Sour, Salty, Umami — The Ukrainian Brewers Transforming Pickling Traditions Into Beer,” Good Beer Hunting

Best Short Form Writing

Third Place
Cliff Lucas: “De Tramstatie,” Belgian Smaak

Second Place
Ashley Joanna: “The Accordionist,” Belgian Smaak

First Place
Ashley Joanna: “The Conservator,” Belgian Smaak

Best Beer Review

Third Place
Brian Yaeger: “Endangered Brown Ales Come Out Of Hibernation For Winter,” The Source Weekly

Second Place
Evan Rail: “An Exotic in Communist Times — How Pardubický Porter Inspired Generations of Czech Drinkers,” Good Beer Hunting

First Place
David Nilsen: “In the Understory: Primitive Beer’s Frosted in Moss,” Final Gravity Zine

Best Historical Writing

Third Place
Verity Babbs: “Exploring the Hop/Vine Divide — Depictions of Beer and Wine in Northern and Southern European Art,” Good Beer Hunting

Second Place
Brian Alberts: “‘Beer for All, or for None’ — The Busch-Lasker Controversy of 1922,” Good Beer Hunting

First Place
Kevin Kain: “Mexican Lager: History and Appropriation,” Casket Beer

Emerging Voice
Tasha Prado

Best General Beer Podcast

Third Place
Drink Beer, Think Beer

Second Place
VinePair’s Taplines

First Place
Good Beer Hunting Podcast

Best Beer Blog or Newsletter

Honorable Mention
Will Hawkes: London Beer City

Third Place
David Jesudason: Episodes of my Pub Life

Second Place
Jeff Alworth: Beervana

First Place
Beth Demmon: Prohibitchin’

Emerging Voice
Shana Solarte

Best Technical Writing

Honorable Mention
Stan Hieronymus: “Reducing the Carbon Footprint,” The New Brewer

Honorable Mention
Jeff Alworth: “Where the Hops Are Preserved,” Beervana

Third Place
Joe Stange: “The Bitterness Problem,” Craft Beer & Brewing

Second Place
Doug Veliky: “The 12-Pack Variety Playbook,” BeerCrunchers

First Place
Jeff Alworth: “Cold IPA is a Technique, Not a Style,” Beervana

Emerging Voice
Jessie Smith

Best Brewery Profile

Honorable Mention
Tony Rehagen: “Middle Eastern Flavor,” The Washington Post

Third Place
Lucy Corne: “Elephant-Friendly Beer — Okavango Craft Brewery in Maun, Botswana,” Good Beer Hunting

Second Place
Jacob Smith: “The Rise and Fall of Jennings Brewery — Pure Lake District, Now Made in Staffordshire,” Pellicle Magazine

First Place
Anaïs LeCoq: “The Art of Vinifying Grains — Brasserie Ammonite in Burgundy, France,” Good Beer Hunting

Best Beer and Travel Writing

Honorable Mention
Em Sauter: “Share What You Have — A Visit to John Stoner’s Richmond, Virginia,” Good Beer Hunting

Third Place
Megan Eaves: “Life Stays Close to the River — Solar Beer and Wildebeest in the Serengeti,” Good Beer Hunting

Second Place
Ryan Pachmeyer: “Where Kölsch Night is Every Night,” Craft Beer & Brewing

First Place
Sorrel Moseley-Williams: “Interpreting the Andes — Carlos Barroso in Pachar, Peru,” Good Beer Hunting

Best Business Writing

Honorable Mention
Hollie Stephens: “Seeds of Change — The Promise (and Challenges) of New Brewing Grains,” Good Beer Hunting

Third Place
Jessie Smith: “How to Start Up Your Sensory Panel,” The Brewing Industry Guide

Second Place
Chelsea Carrick: “Waiting for the Rain — How Drought in Northern Mexico Impacts the Country’s Beer Industry,” Good Beer Hunting

First Place
Aaron Goldfarb: “The Most Important Company in Craft Beer Makes Marshmallow Extract,” VinePair

Emerging Voice
Julie Rhodes

Best Technical Brewing or Beer Podcast

Honorable Mention
How NOT To Start A Damn Brewery

Third Place
Brewer to Brewer Podcast

Second Place
How Does Flavor Impact Beer?

First Place
Sense of Beer Style

Best Local Reporting

Honorable Mention
Michael Stein: “Death of a Brewery: : 3 Stars Leaves Hole in D.C.’s Evolving Beer Scene,” Washington City Paper

Third Place
Ash Croce: “Meet the Many Feline Workers of NYC’s Breweries,” TimeOut New York

Second Place
Jamaal Lemon: “Come Hell or High Water — Oysters, Brewing, and How the Come Yahs & Bin Yahs Could End Sea Level Rise in Charleston,” Good Beer Hunting

First Place
Jerard Fagerberg: “Oops, Minnesota Accidentally Legalized THC-Spiked Seltzer,” Vice

Best National or International Beer Reporting

Honorable Mention
David Jesudason: “Please Don’t Take Me Home — How Black Country Desi Pub Culture Made Football More Diverse,” Pellicle Magazine

Honorable Mention
Breandán Kearney: “‘All Hail the Cara God’ — How Cara Pils Became Belgian Beer’s Surprise Cult Favorite,” Good Beer Hunting

Third Place
Mark Dredge: “Lost in Translation — How Flavor Wheels and Tasting Tools Can Evolve to Speak with Global Beer Drinkers,” Good Beer Hunting

Second Place
Joshua Bernstein: “On the Dubbel: The Ongoing Evolution of Belgian Beer in America,” Imbibe

First Place
Mark LaFaro: “Tapped Out — The Problematic Culture of Overdrinking When You Work in Alcohol,” Good Beer Hunting

Best Beer Book

Third Place
Marty Nachel: “Homebrewing for Dummies: Third Edition”

Second Place
Eoghan Walsh: “A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects”

First Place
Clint Lanier: “Ted Mack and America’s First Black-Owned Brewery: The Rise and Fall of Peoples Beer”

The NAGBW

The North American Guild of Beer Writers held its annual awards ceremony October 15. This year’s awards were sponsored by Untappd and Athletic Brewing Company.

Nearly 300 entries were submitted across 15 categories, with entrants from all over the world.

The Beer Thrillers would like to congratulate all the winners!

For more information on the NAGBW, you can go here to their website: A Blog by the North American Guild of Beer Writers.

Thank You For Reading

If you like this article, please check out our other many articles, including news, beer reviews, travelogues, maps, and much much more. We greatly appreciate everyone visiting the site!

Cheers.

MAPS OF BREWERIES

You can check out our different directories here: Beer Reviews, Hike Reviews, Book Reviews, Brewery News, Brewery Openings, Brewer Interviews, and Travelogues.

The Beer Thrillers on LinkTree can be found here: The Beer Thrillers LinkTree.

The Beer Thrillers are a blog that prides itself on writing beer reviews, brewery reviews, travelogues, news (especially local to the Central PA brewery scene), as well as covering other topics of our interests – such as hiking, literature and books, board games, and video games which we sometimes stream with our friends over at Knights of Nostalgia. We are currently listed as #7 on FeedSpot’s “Top 100 Beer Blogs” and #8 on FeedSpot’s “Top 40 Pennsylvania Blogs”. (As of January 2023.) Thank you for reading our site today, please subscribe, follow, and bookmark. Please reach out to us if you are interested in working together. If you would like to donate to the blog you can here: Donate to The Beer Thrillers. Thank you!

If you would like to reach out to us for product reviews, beer reviews, press release writing, and other media – please contact us at thebeerthrillers@gmail.com. Thank you.

We’ve Joined the NAGBW

BKline — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:24:13 +0000

North American Guild of Beer Writers logo.

The North American Guild of Beer Writers

What is the North American Guild of Beer Writers you might ask? Quite possibly you’ve never heard of them, even if you do read several beer blogs on the internet. So what exactly are they? Are they a shadowy underworld movement similar to the Illuminati? Are they like the Free Masons of beer? Or are they similar to the Stonecutters?

Well, I’ll let them explain in their own words (from their website):

The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) is the leading member organization of beer writers, authors, reporters, and podcasters who cover the beer industry.
Some of us do it for fun, others make a living, or at least a portion of it, covering beer and brewing. We tirelessly cover the brewing industry and those who appreciate beer.
We are a group dedicated to elevating the level of our craft as we cover the art of brewing. We are serious in our purpose, but strive to enjoy ourselves in doing our jobs.
….
We host annual awards that highlight the accomplishments of our members. We also support the annual Diversity in Beer Writing Grant, with a goal to highlight the value of stories that can showcase diversity and inclusion – in all its forms and challenges – within beer.
North American Guild of Beer Writers – Home – North American Guild of Beer Writers Homepage

So thats the basis in a nutshell.

Every year they have an awards event a little bit after the Great American Beer Festival where they announce that year’s awards and winners for various writing and articles of the year. The selection timeframe is July through August and they announce the winners late September.

You can read the 2020 winners here: 2020 NAGBW Winners. I am not entered in anything for 2021, but will hopefully have some stuff to enter for the 2020 year.

So What Does This Mean

So what all does this mean for The Beer Thrillers? Shrugging… honestly not a whole lot that you all might see. A bit more behind the scenes happens for us here at The Beer Thrillers. Hopefully more notice, coverage, and attention.

We are looking to soon start doing podcasts and videos and much more travels and coverage here on The Beer Thrillers. We are also looking to pick up another writer (or two) and hopefully someone with more digital graphics skills and such, and get the site improved graphically, and with a lot more writing.

So please, if you like what you see, make sure to hit the like button, subscribe and follow our page, and be sure to share with all your friends. We appreciate it!

-B. Kline

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Additional Links

Untappd (Next Glass) Purchases Hop Culture

BKline — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 01:30:00 +0000

Announced earlier today (roughly around 7AM) the parent company to Untappd and Beer Advocate – Next Glass – has purchased Hop Culture. Next Glass also currently owns OZNR a direct to customer sales platform app.

Hop Culture logo

Hop Culture, a popular site that has organized brewfests and events like Beers With(out) Beards, Juicy Brews, and others, is a digital beer (craft beer) website, blog, and brand. Hop Culture LLC is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Next Glass is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Next Glass has a lot of different software, app, and other systems already in place, and the acquisition of Hop Culture adds to their growing list of websites, apps, and other beer and beverage related brands and products.

Next Glass logo

From the Forbes article about the acquisition: “Hop Culture founder and CEO Kenny Gould says the partnership will help Next Glass develop a suite of business tools — a “cohesive ecosystem,” if you will — to streamline experiences for consumers and provide operational efficiencies for businesses in the beverage alcohol space, from producers to wholesalers to retailers.”

In a long piece that Kenny Gould published to Hop Culture after the announcement, he stated: “But first — know that I’m not going anywhere. Neither is my team. Although they’re not regularly in the limelight, Hop Culture Managing Editor John A. Paradiso and Head of Partnerships Grace Weitz each played essential roles in Hop Culture’s growth and development, and we all plan to continue our work with the company in expanded roles.”

From the PRNewswire press release about the news: “The Hop Culture team has built an engaging and important platform with voices and events that resonate within the industry,” said Trace Smith, CEO of Next Glass. “We’re excited and proud to welcome a brand and team with values and a vision that so closely mirror our own.”

Founded in 2017 by journalist Kenny Gould, Hop Culture got its start promoting small, independent craft breweries via their Instagram and digital magazine. Over time, the company also grew to include a popular merchandise line and event series.

“Hop Culture couldn’t be more excited about this partnership,” said Gould. “At Next Glass, Trace and his team have put together the largest network of beer drinkers in the world, and we look forward to working with them to continue producing compelling content and world-class events.”

Untappd Logo

Untappd was founded on October 22nd, 2010 by Greg Avola. From wikipedia: “Untappd is a geosocial networking service and mobile phone application founded by Greg Avola and Tim Mather that allows its users to check in as they drink beers, and share these check-ins and their locations with their friends” As of 2017 it was estimated that Untappd had 9 Million Users and 125 Internal Employees.

Beer Advocate

Beer Advocate was founded in the early days of the internet (and craft beer) – in 1996 as a website for rating and cataloging beer. It along with Rate Beer (founded in 2000) were the pioneers for beer rating systems, until smart phone technology and apps paved the way for Untappd.

The banner for Hop Culture’s Juicy Brews Valentine’s Day beer fest.

Gould: “Breweries (and other alcohol producers) operating a lot of different systems have to rely on disparate tools, and you start to see why that’s a problem when you look at scale, going forward, they’ll have one company and endless integration for a seamless back end experience.”

Gould claims that Hop Culture will keep its same journalism, with the same editors, and same workers (working from home currently) despite the buy-out. He states that it is a mutual buy-out that will offer Hop Culture and Next Glass much for the future. While Hop Culture gets to stay relatively its own thing, Next Glass gets out of the deal – is someone to oversee branding (both internal and client / external needs), a ready to go team that is already connected to the beer community (and with strong ties to a thriving craft beer scene in Pittsburgh), and a brand that has demonstrated success at hosting small, medium, and large scale events and festivals.

According to the Forbes article (under why the purchase was made in 2020): “Seven-year-old Next Glass has grown tremendously this year, from buying Hop Culture, Oznr and some of BeerAdvocate’s assets, to naming a new CEO, taking in investment from Providence Strategic Growth, and hiring its first consort of executives and managers.

Just as Gould gets excited talking about his newfound ability to draw on a far greater pool of resources than his four-year-old beer-magazine startup ever allowed, Next Glass CEO Trace Smith says the deal with Providence, which went through in March, gives his business the resources to do more in the future, including boosting its presence in Europe; recover from COVID losses; and launch initiatives to help the hospitality industry much sooner.

“We certainly hope this is a temporary speed bump, and we understand that the economic conditions might be soft coming out of it,” Smith tells the Greater Wilmington Business Journal. “But that additional capital will help us regrow more quickly post-COVID-19 and will help us bring more (furloughed) team members back.” For his part, the 30-year-old Gould’s instincts haven’t led him astray. The Pittsburgh son and grandson of entrepreneurs started the Hop Culture website in 2017 as a way to highlight positive stories in the craft beer world. As Gould, who also works as a freelance writer and Forbes contributor, says, “I never set out to start a business. I set out to write about beer.”

Gould is hoping that with the purchase, Hop Culture can expand its efforts to be more inclusive in the beer community. With the goal of expanding Beer Kulture (black / African – American promotions), Beers With(out) Beards (women promotions), and starting a queer beer festival.

About Next Glass (from the PRNewswire Article): “Founded in 2013, Next Glass develops software and creates experiences that connect enthusiasts, retailers, and producers in the beverage alcohol industry. The Next Glass family of brands serves the unique and varied needs of the industry via multiple platforms. Its award-winning Untappd mobile application and BeerAdvocate website are used by millions of beer enthusiasts around the world and its menu publishing software tool, Untappd for Business, enables venues to streamline publication and promotion of their beer, wine, cocktail, and food menus while Oznr, the leader in direct to consumer technology for the craft beverage industry, partners with craft producers to manage their membership programs, can/bottle release pre-sales, and event ticketing. The Company’s recently-introduced Untappd Marketplace enables alcohol resellers to streamline ordering of beer, wine, and spirits from wholesalers and self-distributing breweries. The Company’s Live! division produces world class festivals and events for the Untappd and BeerAdvocate communities.”

Juicy Brews WestFest Promotional Poster

Kenny Gould wrote a long article on his site, giving a history of Hop Culture, as well as telling why he sold to Next Glass. He details the early years, how they became a business, their first festivals (the first of which was in October 2017),

Juicy Brews: Hop Culture Homecoming (photo courtesy of Kenny Gould’s article on Hop Culture, link below)

He goes on to discuss the ‘glory years’, and ‘turning the wheel’, and then goes into the search for his ‘future’ rather than just looking forward to the weekend. As he says in his article: “So I began my search. Luckily, I wasn’t under any sort of deadline. Over the past couple years, the team and I worked against the odds to build an awesome little engine that supported us, our projects, and a great team of freelancers. I could afford to be choosy. I could steward my baby toward a solution that offered the greatest potential for a continuation of the mission, practices, and values we found important.

At first, I thought about approaching venture capital. I gathered my materials and started the research to find a great partner. But before I could send my first email, a Forbes interview changed my life.

Back in 2018, during a Brewers Association dinner at the Union Square Café, I met a Forbes writer who told me her friend in the food and drink section was looking for new contributors. What the hell, I thought. I can always do some more writing. So I threw my name in the hat and started contributing a couple articles a month, mostly highlighting underrepresented voices in brewing and the beer industry.”

You can read more from Kenny Gould at his article on Hop Culture here: “The Next Chapter”.

From his article on Hop Culture, Gould says: “Additionally, thank you. The past four years have exceeded all expectations I had for an exciting life. And I’ve been moved and inspired by every single person I’ve met along the way. From brewers to distributors, from retailers to fans and everyone in between, I’m in your debt. This ride has been nothing short of incredible.

And the best part? We’re only getting started.”

And to think, says Gould, Hop Culture started as a “glorified blog. I was doing it because it was fun.” (This certainly sounds familiar…….. I think I’ve used this line often times when co-workers, friends, and family ask me how my silly ‘blog’ thing is going; I’m just doing it for fun.)

For more information on the purchase, you can check out the following links:

You can check out some of our latest craft beer news, brewery news, and industry news here: “BREWERY / INDUSTRY NEWS”. Including our latest about the BREW – The Museum of Beer, which is set to have an online exhibit opening on December 15th (Tuesday), 2020. The Museum will eventually be open in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Please be sure to follow us on our social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Influence. Please be sure to also follow, like, subscribe to the blog here itself to keep updated. We love to hear from you guys, so be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Thank you everyone for reading. Any comments, questions, or anything you want to discuss at all, just leave a comment and I’ll make sure to get right back at ya. Love chatting with you guys about craft beer and breweries! Be sure to stay safe out there and keep supporting your small breweries and businesses, times are getting tough again, and all your support, no matter how little, can make the difference in a brewery staying open or shuttering their doors for good. Cheers everyone!

-B. Kline

For more information, you can check these references:
www.untappd.com
www.untappd.com/business
www.beeradvocate.com
www.oznr.com
www.untappd.tv
www.hopculture.com
www.instagram.com/hopculturemag

Be sure to check out our other articles on brewery openings:

You can read about more brewery closures here: