Brewery Creek, Vancouver’s finest beer store, is putting on the first ever BC Beer Awards as part of Vancouver Craft Beer week.  I’m told that 35 of BC’s breweries and brewpubs (almost all of them) will be entering over 190 beers (almost all of them) in ten categories.  I don’t know what the categories are yet, but will let you know when I find out.

In the past I’ve expressed concerns about beer awards because I feel like they aren’t true selectors of good beer. Awards should be fairly and honestly given, especially when considering beer companies tend to use the awards they win extensively in their marketing.  I’ve heard that winning some awards can be as simple as entering a beer into one of thirty or more style categories.  That’s ninety medalists right there, and then we aren’t told who actually entered what beers into what categories.  I’ve got it on good authority that almost every beer in BC will be entered into these awards and that the list of competing beers will be disclosed.  When you consider that this blind taste test will be judged by beer, wine, and food writers with considerable palates, I’m encouraged to think we have ourselves a true competition that will select BC’s finest brews.

The blind tasting will take place next Monday at an undisclosed (super secret) location and the winners will be announced during Vancouver Craft beer week.  All the pertinent details are in the following press release:

The Vancouver Craft Beer Week organizing committee is proud to announce the first ever BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek. On Monday, March 22nd, an expert judging panel will review over 150 beers from all across British Columbia at [a location I'm supposed to keep secret]. Media are invited to join judges and volunteers at 9:00am to witness the judging process, as well as learn about the intricacies of craft beer and to find out more about the upcoming Vancouver Craft Beer Week.

The only blind judged beer competition in British Columbia, the BC Beer Awards judging panel boasts such beer experts as:

•       Don Tse – A BJCP Certified beer judge, freelance beer writer and consultant, Don has been writing professionally about beer for seven years. His articles have appeared in beer publications such as All About Beer, Ale Street News and Beers of the World.

•       Abram Goldman-Armstrong – A beer writer in Portland, Oregon, Abram has been a BJCP National Rank Judge since the age of 21, judging at competitions such as the Great American Beer Festival, the Okanagan Fest-of-Ales, and Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Fest. He co-organizes the North American Organic Brewers Festival, the world’s largest organic beer festival.

•       Megan Flynn – The publisher of Beer Northwest, a quarterly magazine covering beer, food, and lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest, Megan travels North America in search of the best beer and beer personalities, continuing to develop her pallet into one of the most diverse on the continent.

•       James Nevison – Columnist for The Province newspaper, where his “Wine Guy” column appears weekly each Thursday. He is the co-author of five bestselling wine books, the latest is Had a Glass: Top 100 Wines for 2010 under $20, $25, and $30. Recently James was named a “Top 40 Foodie Under 40” by Western Living magazine.

Winners will be announced at the BC Beer Awards by Brewery Creek award show on Friday, May 14th, one of Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s signature events. For further information please contact:

http://vancouvercraftbeerweek.com
http://twitter.com/vcbw

Cheers,

Chris