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Beer festivals not only offer attendees the chance to sample numerous brews – sometimes even rare and one-off pours – these events also allow beer fans to dialog with their favorite brewmasters, sample paired foods and learn about a host of topics related to beer and brewing.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Beer Festival are as follows:
- Brewgaloo - Raleigh, N.C.
- Fresh Fest Beer Fest - Pittsburgh
- The Festival - Location Varies
- Great American Beer Festival - Denver
- Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival - Atlantic City
- TAP New York Craft Beer and Food Festival - Hunter Mountain, N.Y.
- Tailspin Ale Fest - Louisville
- Biere de Femme Festival - Asheville N.C.
- WakeFest Invitational - Miami
- Great Taste of the Midwest - Madison, Wis.
A panel of experts (listed below) partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning festivals.
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About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Ruth Berman
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond... Read More
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning international beer-centric vacation company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts. Bon Beer Voyage was created by Ruth and her husband, Mike Arra, as the beer lover’s casual but exclusive version of elite wine tours. They offer high-quality, small group, gourmet Beercations in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, brewery insider visits and VIP beer tastings. Ruth is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server and has served as one of the beer experts for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Beer awards since 2014. She is member of the Pink Boots Society, Brewer’s Association, Florida Brewer’s Guild, North American Guild of Beer Writers and World Food Travel Association.
Ruth Berman
Dr. Ruth Berman is the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning international beer-centric vacation company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts. Bon Beer Voyage was created by Ruth and her husband, Mike Arra, as the beer lover’s casual but exclusive version of elite wine tours. They offer high-quality, small group, gourmet Beercations in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, brewery insider visits and VIP beer tastings. Ruth is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server and has served as one of the beer experts for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Beer awards since 2014. She is member of the Pink Boots Society, Brewer’s Association, Florida Brewer’s Guild, North American Guild of Beer Writers and World Food Travel Association.
Rich Higgins
Rich Higgins is all things beer: brewmaster, beer... Read More
Rich Higgins is all things beer: brewmaster, beer travel operator, author, public speaker and a consultant to breweries and restaurants. He is one of 18 Master Cicerones in the world, and additionally is a Certified Sommelier. He runs Beer Immersions educational beer tourism trips to Belgium and Germany. To offer an organized approach to blind beer tasting, he is the author and developer of the Deductive Beer Tasting Method. He teaches public classes, industry trainings and is a public speaker and coordinator of events across the world. He spent over a decade as a professional brewer and brewmaster, three years as the President of the San Francisco Brewers Guild and three years as Event Director of San Francisco Beer Week. Contact him at www.richhiggins.com.
Rich Higgins
Rich Higgins is all things beer: brewmaster, beer travel operator, author, public speaker and a consultant to breweries and restaurants. He is one of 18 Master Cicerones in the world, and additionally is a Certified Sommelier. He runs Beer Immersions educational beer tourism trips to Belgium and Germany. To offer an organized approach to blind beer tasting, he is the author and developer of the Deductive Beer Tasting Method. He teaches public classes, industry trainings and is a public speaker and coordinator of events across the world. He spent over a decade as a professional brewer and brewmaster, three years as the President of the San Francisco Brewers Guild and three years as Event Director of San Francisco Beer Week. Contact him at www.richhiggins.com.
Gary Monterosso
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who... Read More
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is the host of the popular radio show, What’s On Tap heard on 99.9 FM, 1240 AM in southern New Jersey, and online at snjtoday.com. He can be seen on the two-hour History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, Artisan Beers. Gary is currently teaching beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients
Gary Monterosso
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is the host of the popular radio show, What’s On Tap heard on 99.9 FM, 1240 AM in southern New Jersey, and online at snjtoday.com. He can be seen on the two-hour History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, Artisan Beers. Gary is currently teaching beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and... Read More
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a... Read More
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, merchandise designer, and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover what he terms “the world’s best beverage” for more than two decades, his current media outlets include Thrillist.com, James Beard Foundation, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, USAToday, and others. Ale has also recently launched his own beer called Piano Keys–a chocolate vanilla imperial stout–alongside brewing giant New Belgium geared to support diversity and racial equality through various initiatives including their burgeoning BrewGether fund. Although a native New Yorker and a Cornell University alumnus, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale's globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton), Twitter (@alesharpton), and his website (Alesharpton,com)
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, merchandise designer, and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover what he terms “the world’s best beverage” for more than two decades, his current media outlets include Thrillist.com, James Beard Foundation, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, USAToday, and others. Ale has also recently launched his own beer called Piano Keys–a chocolate vanilla imperial stout–alongside brewing giant New Belgium geared to support diversity and racial equality through various initiatives including their burgeoning BrewGether fund. Although a native New Yorker and a Cornell University alumnus, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale's globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton), Twitter (@alesharpton), and his website (Alesharpton,com)