Brewbound today announced its 2020 award winners, companies and individuals that were able to thrive in a challenging year.
The Brewbound Awards have recognized large and small beer companies, as well as notable industry figures, for their execution of various business and philanthropic initiatives since 2014.
Winners of the seventh annual Brewbound Awards include:
Cause of the Year: Weathered Souls Brewing Company’s Black is Beautiful initiative, which inspired 1,200 breweries from around the world to brew a version of Black is Beautiful imperial stout and donate 100% of the proceeds to local organizations that support police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged.
Beer Champion of the Year: Julie Verratti, co-founder and chief brand officer of Denizens Brewing Company, for her advocacy on behalf of not just craft breweries but all small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Person(s) of the Year: Brewers Association president and CEO Bob Pease, Brewers Association director of federal affairs Katie Marisic, Beer Institute president and CEO Jim McGreevy and Beer Institute senior director of federal affairs Joe Heaton, for their work to make permanent federal excise tax cuts for brewers and importers.
Beyond Beer Company of the Year: Boston Beer Company, whose Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer broke out in its first full year and became a top 25 selling brand, helping Truly Hard Seltzer become a top 10 selling brand family in off-premise retailers, according to market research firm IRI.
Large Brewery of the Year: New Belgium Brewing, whose Voodoo Ranger line of IPAs helped the Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered craft brewery thrive as consumers shifted their purchasing to off-premise retailers.
Craft Brewery of the Year: Allagash Brewing Company, which poured several years of innovation into three months and launched several new brands, while also maintaining its focus on its workforce, instituting programs to combat isolation and making mental health counseling services more accessible to them during the pandemic.
Brewbound also honored its 2020 Rising Stars. The six emerging breweries in the 2020 Rising Stars class includes:
- Athletic Brewing, Stratford, Connecticut;
- Bow & Arrow Brewing, Albuquerque, New Mexico;
- Green Bench Brewing, St. Petersburg, Florida;
- Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers, Framingham, Massachusetts;
- Other Half Brewing, Brooklyn, New York;
- Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse, Sacramento, California.
“Brewbound is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2020 Award winners and Rising Stars,” Brewbound editor Justin Kendall said. “Our award winners have persevered, launched philanthropic efforts, worked to take care of their employees, made hard decisions and advocated to make the industry a better place, all while tangling with restrictions caused by COVID-19.”
About Brewbound
Published by BevNET.com Inc., Brewbound is a leading multi-media industry trade publication providing comprehensive information about the beer space, analysis of industry trends and in-depth interviews with industry leaders. In addition to providing daily news, Brewbound also gathers entrepreneurs and executives to exchange ideas, discuss the state of the industry and hear strategies for succeeding in the alcohol beverage segment via a series of nationwide meetups, multi-day business conferences, live-streamed shows and podcasts.