San Diego Beer News Awards Ceremony 2024
Members of the San Diego brewing industry, craft-beer community, local media, universities, and more will come together to present the winners of the fourth annual San Diego Beer News Awards from 5pm to 9pm at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station in Point Loma.
Since 2021, this event — which is free and open to the public — has grown into the most highly anticipated night of the year for members of the local brewing industry and their fans, attracting hundreds of attendees eager to celebrate San Diego’s world-renowned craft-beer scene.
Organized by Brandon Hernández, founder of local online resource San Diego Beer News and Ranch & Coast Magazine Food & Beverage Editor, and emceed by ALT 94.9 FM DJ Jeremy Pritchard, the ceremony will follow a Hollywood-style awards-show format. Owners, brewers and staffers from San Diego brewing companies, television and radio personalities, college brewing program instructors, plus representatives of sponsors, suppliers, trade organizations and members of the local beer community will take to the stage to rip open envelopes and hand out medals, plaques, and trophies to winners in 32 different categories.
More than 4,000 ballots were cast for this year’s competition, which included the following categories:
- Brewery Categories: Champion Brewery, Best Regional Brewery (Central, North, South, East, West), Best New Brewery, Best Expansion Project, Best Customer Service, Best Food/Menu, Best Interior/Exterior Design, Best Can/Bottle Design
- Individual Awards: Vanguard Brewer Award, Nate Soroko Community Impact Award, San Diego Brewers Guild Outstanding Service Award
- Beer Style Categories: West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, Imperial IPA, Niche IPA, Hoppy Beer, Pilsner, German Beer, Belgian Ale, UK & Irish Ale, Coffee Beer, Sour Beer, Barrel-Aged Sour/Wild Beer, Light Beer/Adjunct Lager, Strong Beer, Barrel-Aged Beer, Non-alcoholic Beer, Collaboration Beer
Two new award categories were added this year. The first recognizes standout contributions to the San Diego Brewers Guild by one of its many industry volunteers, while another honors a civilian unaffiliated with the brewing industry who advocates for and makes positive impacts within the local beer scene. The latter, the Nate Soroko Community Impact Award, is named for a tireless champion of San Diego beer who sadly passed away in 2021 but is fondly remembered for his efforts to promote breweries and bring people together over local ales and lagers.
Other firsts for this year will include having multi-year award-winning beers from previous San Diego Beer News Awards competitions on tap for attendees to enjoy, along with another special beer brewed at Stone’s Liberty Station brewery. That San Diego-style IPA was developed by Liberty Station Brewing Manager Kris Ketcham and Hernández, then produced in collaboration with brewers from across San Diego County. A truly cutting-edge beer, it is brewed with hops that are so new they don’t even have names yet. Those experimental varietals were provided by San Diego Beer News Awards banner sponsor Yakima Chief Hops. The beer fits the theme of this year’s event, which is “Celebrating the Next Generation”, and objective to spotlight young, up-and-coming individuals representing the future of San Diego’s brewing industry, a number of which will take to the stage to present awards.
