Setup by Andy Mogg and Mark Dredge, the Golden Pints is a chance to give a shout out to the beers and breweries that have impressed this year.
These are my personal choices. What are yours?
Best UK Draught Beer
This is a tough, tough category. But the beer I enjoyed the most on draught this year was Hawskead NZPA. Amazing every time I have it.
Honourable mentions: Oakham Scarlet Macaw and Rooster's Londinium.
Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer
Buxton Imperial Black. For me it is THE British interpretation of Black IPA, and damned drinkable to boot.
Honourable mentions: Beavertown Smog Rocket and Kernel 1890.
Best Overseas Draught Beer
Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA (USA)
Honourable mentions: La Chouffe IPA (Belgium) and Sixpoint Sweet Action (USA)
Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer
Captain Lawrence Captain’s Resvere Imperial IPA (USA). The freshest, tastiest hop character I experienced in 2012.
Honourable mentions: Lion Stout. More people should love this beer.
Best Overall Beer
The beer which I enjoyed the most this year was the Flying Dodo brewing company (Mauritius) Oktoberfest Marzen. Craft beer on a beautiful tropical Island is hard to beat.
Best Pumpclip or Label
Rogue Voodoo Donut. It's so ugly it's awesome.
Honourable mentions: The other three!
Best UK Brewery
Hawkshead. For consistently producing fantastic beers, time and time again.
Honourable mentions: Summer Wine, Kernel and Magic Rock
Best Overseas Brewery
Sixpoint. Their beers are just so damned drinkable yet bursting with flavour. Love, love, love this brewery.
Pub/Bar of the Year
Friends of Ham, Leeds.
Honourable mention: Rattle 'n' Hum, NYC
Beer Festival of the Year
Didnt go to any!
Supermarket of the Year
None. Morrisons at a push.
Independent Retailer of the Year
Beer Ritz
Online Retailer of the Year
Beermerchants.com
Best Beer Book or Magazine
BEER magazine
Best Beer Blog or Website
The one I consistently look forward to reading is one I bet a lot of you don’t read. It’s a hombrewing blog called Getting Grist, written very matter of factly but with a genuine passion. Strangely addictive and compelling.
Best Beer Twitterer
@melissacole
Best Online Brewery Presence
Hardknott. Dave’s blog is honest, interesting and informative all at the same time. It’s also the only brewery blog which genuinely gives an insight into the inner workings of the business.
Food and Beer Pairing of the Year
Slow cooked BBQ brisket with Schlenkerla Aecht Smoked Doppelbock
In 2013 I’d most like to...
Be working in the beer industry.
Open category – What will be big in 2013?
Sour beer, done properly.
Let me know who I missed and what I got wrong below!
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