The British Guild of Beer Writers has announced the shortlist for its 2025 awards, celebrating beer, pub, and cider communicators.
Winners at the 2024 awards presentation
Work was entered into 14 categories,, with judges reviewing 214 pieces of work. The judging panel comprised:
- Ruvani de Silva, last year’s beer writer of the year (chair of the judges);
- Melissa Cole, drinks writer and broadcaster;
- Oz Clarke OBE, drinks writer and broadcaster;
- Queena Wong, founder of Curious Vines, a community supporting women in the wine industry;
- Vinny Rosario, co-founder of Moonwake Beer Co;
- Dominic Driscoll, production manager at Thornbridge Brewery;
- Sian Meades-Williams, travel and food writer;
- Phil Douglas, joint managing director of Brewlab;
- Hannah Guinness, drinks writer and senior sub-editor at Olive and Good Food magazines; and
- Lucy Do, owner of The Dodo Micropub.
“It was a tremendous privilege to chair the judging of this year’s stellar beer and cider writing,” said Ruvani. “We had many difficult choices with standards so high, and it’s fantastic to see many new writers coming through and gaining recognition alongside such talented industry stalwarts. Congratulations to everyone shortlisted.”
The winners will be announced at an event at Big Penny Social on 27th November.
The shortlist
Best audio or video beer communication
- Breandán Kearney
How Westvleteren 12 accidentally became ‘The Best Beer In The World’ (Episode 52 of the Belgian Smaak podcast) - Jaega Wise
Saturday Kitchen beer features - John Holl
Talking 30 years of Allagash Brewing with Rob Tod - Marverine Cole
Beer expert Marverine Cole visits 175-year-old Hook Norton (ITV, Love Your Weekend, Alan Titchmarsh) - Matthew Curtis
The Pellicle Podcast, Episode 59, The State of Independence
Best beer news and business communicator
- Andy Crouch
Why craft beer beeds a new generation of beer bars - James Beeson
Why black beer is back in fashion - John Holl
For many breweries, the rent is too damn high - Matthew Curtis
Short Measure — are suggestions to scrap the British pint rooted in classism?
Best beer publisher
- Belgian Smaak
- The Sunday Times Magazine
- Pellicle magazine
- CAMRA Learn & Discover
Best book about beer or pubs
- Andy Parker and Jamil Zainasheff
The Modern Homebrewer - Christina Wade
Filthy Queens: A History of Beer in Ireland - Laura Hadland
Beer Festivals, a Great British Tradition
Best commissioned beer writing
- Adrian Tierney-Jones
La Cerveza Galesa - Katie Mather
These Wooden Ideas — The Incomparable Theakstons’ Old Peculier - Lucy Corne
Endangered Flavours - Pete Brown
A Torch in the Infinite — Burton Bridge Brewery in Burton upon Trent - Rachel Hendry
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord — A Polyptych of a Pint
Best communication about beer and travel
- Lucy Corne
Grown in Ghana: How brewers in West Africa are embracing local grains - Claire Bullen
Fill All Fruit With Ripeness — Jitka Ilčíková’s Wild Creatures in Moravia, Czech Republic - Joey Leskin
Down To The River We Ride — The Emergence of Independent Beer in Thailand - Fred Garratt-Stanley
Cinque Ports — How medieval law shaped the pubs of Rye, East Sussex - Reece Hugill
Pick Up The Flashpoint — Pigalle Beer Bar in Setagaya City, Tokyo
Best communication about cider
- Beatrix Swanson
Tasty, Brutish and Short — A snapshot of Swedish cider with Brutes - Gabe Cook
World of Cider: Asturias - Jane Peyton
- Cider Knowledge Box
- Laura Hadland
- Cider Review: How do you fingerprint an apple?
- Rachel Hendry & Anaïs Lecoq
- Cidre Breton — One iconic cider from both sides of the Channel
Best communication about diversity in beer
- David Jesudason
The Rise of The Micropub - Lucy Corne
Endangered Flavours - Rachel Hendry
Cask: A social perception
Best communication about low- and no-alcohol beer
- Jacopo Mazzeo
Efficient approaches to improve no- and low-alcohol beer production - Laura Hadland
Alcohol free: situation normal? - Martin Dixon
AF Valhalla — Has Sweden got it right with alcohol-free beer? - Rob Fink
A Direction of Travel
Best communication about sustainability in beer and pubs
- Breandán Kearney
From grain to green: the sustainable shift in Belgian brewing - David Jesudason
Pint pioneers: Is this the future of sustainable beer? - Tori Powell
A Conversation With… Ideal Day Family Brewery
Best new or citizen beer communicator
- Joey Leskin
London Pubs, Fish & Chips: Where did it all go wrong? - Martin Avis
Cask Ale: Why it deserves heritage status - Tori Powell
Filthy Queens: A history of beer in Ireland
Best self-published beer writing
- Breandán Kearney
‘All In’ On Turnhout — How Brouwerij Het Nest play The Modern Beer Game - David Elphick
Why Laine’s Gen-Z focus is making me feel old in Brighton - David Jesudason
The Black Boy pub, Tottenham — ‘It was disempowering and shaming’ - Em Sauter
Pairing Beer With Everything - Will Hawkes
London Beer City
Best short-form beer writing
- Cliff Lucas
Oud Arsenaal — Café Society - Katie Mather
My Favourite Pub is a Petrol Station - Laura Hadland
What’s Brewing — Trigger warning: sexual violence and rape - Tim Hickford
The Allure of Yesterday
Best technical communication about beer
- David Nilsen
Pulp Nonfiction: The True Story of Brewing with Cacao Fruit - Laura Hadland
Ferment: Don’t fear the foam - Lucy Corne
Grown in Ghana: How brewers in West Africa are embracing local grains - Pete Brown
Tasting Notes - Tim O’Rourke
The role and evolution of yeast in brewing
Best brewer of the year
- Paul Anspach
Anspach & Hobday - Lara Lopes
Round Corner Brewing - Andy Parker
Elusive Brewing - Al Wall
Burton Bridge/Heritage Brewing - Matt Thompson
Lost & Grounded
Best beer of the year
- London Black
Anspach & Hobday - Oregon Trail
Elusive Brewing - Boddingtons
JW Lees - Festbier
Lost & Grounded
