Beer Blogger Awards

Right straight to the chase. I don’t feel I’ve had enough beers in some of the categories in Mark & Andy’s Beer Bloggers Awards. So this very much is what I think is the best few in each category from my experience over the last 12 months.

So…

Midnight Bell at the Midnight Bell

Best UK Draught Beer:

One of Midnight Bell by Leeds Brewery – a consistent dark mild that does what it says on the tin – or Saltaire’s Hazelnut Coffee Porter.

Best UK Bottled Beer:

M&S Cornish IPA, Birds & Bees, Bath Ales Golden Hare and Chaos Theory have all been excellent this year, but some of favourites include BrewDog RipTide, Dark Star Sunburst and Crown Brewery’s Smokin’ Oktoberfest but the beer that I associate with the year and blew my socks off was most definitely Thornbridge’s Halcyon.

Best Overseas Draught Beer:

Leeds is blessed with many pubs and bars serving great bottled foreign beers but is less strong on foreign draught beer (other than the standard lagers). But the Pigs Ear festival in London came to the rescue with the fantastic De Molen Amarillo - a revelation. Sierra Nevada Harvest and Racer 5 by Russian River close behind and both amazing.

Thornbridge Halcyon

Best Overseas Bottled Beer:

A bit more difficult, as I’ve had loads of overseas bottles this year. My favourite so far may well be one of Little Creatures (Australia) or St Lupulin Pale Ale by Odell Brewing Co, but if I had to pick just one then Flying Dog’s Gonzo Stout was bloomin’ excellent both times I tried it.

Best Overall Beer:

Flying Dog’s Raging Bitch waltzed in and out of my life quicker than any other beer this year, but it was tremendous and outrageous in every way. Watch Zak Avery’s late night tasting for more adjectives on this brilliant beer (at the bottom of this post).

Best UK Brewery:

Dark Star are fast becoming a favourite whilst BrewDog continue to push innovation (or whatever you prefer to call it) and for me the most consistent beers I’ve had have come from Bath Ales and Leeds Brewery. But for the rawness and taste of their (or his) beers, Crown Brewery (aka Stuart Ross) takes my vote, producing some of the most exciting beers of the year.

Best Overseas Brewery:

I haven’t had enough Mikkeller to name check them here, although they seem to push boundaries in a similar way to BrewDog. Goose Island and Sierra Nevada have both released good seasonal ales and every week I’m finding Belgian ales that I can’t believe I’ve not tried before. But the brewery who I say wow to most constantly is De Molen.

Best Bottle Label/Pump Clip:

BrewDog’s Atlantic IPA and Zephyr wins hands down thanks to the talents of illustrator Johanna Basford.

A Timothy Taylors at the Top Brink Inn, Calderdale

Pub/Bar of the Year:

It’s been a quiet pub year with most of my drinking done at home or in the fancy bars of Leeds, but for service, friendliness and setting, The Top Brink Inn at Mankinholes is more than deserved of a mention, an oasis after a long day on the Pennine Way.

So many places in Leeds deserve a mention (Mr Foley’s, North Bar, PIN, The Adelphi, Cross Keys and more) plus The Market Porter in London.

Beer Festival of the Year:

Having only been to a handfulthis year (Norwich, KWV and Saltaire) I’m limited in selection, but because it was part of a brilliant weekend in great company and provided one of the best beers of the year, the Pigs Ear in London takes my accolade.

The Sainsbury's Beer Competition gave brewers a 'one off' chance to hit supermarket shelves, but Booths continually stock local micro brewery beers all year round in their 200+ strong beer range.

Supermarket of the Year:

This is between Sainsbury’s, Co-op, M&S and Booths. I enjoyed the Sainsbury’s competition and M&S’s new range, and Coop is often overlooked despite a good range of ‘own brand’ beers. But it has to be Booths for depth of range and supporting local brewers.

Independent Retailer of the Year:

Not just cos it’s in Leeds, but because all the staff are great, the range is interesting and inclusive, and the prices remain reasonable, it is of course, Beer Ritz.

Online Retailer of the Year:

I’ve only ordered beer online once this year, from BeerMerchants (I’ve been to Beers of Europe physical store when I bought from there) so it will have to be them. Their safety conscious packaging and strong twitter presence would probably win them this anyway!

Pete Brown reads Hops & Glory on his UK launch tour

Best Beer Book:

Of course it’s Hops & Glory. Pete Brown rightly deserves his ‘Bill Bryson’ of beer writing moniker.

Best Beer Blog:

Wow, there’s so many I read on daily basis. But for me, I love Knut Albert’s writing and his interesting anecdotes. Mentions to Zak Avery for his video tastings which are of the highest quality, Dave Bailey for educating me on so many points of view I wouldn’t have considered and Martin Cornell’s Zythophile which I could spend hours poring over.

And I can’ help myself but mention the quality that doesn’t end there with great words this year by Ally, Pete, Reluctant, Boak & Bailey, The Beer Nut, Laura, Matt and Rob, Jeff, Leigh and lots of other people I’ll unfortunately need to leave off.

Of course Mark & Andy’s blog are both great too

Best Beer Twitterer:

The twitter community welcomed @realalereviews with open arms and without the many friends we’ve made via micro-blogging we wouldn’t be here still blogging and writing and sharing our beer drinking. But if I had to pick someone who’s 140 character musings keep me always entertained, I’d pick Woolpack Dave’s tweets from his far away corner of Cumbria (and Woolpack Ann’s replies!) or John Duffy’s tweets from across the Irish Sea.

Rick from Bier & Co shows off a carton of Raging Bitch, Flying Dog's 20th Anniversary beer, and my Beer of the Year

Best Online Interactive Brewery:

As an online marketer this one has me asking all sorts of questions, (especially to do with the nomenclature of digital communication) like what makes a ‘best online interactive brewery’. If it means ‘making noise’ online then BrewDog make a big argument, but if it’s who’s sold the most beer by communicating via internet channels, then I don’t have that stats to answer? If it’s friendliest brewery online then Purity Ale have a good shout and most advanced technically, Flying Dog or Brooklyn Brewery over in the US should probably win.

So to cut a long story short I can’t really pick!

Food and Beer Pairing of the Year:

Smoked venison with goats’ cheese, fig and apple juice terrine and
Duchesse de Bourgogne at the British Guild of Beer Writers dinner. Sublime (and I don’t even like goats cheese!). Full menu from Adrian Tierney-Jones.

Open Category:

To copy Mark Dredge verbatim : Best Beer-Related Thing about 2009 is…All the new friends I’ve made and all the great new people I’ve met through beer. Oh and setting up a beer blog of course!

Next Year I’d Most Like To..:

If I win the lottery, join Mark in the USA and get to my Brooklyn Brewery tour that I missed in 2007. As well as keep writing for the people that like reading!