Independent Scottish craft brewer, BrewDog has just announced an extension to its second annual quest to find the world’s most passionate beer fans, via the Beer Geek Awards.
BrewDog launched the Beer Geek Awards in 2017 in keeping with its mission to make other people as passionate about craft beer as they are. This year, the brewery added the United States to eligible countries from which prospective beer geeks could enter. Originally due to close for entries on Wednesday 20th June, BrewDog has today extended the deadline to its Beer Geek Awards to the 27th June 2018 due to increased demand from the community’s biggest beer-obsessed individuals.
Whilst the beer category is known for celebrating the advancement of craft beer from within the industry, BrewDog’s Beer Geek Awards are the first to celebrate the impact of those outside the industry who directly impact on the wider community and its growth.
The Beer Geek Awards will see Europe’s and America’s biggest beer geeks crowned at respective award ceremonies, as well as reveal the World’s Biggest Beer Geek selected from all shortlisted candidates from both sides of the pond.
All European award winners will be taken to MASH festival in Barcelona, and all American winners will be taken to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. Europe’s Biggest Beer Geek will also win a trip to San Diego and for America’s Biggest Beer Geek, there’ll be a trip to Belgium on the table.
Finally, the winner of the World’s Biggest Beer Geek – the grand prix of the event – will win a trip to San Diego to experience all that is brilliant about amazing craft beer in America’s hottest craft beer city.
Boasting seven categories, the awards recognise the incredible individuals across the world’s craft beer scene, including ‘Brewery Hopper Geek’, ‘Beer Scholar Geek’, ‘Beer Blogging Geek’, and for the first time, ‘Beer Photographer Geek’.
Categories include:
Beer Tasting Geek - The beer geek who successfully identifies different beer styles will be invited to a live taste-off at the respective award ceremonies.
Brewery Hopper Geek - The beer geek who has visited the most breweries in the last 12 months, providing imagery and social posts.
Beer Photographer Geek - A new category, beer geeks must submit five of their best photos capturing the spirit of craft beer alongside two lines describing the image.
Beer Scholar Geek - The top five beer geeks to get the highest score in the Beer Scholar Geek online quiz from each region.
Beer Blogging Geek - The top three beer bloggers with the best beer blogs.
Beer Social Media Geek - The beer geek who demonstrates the most passion and devotion to craft beer on social media.
Beer Review Geek - The beer geek with the most impressive beer reviews.
European judges include James Watt, Cofounder of BrewDog, Pete Brown, presenter, and author of some of the world’s best beer books, expert taster and author Adrian Tierney-Jones, Good Beer Hunting contributor Claire Bullen, Jonny Garrett, founder and presenter of The Craft Beer Channel on YouTube, and 2017’s World’s Biggest Beer Geek, Lena Olaussen, crowned at last year’s awards.
US judges include CEO of BrewDog USA, Tanisha Robinson, Jeremy Fultz, founder and contributing editor of Brew Studs, Kenny Gould, founder of Hop Culture the online lifestyle magazine for the newest generation of craft beer drinker, Nicole Erny, beer consultant and the world’s first female Master Cicerone, Ben Keene, the editorial director of Beer Advocate, and Matthew Curtis, Good Beer Hunting’s UK editor.
BrewDog cofounder, James Watt, commented, “The craft beer scene continues to grow at lightning speed, propelled by the beer geeks of the world who have paid an instrumental part in building the industry and furthering the craft beer revolution.
'We launched the Beer Geek Awards in celebration of the movement’s greatest advocates, and we’re thrilled to be able to further that this year with the launch of the US awards and honour the birthplace of awesome, eclectic craft beer that inspired the creation of BrewDog.'
'The craft beer revolution doesn’t start and end with the brewers. The passion, enthusiasm and love for innovative, exciting brewing by the wider community is what has taken the industry to new levels.
' Beer geeks across the globe have played an integral part in challenging perceptions, sharing craft beer, and helping us make as many people as possible passionate about craft beer. We’re raising a glass to all those craft beer geeks, without whom, we’d not be where we are today.”