Brewbound 2022 Award Winners and Rising Stars

Speaker 1 [00:06] Brewbound's 2022 Innovation of the Year award goes to New Belgium for Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA. Launched in January, the 9.5% ABV Hazy Imperial IPA became the number one craft beer launch of all time. By year end, Juice Force rocked. up the sales charts to the edge of being a top 10 craft beer brand in IRI track channels. Going into 2023, New Belgium will look to capitalize on that success with another Juice Force brand, believed to be Fruitforce, a 9.5% ABV fruit punch IPA. Brewbound's 2022 Beer Champion of the Year goes to the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. In 2022, the guild succeeded in passing legislation to help small brewers sell 4 and six packs of beer to go, as well as adding Growler sales privileges for brewers making up to 150,000 barrels annually. Minnesota lawmakers have been reluctant to approve these privileges. But the legislative tide changed in 2022. Brewers producing more than 20,000 barrels had previously been restricted from offering growlers to go, while producers making fewer than 7500 barrels couldn't offer 4 and six packs to go from their taprooms. Those changes checked two of the boxes for Minnesota craft brewers, and the guild was instrumental in getting them across the finish line. Brewbound's Person of the Year is awarded to former Modern Times CEO Jennifer Briggs. Briggs assumed the CEO role for Modern Times founder Jacob McKean, who resigned in May 2021 as the company was embroiled in toxic workplace allegations. Briggs' tenure wasn't without its share of difficult decisions guiding modern Times through the tumult of financial instability, the closure of 5 taprooms, and Auction process that ultimately didn't resolve the San Diego brewery's ownership quandary. However, Briggs steered modern Times with sensitivity, honesty, and transparency while maintaining a people-first mindset. Eventually, Maui Brewing purchased Modern Times in a new platform, Kraft Ohana. Briggs' work to guide the brewery into the platform through so much adversity is worth recognizing. Brewbound's 2022 Beyond Beer Company of the Year goes to Schilling Hard Cider. The Seattle, Washington headquartered cidery has posted wins in the off-premise channel. In the hard cider segment, Schilling is the number 4 brand family and within striking distance of number 3. The company also ranks number 1 in terms of incremental dollars gained compared to a year ago, according to Nielsen IQ data shared by Bump Williams Consulting. Beyond sales wins, Schilling is focused on creating a people first organization and establishing a strong internal culture. The 2022 Large Brewery of the Year is awarded to Georgetown Brewing Company in Seattle, Washington. Georgetown's draft first focus was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic as bars and restaurants shuttered. This led to an 8% decline in production in 2020. In a fortuitous move, the company added a canning line in 2017 that helped support the company's off-premise shift. In 2021, Georgetown bounced back in a big way, reaching its highest volume output ever at more than 108,000 barrels. That made Georgetown the 25th largest brewers association defined craft brewery by volume. Georgetown has kept flagship Manny's Pale Ale, a draft-only offering in an effort to support bars and restaurants. However, the company made a one-time exception during the pandemic, canning Manny's in 12 ounce six packs to raise money for bar and restaurant workers, ultimately raising $412,000. After two decades, Georgetown continues to thrive in its Pacific Northwest Territory. Brewbound's 2022 Craft Brewery of the Year is Fiddlehead Brewing Company in Shelburne, Vermont. Since its founding in 2010, Fiddlehead has recorded double-digit growth each year across its eight markets. In 2021, the company Cracked the Brewers Association list of the top 50 craft breweries by volume, growing production to more than 51,000 barrels. Driving the brewery's growth is flagship Fiddlehead IPA, which accounts for around 88% of the company's sales and has posted double-digit growth each year since its release in 2011. Fiddlehead IPA has catapulted the company into the top 10 craft growth companies in Nielsen IQ off-premise track channels this year. Beyond business metrics, Fiddlehead owners. Matt and Amy Cohen founded Team Mastermind in 2015, a program aimed at keeping business owners engaged in their communities. To support the program, the brewery launched Mastermind Double IPA with a quarter of all sales going to charity, including the University of Vermont Children's Hospital. Team Mastermind has since raised more than $400,000. In an increasingly challenging and competitive beverage alcohol industry, these 8 players emerged as rising stars to watch in the coming years. White Lion Brewing, Springfield, Massachusetts. Mettier Brewing Company, Woodenville, Washington. High Wire Brewing, Asheville, North Carolina. Modest Brewing, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Waterbird Spirits, Charlottesville, Virginia, Giant Kombucha, Culver City, California, Ore Vita Beer Company, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Taleaa Beer Company, Brooklyn, New York.