Brewbound Best of 2022 Awards

AWARDS 2022

Brewbound announced its 2022 Award Winners and class of Rising Stars during the multimedia trade publication’s Brewbound Live business conferencein Santa Monica, California.

The Brewbound Awards recognize large and small beverage-alcohol companies that thrived over 2022, while also celebrating notable industry figures, change agents, up-and-coming entrepreneurs and philanthropic initiatives.

Winners of the ninth annual Brewbound Awards include:

Craft Brewery of the Year

Fiddlehead Brewing Company

Since its founding in 2010, Fiddlehead has recorded double-digit growth each year across its eight markets, and cracked the Brewers Association’s list of the Top 50 Craft Breweries by volume in 2021, growing production to more than 51,000 barrels. Driving the Shelburne, Vermont-based craft brewery’s growth is flagship Fiddlehead IPA, which accounts for around 88% of the company’s sales, and has catapulted the company into the top 10 craft growth companies in NielsenIQ off-premise tracked channels this year.

Read the full citation: Fiddlehead Brewing Company

Large Brewery of the Year

Georgetown Brewing Company

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 Seattle-headquartered craft brewery added a canning line in 2017 that helped support its off-premise shift in 2020. 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.

Read the full citation: Georgetown Brewing Company

Beyond Beer Company of the Year

Schilling Hard Cider

Schilling Hard Cider is focused on creating a people-first organization and establishing a strong internal culture. But the Seattle, Washington-headquartered cidery has posted wins in the off-premise channel in recent years. In the hard cider segment, Schilling is the No. 4 brand family and within striking distance of No. 3. The company also ranks No.1 in terms of incremental dollars gained compared to a year ago, according to NielsenIQ data shared by Bump Williams Consulting.

Read the full citation: Schilling Hard Cider

Person of the Year

Jennifer Briggs, Former Modern Times CEO

Jennifer Briggs assumed the CEO role from 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 five taprooms and an auction process that created more confusion about the San Diego brewery’s ownership quandary. However, Briggs steered Modern Times with sensitivity, honesty and transparency, while maintaining a people-first mindset.

Read the full citation: Jennifer Briggs, Former Modern Times CEO

Innovation of the Year

New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA

Released in January, Juice Force, a 9.5% ABV hazy imperial IPA, became the No. 1 craft beer launch of all time. By year end, Juice Force rocketed up the sales charts to the edge of being a top 10 craft beer brand in IRI tracked channels. Going into 2023, New Belgium will look to capitalize on that success with another Juice Force brand, believed to be Fruit Force, a 9.5% ABV fruit punch IPA.

Read the full citation: New Belgium’s Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA

Beer Champion of the Year

The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild

In 2022, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild succeeded in passing legislation to help small brewers sell 4- and 6-packs of beer to-go, as well as adding growler sales privileges for brewers making up to 150,000 barrels annually.

Read the full citation: The Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild