Golden Pints 2010 My awards go to….

It’s been a brilliant year for all things beer related so this has been really hard choosing, some of them may change over the next couple of days too as I’ve got some special bottles lined up and I know a couple of local pubs are getting some great beer in too.

1. Best UK Draught Beer – This was a tough one, I’ve had some mind blowing British Cask ales this year, from Thornbridge Halcyon and Marble Dobber to Harviesoun Ola Dubh and Brewdog Edge and many others but I’m going to give my golden pint to Thwaites Wainwright, It was the perfect beer after walking from Ingleby cross to Blakey Ridge on the Coast to Coast, the first 2 pints didn’t touch the sides.
2. Best UK Bottled Beer – Marble Vuur & Vlam, closely followed by Brewdog Abstrakt AB:04 and Sharps Monsieur-Rock, there’s too many other great ones to mention.
3. Best Overseas Draught Beer – Stone Ruination IPA at Twissup back in January
4. Best Overseas Bottled Beer– Mikkeller Burger and Bun LA Lager followed by De Molen Amarillo, Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, and Birrificio Italiano Tipopils
5. Best Overall Beer – Marble  Vuur & Vlam
6. Best Pumpclip or Label – Brewdog Bashah Reserve for their stunning hand drawn labels closely followed by Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co – love all their labels and pumpclips.
7. Best UK Brewery – This was probably the hardest one to choose, I’ve had some excellent beers from all over the country, but for sheer drinkablity and low ABV beers I’m giving it to Yorkshire Dales Brewing Co and runner up to Kernel Brewery.
8. Best Overseas Brewery – This could have gone to any one of the American Breweries I’ve had beers from this year or to someone like Cantillion or De Molen but I’m giving it to Mikkeller as they never cease to amaze me.
9. Pub/Bar of the Year – I’ve visited some truley great pubs this year, especially during the coast to coast walk, but my favourite has to be the Rat Race Ale House.
10. Beer Festival of the Year – GBBF without question, it was fantastic, it had an amazing array of beers a mini farmers market for food and the best pork scratchings ever.
11. Supermarket of the Year–  Morrisons as my local has started selling Sierra Nevada and Brewdog along with White shield and a couple of other tasty brews.
12. Independent Retailer of the Year – Beer Ritz Leeds followed by The Wineyard Deli and Wines and Spirits in Knaresborough.
13. Online Retailer of the Year – Again a tough one, I’ve bought a lot of beer online this year from places like Beer Ritz, My Brewery Tap, Beers of Europe, wines and Spirits and Ales by Mail but the winner has to be Beermerchants.com for their fab range and ability to constantly get beers from places like Mikkeller, Kernel and little craft places I’ve not heard of.
14. Best Beer Book or Magazine – Cheers North East.
15. Best Beer Blog or Website – Stuart Howe’s Brewing Reality, despite him putting a naked picture of himself on there recently.
16. Best Beer Twitterer –  too many to mention, twitter wouldn’t be the same without a lot of people, check out the people I follow and follow them, special note has to go to the Hardnott crew though as they are always entertaining.
17. Best Brewery Online – SW Brewery followed by Thornbridge and Adnams
18. Food and Beer Pairing of the Year – Brie, Bacon and Cranberry stottie with Northern Bitters followed by Mikkeller Burger & Bun L.A. Lager and home made burger.
19. In 2011 I’d Most Like To – Go on a beery adventure abroad, go to Borefts Bier Festival or The Weekend of Spontaneous Fermentation, brew another chilli beer with a  brewery and manage a meet the brewer every week.
20. Open Category: Best Beery TV program – Brew masters!

Like I said earlier 2010 has been a fantastic year, and there’s still a few days left too…let’s hope 2011 is even better I’m pretty sure it will be.