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