The Brewers Association (BA) has announced its 2023 Industry Award recipients, all five of whom have had an “immeasurable impact” on the craft brewing industry, BA president and CEO Bob Pease said in a press release.
The F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award – given to “an individual or company for their contributions and efforts in championing the small brewing industry” – has been awarded to retired U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, founder of the House of Representatives Small Brewers Caucus, Congress’ largest special interest caucus. DeFazio and the caucus helped pass several beer-related reforms, including the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), “saving brewers an estimated $80 million annually,” according to a press release.
The Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing – given to “an individual or company for their innovative contributions to the brewing industry” – has been awarded to Ben Edmunds, brewmaster at Portland, Oregon-based Breakside Brewery. As Breakside’s founding brewer, Edmunds “has proven himself to be a powerhouse and a major contributor to the advancement of brewing, not only for Breakside but for the industry as a whole,” according to the release. Under his leadership, Breakside has won eight World Beer Cup awards, 22 Great American Beer Festival medals and multiple Brewery of the Year honors at the Oregon Beer Awards.
The BA Recognition Award – presented to “an individual or company whose inspiration, enthusiasm, and support have contributed to the craft brewing movement” – has been awarded to Jessica and Richard Fierro, co-owners of Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Atrevida Beer Co. The duo promoted “diversity on tap” at their brewery, with each beer named with the “intention of creating meaningful dialogue.” The two were also present at the 2022 shooting at Club Q nightclub in Colorado Springs, which resulted in five deaths. Rich Fierro was instrumental in stopping any further violence from happening by tackling and disarming the gunman.
The BA Mentor of the Year Award — recognizing a volunteer mentor from the BA’s mentorship program who shows an “extraordinary commitment to championing those who experience barriers to access and advancement in their professional journeys” — has been awarded to Julie Rhodes, owner of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions. Rhodes is also a bev-alc journalist, a member of the national board of the Pink Boots Society and a member of several organizations, including the North American Guild of Beer Writers, the American Cider Association, Women of the Vine & Spirits and multiple state brewery guilds.
“This year’s award recipients have set the bar high,” Pease said in the release. “They have legislated millions of dollars of excise tax relief for small brewers, pushed the envelope of brewing innovation, inspired and mentored future leaders, and cultivated, supported, and defended underrepresented communities. In short, this year’s honorees have had an immeasurable impact on the craft beer community and beyond.”
Award recipients are nominated by their peers and chosen by members of the Brewers Association board of directors, the craft brewing community, and past award winners. All five recipients will be honored during a special ceremony on May 8 during the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Nashville.
Read more about the award recipients here.