The British Guild of Beer Writers has announced the shortlist for its annual awards, celebrating beer, pub, and cider journalists, plus bloggers, broadcasters, and all-round communicators.
Work was entered into 14 categories for a chance to win an award and prize money. Judges reviewed 232 pieces of work.
The guild’s independent judging panel comprised:
- 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 of Curry Smugglers;
- Lotte Peplow, Brewers Association’s American craft beer ambassador for Europe;
- Susan Low, freelance food, drink, and travel writer and editor;
- Rod White, master brewer and brewing academic at Nottingham University;
- Aimee Harbison-Roper, owner of The Barrel Drop; and
- Katrina Mirpuri, journalist and social media specialist.
“It’s been an overwhelming honour to chair the judging, especially as I’ve now done it twice in three years,” said David Jesudason. “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 winners will be announced at an awards dinner at Big Penny Social, in London, on 25th November.
The finalists
Best audio or video beer communication (sponsored by Fuller, Smith, and Turner)
- Lloyd Lugsden, Pubs of the Shire, episode one: Liz at the Welly
- Em Sauter, All About Beer podcast, The Science Of Beer
- Natalya Watson, episode 4, Christina Wade: beer historian, spooky girl, and castle person
- Jaega Wise, Desi Pubs, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4 (producer, Sam Grist)
Best beer news and business communicator (sponsored by St Austell Brewery)
- Rachel Auty, A Pint of Love, Yr Heliwr, Nefyn (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 (producer Sam Grist)
Best communication about no- and low-alcohol beer (sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I)
- James Beeson, Low and 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 four, 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
