North American Guild of Beer Writers Announces the 2026 Award Winners, Celebrating the Best of Beer and Beverage Media

The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) held its 12th annual awards ceremony October 25, celebrating the best of beer and beverage media. This year, the competition consisted of 250 works from 78 authors, writers, journalists, historians, podcasters, professors, and other creators with over 800 years of experience. These entrants represent 4 continents, 11 countries, 25 U.S. states, and 3 Canadian provinces

43 judges selected the top works across 18 categories. These judges collectively have more than 750 years of experience in journalism, media, academia, brewing, and related fields. Judges awarded first, second, and third place awards as well as an optional honorable mention. They could also designate an emerging voice award to a piece of work by an individual who has covered the beer industry for five or fewer years.

This year’s awards were generously sponsored by Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners:

  • Best Academic Writing
    • First Place: Aaron Staples & Michael McCullough. “Tariffs and U.S. beer demand: How protectionist policies could impact market shares and consumer welfare.” Food Policy. August 18, 2025.
    • Second Place: Paul Kan. “Narco Cerveza: Cartel Influence on the Mexican Craft Beverage Industry.” Small Wars Journal. February 26, 2026.
  • Best Beer and Food Writing
    • First Place: Rachel LaBella. “Saison as Relationship Barometer.” Final Gravity. November 11, 2025.
    • Second Place: Naomi Kaye Honova. “Obatzda is the Biergarten Snack You’ll Crave.” All About Beer. June 2026.
    • Third Place: Malin Norman. “Tasty beers for Sweden’s favourite summer dishes.” Scan Magazine. June 1, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: David Nilsen. “Pairing Gueuze and Wild Ales with Craft Chocolate.” Bean to Barstool. October 9, 2025.
  • Best Blog/Newsletter
    • First Place: Jeff Alworth. Beervana.
    • Second Place: Dave Infante. Fingers.
    • Third Place: Doug Veliky. Beer Crunchers.
    • Honorable Mention: Franz Hofer. A Tempest in a Tankard.
    • Emerging Voice: Sayre Piotrkowski. The Brew Deck Newsletter – The Weekly Dispatch From The Bay Area Brewers Guild.
  • Best Book
    • First Place: Matthew Curtis. Manchester’s Best Beer Pubs and Bars (Second Edition). April 2026.
    • Second Place: Robin Shepard. A Keg of Their Best: Brewing in the Beer State Capital–From the Beer Baron Era to Modern Microbrews. June 2026.
    • Third Place: Randy Mosher. Your Tasting Brain: A Sensory Approach to Wine, Beer, and Other Pleasures. June 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Marty Nachel. The Beer Story Project. November 2025.
  • Best Brewery Profile
    • First Place: Brett Cortelletti. “Fermentation Under Occupation: Palestine’s Taybeh Brewery.” Final Gravity. May 11, 2026.
    • Second Place: Breandán Kearney. ““All In” On Turnhout — How Brouwerij Het Nest Play The Modern Beer Game.” Belgian Smaak. July 15, 2025.
    • Third Place: David Nilsen. “Honest Friend Brewing Crafts a Different Kind of Taproom.” Final Gravity. May 11, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Jonny Garrett. “No one makes beer like St Mars of the Desert.” The Craft Beer Channel. October 22, 2025.
  • Best Business Writing
    • First Place: Kate Bernot. “Beer Will Be Feeling the Effects of War for Months.” Brewing Industry Guide. April 13, 2026.
    • Second Place: John Holl. “How Tariffs on Everything From Aluminum to Barley and Malt Will Impact Beer Pricing.” Food & Wine. March 2026.
    • Third Place: David Nilsen. “Unusual Brewery Tenants and Taproom Synergies.” Brewing Industry Guide. July 22, 2025.
    • Honorable Mention: Michael Stein. “The Bell’s Beer Conundrum.” Slate. February 5, 2026.
  • Best Commentary or Criticism
    • First Place: Dave Infante. “Maybe People Who Want to ‘Save Beer’ Should Learn Something About It First.” VinePair. October 17, 2025.
    • Second Place: Jeff Alworth. “Vibes Versus Numbers: The Real State of Craft Beer.” Beervana. May 1, 2026.
    • Third Place: Sayre Piotrkowski. “I Don’t Believe You Really Care Who Owns Stone Brewing.” Beer & Soul. May 2, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Dave Infante. “Anheuser-Busch Is Getting the Bigotry It Paid for With Bud Light’s UFC Deal.” VinePair. June 12, 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Sayre Piotrkowski. “WHY YOU SHOULD COVER BREWERIES.” Beer & Soul. December 10, 2025.
  • Best Historical Writing
    • First Place: Andreas Krennmair. Bavarian White Beer. June 19, 2026.
    • Second Place: Brian Alberts. “Beneath the Bines: The Multicultural Roots of the Pacific Northwest Hop Harvest.” VinePair. October 6, 2025.
    • Third Place: David Nilsen. “Beer Beneath the Streets.” Full Pour. December 1, 2025.
    • Honorable Mention: Franz Hofer. “Signposts on the Road to the Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law) of 1516.” A Tempest in a Tankard. April 22, 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Frances Tietje-Wang. “Ink & Drink: Uncovering the Historical Bonds of Tattoos and Fermentation Across Cultures.” CraftBeer.com. January 2026.
  • Best Local Reporting
    • First Place: Dave Infante. “The Twin Cities’ Beer Scene Is Showing the Rest of the Industry How to Fight Back.” VinePair. January 29, 2026.
    • Second Place: Jeff Alworth. “Von Ebert’s $3 Clubhaus Lager Experiment Has Been a Big Hit So Far.” Beervana. June 2, 2026.
    • Third Place: Michael Clarke. “Stay Beautiful — The Vulcan Hotel: A Pub, A Museum.” Pellicle. August 6, 2025.
    • Honorable Mention: Gabe Toth. “Are Denver Beer Drinkers Getting What They Pay For?” Westword. May 8, 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Sayre Piotrkowski. “In the Bay Area, everyone who works in beer is ‘paid in Skittles’.” SFGate. June 16, 2026.
  • Best Other Beverage Reporting
    • First Place: Anaïs Lecoq. “Tradition is a Lie — French Wine’s Place in France’s Far-Right Gastronationalism.” Pellicle. December 10, 2025.
    • Second Place: Matthew Curtis. “The Circle is Now Complete — White Peak Distillery in Ambergate, Derbyshire.” Pellicle. July 9, 2025.
    • Third Place: Evan Rail. “How Mead Quietly Conquered Untappd, Craft Beer’s Favorite Rating App.” VinePair. July 30, 2025.
    • Honorable Mention: Alistair Reece. “Apple Tree Woman.” Pellicle. October 29, 2025.
  • Best Personal Essay
    • First Place: Justin Hemminger. “Cracks.” Final Gravity. November 10, 2025.
    • Second Place: Dave Infante. “The Beer Industry Is Special. My Dad Taught Me That.” VinePair. December 12, 2025.
    • Third Place: Aaron Goldfarb. “Did I Write the Most Viral Drinks Story of All Time?” VinePair. November 28, 2025.
    • Honorable Mention: Emma Inch. “Haunting.” Lightstruck. May 15, 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Sayre Piotrkowski. “The Story We Can’t Help But Keep Telling About Beer.” Beer & Soul. June 19, 2026.
  • Best Podcast
    • First Place: Jonny Garrett. The Craft Beer Channel.
    • Second Place: Julie Rhodes. This Is Not Your Hobby the Podcast.
    • Third Place: John Holl. Drink Beer, Think Beer with John Holl.
    • Honorable Mention: Breandán Kearney. The Belgian Smaak Podcast.
  • Best Public Relations or Corporate Communications
    • First Place: Cat Wiest. “Strata Goes Cryo: A New Era for Beloved Oregon Hop.” Hopwire – Yakima Chief Hops Website. January 13, 2026.
    • Second Place: Cat Wiest. “Introducing Dolcita HBC 1019 c.v..” Hopwire – Yakima Chief Hops Website. August 12, 2025.
    • Third Place: Jesse Bussard. “Flaked Torrefied Maize: The Adjunct with Range.” Crisp Malt Blog. April 10, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Jesse Bussard. “The Malt Science Behind Better Foam & Body.” Crisp Malt Blog. January 28, 2026.
  • Best Regional, National, or International Reporting
    • First Place: Breandán Kearney. ““World Heritage” — The Real Story of Belgian Beer Culture’s UNESCO Recognition.” Belgian Smaak. April 29, 2026.
    • Second Place: Matthew Curtis. “The Union Forever — How Thornbridge Saved a Vital Piece of Brewing History.” Pellicle. November 27, 2025.
    • Third Place: Kate Bernot. “These beers are not yet teenagers but hope to pass as grandpas.” The Washington Post. June 10, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: David Nilsen. “Deep Inside My Heart — Hopleaf, Chicago’s Beer Bar.” Pellicle. February 25, 2026.
  • Best Review
    • First Place: Matthew Curtis. “By ‘Eck it’s Gorgeous.” Ferment. November 1, 2025.
    • Second Place: Ryan Pachmayer. “The Best Nonalcoholic Beers.” Wirecutter. May 27, 2026.
    • Third Place: Jorge Torres. “This Crushable XPA is My New Paramore.” The Beer Blog Villain. October 31, 2025.
    • Emerging Voice: Roy Slack. “A Rutting Red from the Paws that Refreshes.” Cranky Old Men Drinking Beer.
  • Best Short Form Writing
    • First Place: Matthew Curtis. “Jaipur in the Sheffield Tap.” Total Ales. October 31, 2025.
    • Second Place: Andy Crouch. “How a Surprise Gift Keeps The Memory of McNeill’s Brewery Alive.” All About Beer. December 2, 2025.
    • Third Place: Robin Shepard. “Giant Jones develops a barrel-aging program with neighborhood help.” Isthmus Community Media. December 7, 2025.
  • Best Technical Writing
    • First Place: Stan Hieronymus. “Let’s Dive Into Dank.” Brewing Industry Guide. January 12, 2026.
    • Second Place: Laura Hadland. “Heritage Brewing: The Union Sets.” CAMRA Learn & Discover. March 29, 2026.
    • Third Place: Kate Bernot. “Fonio Calls, and Craft Brewers Answer.” Craft Beer & Brewing. May 25, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Ryan Pachmayer. “Dialing in a Delicious Dunkel.” Zymurgy Magazine. April 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Shanleigh Thomson. “Terroir Tuesday Week 14: Riwaka.” Breaking Brews with Shan Ferments. March 10, 2026.
  • Best Travel Writing
    • First Place: Franz Hofer. “A Poetic Act: Zoigl, the Schafferhof, and the Making of Place.” Pellicle. April 1, 2026.
    • Second Place: Cat Wiest. “Do You Know the Way to Yakima.” OnTap Magazine. September 23, 2025.
    • Third Place: Michael Clarke. “WELSH WONDERS.” CAMRA BEER Magazine. March 23, 2026.
    • Honorable Mention: Erica Zazo. “How Bell’s Oberon Became One of Beer’s Most Celebrated Rituals.” All About Beer. March 2026.
    • Emerging Voice: Anaïs Lecoq. “Patron, un Demi! — On France’s PMU Bars and Keeping Working-Class Spaces Alive.” Pellicle. March 6, 2026.

Best of Show Winners

The Best of Show awards were generously sponsored by John I Haas, the world leader in innovative hop products – growing the future of brewing for more than 100 years.

  • 2026 Winningest Writer of the Year
    • Winner: Matthew Curtis
      • 9 entries, 5 wins (3 1st, 2 2nd), 31 points & 55.56% win rate
    • 1st Runner-Up: Dave Infante
      • 12 entries, 5 wins (2 1st, 2 2nd, 1 HM), 25 points & 41.67% win rate
    • 2nd Runner-Up: Cat Wiest
      • 4 entries, 3 wins (1 1st, 2 2nd), 17 points & 75% win rate
  • 2026 Publisher of the Year
    • Winner: VinePair
      • 16 entries from 4 entrants, 7 wins (2 1st, 2 2nd, 2 3rd, 1 HM), 31 points & 43.75% win rate
    • 1st Runner-Up: Pellicle
      • 14 entries from 9 entrants, 8 wins (2 1st, 2 2nd, 1 3rd, 2 HM, 1 EV), 30 points & 57.14% win rate
    • 2nd Runner-Up: Final Gravity
      • 16 entries from 14 entrants, 4 wins (3 1st, 1 3rd), 24 points & 25% win rate
  • 2026 Emerging Voice of the Year
    • Shanleigh Thomson
    • Best Technical Writing: “Terroir Tuesday Week 14: Riwaka.” Breaking Brews with Shan Ferments
  • 2026 Writer of the Year
    • Breandán Kearney
    • Best Regional, National, or International Reporting: ““World Heritage” — The Real Story of Belgian Beer Culture’s UNESCO Recognition.” Belgian Smaak

A video recording of the awards ceremony will be posted on the NAGBW YouTube channel.

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