The Golden Pints Awards is bit of fun to see out the end of 2011 with a few nominations of what’s been the best of beer from the previous year.
The problem that I have, as anyone who knows me well will testify, is that I am extremely indecisive…(I think?)
Therefore the awards I’ve made are based then on my own personal journey this year, on the people I’ve met spoken to and interacted with most in 2011.
The places I’ve visited and the beers that I have tasted, thoroughly enjoyed and kept on returning to time after time, be that in the pub, beer house or at home.
If I’ve missed you and you thought you should be there, you probably should. 🙂
Best UK Draught (Cask or Keg) Beer
Winner: Magic Rock – High Wire. Runner Up: Summer Wine Brewery – Cohort both sampled on keg and two beers in all honesty that I’d love to see as permanent fixtures in my local. Honourable mention: to Buxton Brewery for Axe Edge and Hawkshead Brewery for New Zealand Pale Ale (NZPA)
Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer
Winner: Buxton Brewery – Axe Edge Runner Up: Kernel – Imperial Brown Ale Honourable mentions to: Summer Wine Brewery for Kahuna and Bristol Beer Factory for Southville Hop.
Best Overseas Draught Beer
Winner: De Molen Brouwerij Esra Reserva Runner Up: Stone Brewery Arrogant Bastard Honourable mentions to: Southern Tier for Imperial Crème Brûlée Stout, De Molen (again) for Vuur & Vlam and Pivovar Boumov Kvasnicak Pepper
Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer
Winner: Viven Imperial IPA Runner Up: Odell IPA Honourable mentions to: Flying Dog”s Raging Bitch, Bear Republic”s Hop Rocket & St Bernardus for Abt12.
Best Pumpclip or Label
Winner: Magic Rock Human Cannonball Runner Up: Red Willow Fathomless Honourable mentions: to Kernel and Summer Wine Breweries
So many options here but what I like about all of the above is their simplicity and continuity throughout the range. Each are instantly recognisable across a bar on in a bottle fridge, Kernel is the simplest of all but nonetheless fabulous.
Best UK Brewery
Inseparable winners: Buxton, Summer Wine & Magic Rock Breweries Runner Up: Hardknott Brewery Honourable mentions: I’ve already listed far too many so I’ll stop before it all becomes pointless..
Best Overseas Brewery
Winner: De Molen Joint Runner Up: Odell and Stone Honourable mentions: t’Hofbrouwerijke and any of the Trappist brewers
Pub/Bar of the Year
Winner: Port Street Beer House Runner Up: Craft Beer Co Honourable mentions go to: Mr Foleys, The Free Trade Inn and my local The Bulls Head (Burslem)
Beer Festival of the Year:
Winner: GBBF Runner Up: The Bhurtpore Inn Honourable mentions to: Stoke CAMRA
Supermarket of the Year
Winner: Sainsbury’s Runner Up: Morrisons
Independent Retailer of the Year
Winner: Brown and Green for holding a great selection of locally sourced beers and being willing to try new suggestions Runner Up: BeerRitz Honourable mention to: Utobeer
Online Retailer of the Year
Winner: My Brewery Tap Runner Up: Beermerchants Honourable mention: Beers Of Europe
Best Beer Book or Magazine
Winner: Tasting Beer (Randy Mosher) Runner Up: Beer (CAMRA)
Best Beer Blog or Website
Winner: Ghostdrinker Runner Up: The Good Stuff Honourable mentions: Broadford Brewer, Beer Reviews, Pencil and Spoon and Beers I’ve known
Again there are so many I could have mentioned for different reasons, but I value all of the above for the sense of fun, experimentation and most of all interaction.
Best Beer Twitterer
Winners: @broadfordbrewer @BeersIveKnown& @6townsmart all top bananas Honourable Mentions: @tuff86, @hardknottalex, @Abarth50010, @kempicus, @Ghostdrinker, @krider2010 in fact everyone who follows me and interacts, really sorry I can’t list every one of you…
Best Online Brewery presence
Winner: If we are talking Twitter, all the Hardknott’s take it, what a clan, Sooty’s latest residence. For their websites: Magic Rock and Summer Wine both rock.
Food and Beer Pairing of the Year
Winner: Leigh at The Good Stuff for Crab n’ Prawn Cakes with Bath Ales Wild Hare Runner Up: Mark Dredge from Pencil and Spoon for Punk Ass Chicken and I loved Beer On Toast, crazy but fun and informative. Honourable Foodie Mention goes to: Leigh again for Bamberg Pulled Pork, this time hosted on Beer Reviews by Andy Mogg
In 2012 I’d Most Like To… Gain more knowledge about beers and brewing, understand flavours and food parings and hopefully get the chance to brew. I also really fancy getting some brewery tours, pub visits organised and a bottle swap night set up locally with likeminded people in the area. To enjoy beer
The Judith Chalmers Award for beery travels, sharing the knowledge and even fetching me the odd beer from half way across Europe goes to: Mart Ridge aka @6townsmart for services above and beyond the call of duty
Special Mentions: to my favourite local breweries Lymestone and Offbeat, really looking forward to trying more of your beers in 2012. Also to everyone who has supported me, hosted me, sent me a beer or just read the blog and made comments good or bad, Thank You.
Finally the Golden Pint award for services to the UK & International brewing industry goes to: My lovely wife Rach, for helping me to embrace my passion for beer and enduring the aftermath… Luckily she likes a beer too!
Cheers
Beersay 
Love the services to the UK & International brewing industry award! Nice selection. Looking at all the choices so far it’s been a good year for Magic Rock, Buxton and Kernel! Hard to disagree with that!
Thanks Mark, I don’t think she’s spotted it yet so I’ve not heard her acceptance speech 😉
It’s been a tough, tough choice and I’m always conscious of the fact that clearly regionally we miss out on so many more beers, hence picking from my own return to list. Cheers for the comment mate.
Thanks Phil! It’s a pleasure to share my beery love with you all as always 🙂
I really couldn’t believe it when you announced your blog was a year old mate, it’s that of a seasoned pro. I love the photographs and your sense of fun when writing, keep up the good work if work is the word, looking around I am not the only one who has noticed. Well done dude
Some good choices here mate
Thanks Neil, have you done yours yet or not bothering? I found it really difficult but the beers from the breweries I’ve mention pretty much all rock, I just feel bad for some that I haven’t mentioned but truly love, maybe some top tens for Christmas week are in order. Cheers mate
Thanks for the honourable mention Phil, and great list! Hope to see more of you in 2012!
No worries Deano I’d love to get across more often and hope to next year by hook or by crook. All the best for 2012 mate, I hope everything goes well for you mate. Cheers
Magic Rock seems to be cleaning up in the label awards – and deservedly so.
The Golden Pints are always hard to narrow down – it’s impossible to list everything! I managed to visit the Port Street Beer House for the first time, and absolutely loved it…good choice
Your not wrong Rich, lots of mentions for Magic Rock and well deserved on all counts. I didn’t think I’d find the whole thing tough but by god it was. Glad we only do it once a year… Cheers
Thanks for my mentions! I agree with most of your choices of nomination too
Cheers Steve, good chatting with you this year, here’s to the next
Thanks very much for the mentions Phil, has been a good year for me getting into blogging and meeting some top people. Look forward to buying you a beer in May!
Likewise Dave, May will be awesome I really can’t wait…. 🙂
just seen the honourable mention, not at all worthy. But have loved discovering so much via twitter and reading lots of beer blogs this year. My resolution for 2012, to find time to start writing one of my own!
Most definitely worthy mate, we’ve had some good banter in 2012 🙂
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