2019 Beerdrinker of the Year - and Previous Winners

The 2019 Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals will take place this Saturday (February 9th) at noon at the Wynkoop Brewery.  For more information visit the BDOTY website:

http://wynkoopbdoy.com

The event is free, but don't forget to register with the Wynkoop's Eventbrite site.

(Note - updated on 2-10-2019 with yesterday's winner.  Congratulations Kevin Cox - well deserved!!!)

Previous Winners:

1997: Jack McDougall of Cranford, New Jersey
1998: Bobby Bush Jr. of Hickory, North Carolina
1999: James Robertson of Pomona, California
2000: Steve Pawlowski of Roselle Park, New Jersey
2001: Cornelia Corey of Clemmons, North Carolina
2002: Gary Steinel of White Plains, New York
2003: Ray McCoy of Clemmons, North Carolina
2004: John Marioni of Bothell, Washington
2005: Tom Ciccateri of Alexandria, Virginia
2006: Tom Schmidlin of Seattle, Washington
2007: Diane Catanzaro of Norfolk, Virginia
2008: Matt Venzke of Hampton, Virginia
2009: Cody Christman of Golden, Colorado
2010: Bill Howell of Sterling, Alaska
2011: Phil Farrell of Cumming, Georgia
2012: J. Wilson of Prescott, Iowa
2013: Warren Monteiro of New York, New York
2016: Shawna Cormier of Denver, Colorado
2017: Sally Hill of Denver, Colorado
2019: Kevin Cox of Indianapolis, Indiana

2016 Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals

The Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals are finally back!  This Wednesday (October 5th, 2016) at 7:00 pm in the Wynkoop's Mercantile Room, an 18th member will be added to this elite club.

Here is a brief bio of the three finalists:

• Mike Dixon, a Wake Forest, North Carolina beer lover, homebrewer, National BJCP judge, and beer writer. Mike has enjoyed beers from 46 states and 44 countries and has visited well over 1,000 beer establishments in the US, Belgium, and Ireland. His extensive volunteer beer work includes working to successfully change his state’s beer laws and promoting North Carolina’s homebrewing and beer culture. He is a six-time semifinalist, this will be his second time in the Beer Drinker finals. His beer philosophy: “A well crafted beer is the perfect accompaniment to any meal or event. Life is too short to be wasted on beer without flavor and every glass of beer should be a new adventure. Every day I am working to improve my beer knowledge and to find new beer experiences.” His home beer bar: Clouds Brewing, Raleigh, NC

• Shawna Cormier.  Upon her first sip of Bud from her grandmother's can as a young lass of 4, Shawna began bouncing from brew to brew, in search of the fermented

• fountain of yum. Having just moved from New York City, Shawna has been an actress, an educator, a writer, a service industry work horse, and now a Certified Cicerone® working at Black Shirt Brewing Co. Oh, she also delivered teeth once. Long story. Beer drinking philosophy: "Have you ever thought, 'Geez, I wish there wasn't beer here.' That's what I thought. Beer here now. Drinking beer is exploration into a magical world full of infinite possibilities. Plus, it's freaking delicious. Wild and spontaneous, controlled and contained, perfected and classic—a beer can be so many different things. It's easily accessible, yet contains a world of possibilities. A sip of a stellar brew can be a glimpse into the world of another person, a way of tasting the earth, and creating experiences we will never forget. Whether it be the perfect pour of a resiny Double IPA, a trip to Cantillon, or the chugging of the coldest beer possible, beer is a good thing. Damn good thing there's beer." Home beer bar: Black Shirt Brewing, Denver, CO

• Kevin Cox, a Muncie, Indiana beer hunter, homebrewer and beer advocate. Cox has visited over 400 breweries, tasted over 6000 different beers and “stalked the perfect pint” on 4 continents and in 12 countries. In 2012 he drank beer at numerous beer festivals in the US, Belgium, England and Germany. He’s been a member of the American Homebrewers Association since 1983 and a member of Britain’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) since 1985. His philosophy of beer drinking: “Beer is my passion, it’s a religion. I like to think of it as my beer ministry, teaching the virtues of good beer and safe drinking.” His home beer bar: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Indianapolis, IN

The winner will receive national bragging rights, a beer brewed in their honor by the Wynkoop (of their selection), and free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewery!

You may want to arrive early to get a good seat.  The event is free including snacks and beers samples between 7:00 and 7:45 pm.  

There is more information at the Eventbrite site:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beer-drinker-of-the-year-2016-tickets-28225939545


Note - you do not need to register for the event at this site - you can just show up.  But if you do register on Eventbrite you will be in a drawing for gifts and prizes.


I hope to see you at the Wynkoop on Wednesday evening!

Call for 2016 Beerdrinker of the Year Applicants

The Beerdrinker of the Year competition is back!  It took two years to recover from Marty Jones’ departure for the Wynkoop to regroup and rebrand, but the event is thankfully back on track.

The format of the finals is largely the same, and so are the prizes; national recognition and bragging rights, a beer brewed in the winner’s honor, and free beer for life at Denver’s oldest brewpub - the Wynkoop.   

Welcome Back Party

Right before the GABF kickoff in September, the Wynkoop hosted a nice welcome back party for previous BDOY winners.  Beer legends Warren Monteiro (2013), J. Wilson (2012), Phil Farrell (2011), Tom Ciccateri (2005), Ray McCoy (2003), Gary Steinel (2002), and Cornelia Corey (2001) were in attendance.   (Yes, I made it too...) It was a great reunion with plenty of Koop-GABF speciality beers on tap, as well as some friendly beer-related challenges to pit the former winners against each other.  

The reunion officially kicked off the PR campaign and search for the 2016 Beerdrinker of the year.  (I've posted the official press release below for your reference.)

Now the question is, are you ready to throw your hat in the ring for the 2016 title?

The prizes will be the same as years past, but there is a new twist to the application process.  In addition to a written essay (“beer resume”) free-beer-for-life-seekers can also submit a two-minute video application.  Either option will suffice.  There are samples on the web site if you want to see how the video works.

Apply Now

With that said, time is running out.  Here are some key dates to remember:

• Applications are due by 12 am on February 1st, 2016.  (Since the general beer-public can vote on the submissions, the sooner you apply the better.  Voting will only be one criteria used to pick the three finalists, but it never hurts to have a strong following.)

• The Finals will be held on Saturday, April 2nd at the Wynkoop Brewery.  This is where the three finalists will be flown to Denver and a new winner will be crowned.

If you love beer, and I know you do, I encourage you to give it a shot!  I did and it has served me well.

To apply visit http://wynkoopbdoy.com.   If you want help or have any questions do not hesitate to contact me.

For more information read the official press release:

Wynkoop Brewing Co. announces return of Beer Drinker of the Year competition

2016 marks the contest’s 18th year

DENVER — Oct. 16, 2015 — Wynkoop Brewing Co. has the craft beer community buzzing over its announcement that the Beer Drinker of the Year competition is returning in 2016. After taking a break for the last two years, the popular national contest is back and better than ever.

The Beer Drinker of the Year is not only someone who enjoys, appreciates (and drinks) beer, but knows a great deal about beer, how it's made, its legend and lore and can demonstrate the range and depth of their beeriness.

So let the search for America’s most passionate beer drinker begin. Beer fanatics have until midnight on January 31, 2016 to enter their submissions to vie for prizes like free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing Co., the chance to work with Wynkoop’s head brewer to have their beer recipe brewed at Colorado’s oldest brewpub, and the serious bragging rights that accompany the “Beer Drinker of the Year 2016” title.

To enter the contest, beer enthusiasts are asked to upload a two-minute video (or written essay/beer-resume) describing why they should be crowned the Beer Drinker of the Year. Videos will be judged based on entrants’ creativity, expressed knowledge of craft beer history, and demonstration of how they live and breathe beer culture.

Applicants shouldn’t wait until the last minute to enter their submissions, though. Video votes will count toward the review and consideration of this year’s submissions, so entrants are encouraged to share their videos on social media using hashtag #BDOY2016 to gain votes.

The video submissions and public voting are a departure from prior years’ written entry contest format. The competition, which started in 1997 and took a break between 2013-2015 for a rebrand, has experienced growing national recognition as one of the country’s top beer competitions.

“We are thrilled to bring back our beloved Beer Drinker of the Year competition in its new form this year,” says Breckenridge-Wynkoop Vice President of Marketing Brooke Salazar. “The contest is intended to give the nation’s biggest beer enthusiasts a platform to showcase their knowledge and passion for beer. By incorporating a social aspect to the competition through video submissions and public voting, we hope our participants will get creative, have fun and tell all of their friends why they should be the 2016 Beer Drinker of the Year!”

The Beer Drinker of the Year 2016 contest is open to U.S. residents ages 21 and older who are available to fly to Denver for the National Finals Feb. 26-28, 2016. Travel expenses will be paid for the top three finalists, who will be announced by the Wynkoop Brewing Co. judging panel by Feb. 1, 2016. The 2016 Beer Drinker of the Year will be crowned at the National Finals event on Feb. 27, 2016, which will be open to the public to attend.

Past Beer Drinker of the Year Cody Christman encourages other beer lovers to apply. “Winning Beer Drinker of the Year was a huge honor,“ he says. “It’s a chance to see what you know and go up against the best at the most prestigious beer competition in the nation with the biggest prize of all (free beer!) at Colorado’s first brewpub. Who wouldn’t want that?”

Visit www.wynkoopbdoy.com for more information or to submit an entry.

About Wynkoop Brewing Co:

Wynkoop is Colorado’s O.G. Brewpub, home to tastemakers and rulebreakers, bushwhackers and envelope pushers. For almost three decades we’ve been brewing handcrafted beer in our modest basement brewery underneath Denver’s largest pool hall. Over the years our neighborhood has transformed and Colorado’s craft beer industry has exploded. And Wynkoop is still here, serving cold beer to warm friends. 

Media Contact:
Lizzie Sneed dfine Branding 720.328.6971 lizzie@dfinebranding.com

Beerdrinker of the Year To Resume in 2016

I wanted to fill you in on the BDOTY event that has been on hiatus since the 2013 National Finals.  We'll I have good news, it is coming back!  See the message below that I sent to friends on an email list I run.

Kooplisters,

I've got some good news and wanted to give an update about the Wynkoop.  (Sorry Jim - no they are not bringing the Lamb Sliders back.  Not yet anyway!)

Yesterday I met with Lee Driscoll (Wynkoop-Breckenridge CEO), their Director of Corporate Events, the Koop GM, the Head Brewer, and two of their beer sales directors.  We met to discuss the Beerdrinker of the Year event, which is going to come back.

Here is the tentative plan.  As you know there has been quite a bit of investment over the past year.  (bathrooms, etc.)  The Koop has also purchased the former Comedy Works space.  They are turning that room into a barrel aging storage area and private tasting room.  The plan is to have that room open in time for the GABF.

The plan is to have a "former BDOTY winner reception" on the Wednesday night of GABF weekend in conjunction with a grand opening of that barrel room.  This event will re-launch the Beerdrinker of the Year event.  There will be PR, buzz generation, etc.  It will also kick off the calling for BDOTY resumes.

Then the BDOTY National Finals event will be back on track for 2016.  Tentatively scheduled for the Saturday after Presidents' Day next year - February 20th 2016.

So things can change, and nothing is done until it is done, but this is great news.  And as the event dates approach I would appreciate your help in promoting these event.  (You've always been great at that in the past - thanks!)  That will help in maintaining a long term commitment for cool events like this one!

See you tomorrow night at the Koop!

 Cody