Beer Writers: mentors & mentees.

The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) is establishing a network of mentors and mentees to "better connect its membership, to enhance communication skills, and to further understanding of the beer industry."

To that end, the NAGBW is looking for veteran beer writers to mentor aspiring writers. And, vice versa: new beer writers looking for advice on covering the industry and pitching their stories.

Vet or newbie? Consider signing up.

About the NAGBW

The North American Guild of Beer Writers is an all-volunteer group of professional beer writers dedicated to elevating the level of the craft as it covers the art of brewing.

We are serious in our purpose, but strive to enjoy ourselves in doing our jobs.

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Drink beer. Win acclaim!

Beer ye, beer ye! Do you write, blog, or podcast about beer?

If yes, you have until this Friday, 25 August, to enter the 2017 North American Guild of Beer Writers competition. The NAGBW has announced its 5th annual Beer Writer Awards. Or more accurately, its 5th annual awards for beer writers and bloggers and broadcasters, and, yes, authors.

Through this annual writing competition, the Guild aims to broaden the conversation about beer and brewing, raise the standards of writing, and provide leadership and continuing education for practitioners of our profession, while also encouraging and supporting more participation throughout all media channels.

To be eligible for consideration, entries must have been published between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2017. But to be judged, entries must be submitted by this Friday, 25 August 2017. There are eleven categories in which to enter:

• Best Beer Book
• Best Beer Podcast
• Best Beer Blog
• Best Beer and Food Writing
• Best Beer and Travel Writing
• Best Local Reporting
• Best National/ International Reporting
• Best Short Form Writing (fewer than 600 words)
• Best History Writing
• Best Technical Writing
• Best Beer Criticism or Commentary

It'll cost you $30 per entry. If you're a member of the NAGBW, however, that's only $15. Furthermore, there's only one article or item allowed per entry per category and only two entries are permitted per person.

Submissions will be judged by these criteria and to these weights:

• Readability: 25%
• Voice and style: 25%
• Knowledge of subject/accuracy/factual content: 20%
• Creativity/originality: 15%
• Interest/newsworthiness: 15%

Finally, whether or not you submit, why not join the Guild? Membership is open to all writers and content producers who cover beer and brewing.

We are professional beer writers.

We make our living, or at least a substantial portion of it, writing about beer and brewing. We are authors, writers, publicists, bloggers, columnists, critics, cheerleaders and more. We tirelessly cover the brewing industry undefined and those who appreciate beer undefined across North America.

Many of us are self-employed or do this as a side "gig" in addition to our "real jobs." Some of us are employed by breweries, beer distributors, beer bars, stores and restaurants. Still others are publishers and event organizers, while some work for newspapers, websites, magazines and other media outlets.

We are an all-volunteer group dedicated to elevating the level of our craft as we cover the art of brewing. We are serious in our purpose, but strive to enjoy ourselves in doing our jobs.

Please consider joining with us to help shape our efforts to support and nurture better beer writing in North America.

Indeed and good luck.

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Announcing the 4th annual North American Guild of Beer Writers competition.

UPDATE: The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) has extended the deadline for submissions to the 2016 NAGBW competition to this Friday, 8/26 at midnight (Pacific Time).

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The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) has announced its 4th annual Awards for beer writers, bloggers, broadcasters, and authors. If you've written (or broadcast) about beer in the past year, you may submit in one of ten categories:

• Best Beer Book
  Book entries must be original works by an author or co-authors. (Recipe-based cookbooks are eligible in this category or Best Beer and Food Writing the Beer and Food Writing category.)
• Best Local Reporting
  Print or online media covering significant issues of local concern (e.g., alt weeklies, brewspapers, local newspapers).
• Best National/ International Reporting
  Print or online media covering significant issues of national or international concern (eg., magazines, online magazines and newspapers with national/ international circulation or readership).
• Best Beer and Food Writing
  print or online media that places beer in the context of food, including but not limited to recipes and pairings.
• Best Beer and Travel Writing
  Print or online media that transports the reader to a place and provides guidance or insight to the location’s unique features and beer landscape. (Beer travel books are eligible in this category or Best Beer Book.)
• Best Historical/ Technical Beer Writing
  Print or online media that chronicles beer historically or technically (e.g., trade media).
• Best Beer Commentary or Criticism
  Print or online media that provide a position or opinion with clear style and reasoning on a topic relating to the beer industry (e.g., columns, editorials, and first-person pieces).
• Best Short Form Beer Writing
  Beer writing from any publication, online or print, that contains fewer than 600 words.
• Best Beer Podcast/ Broadcast
  Any audio or video series that explores the subject of beer.
• Best Beer Blog
  A blog series that explores the subject of beer.

To be eligible, an entry must have been published on or between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016, and there is a fee —$15 per entry for NAGBW members; $30 for non-members— which will be used to fund winners' prizes and "modest judge stipends" ("modest" modifying the stipends not the judges). If you're interested in competing, you'll have to hurry. The deadline for submissions is Monday, 22 August.

Winners will be announced —gold, silver, and bronze in each category— on 7 October, during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. (The names of the judges will be revealed as well.) Good luck!

And while I'm at it ...

If you are an independent beer writer, beer blogger, and/or audio/visual content producer specializing in beer, why not consider joining the NAGBW? Membership is $45 per year.

With the formation of the NAGBW and an annual writing competition, the Guild aims to broaden the conversation about beer and brewing, raise the standards of writing, and provide leadership and continuing education for practitioners of our profession, while also encouraging and supporting more participation throughout all media channels.

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(Some of) the best beer writing of 2015: The NAGBW Awards.

The North American Guild of Beer Writers (NAGBW) announced the winners of it 3rd annual NAGBW Awards for writers, bloggers, broadcasters and authors, at the recent Great American Beer Festival, in Denver, Colorado.

The NAGBW Awards honor the best beer and brewing industry coverage in nine categories, restructured this year to organize material by content rather than format.

The NAGBW has members from USA, Canada, United Kingdom and Costa Rica. Guild membership is open to all writers and content producers who cover beer and brewing, although industry and associate memberships are both non-voting categories.

With the formation of the NAGBW and an annual writing competition, the Guild aims to broaden the conversation about beer and brewing, raise the standards of writing and provide leadership and continuing education for practitioners of our profession, while also encouraging and supporting more participation throughout all media channels.

Here is the list of the 2015 winners, with links to their winning submissions.

• Best Blog
  A blog series dedicated to beer/ the brewing industry.
  
  • Gold:
    This Is Why I’m Drunk, by Bryan Roth.
  • Silver:
    Literature and Libation, by Oliver Gray.
  • Bronze:
    The Beer Bible Blog, by Jeff Alworth,
    All About Beer Magazine.
  
  
• Best Podcast
  A serial podcast or broadcast that focuses on beer/ the brewing industry.
  • Gold:
    Strange Brews, hosts Andrew Gill and Alison Cuddy.
  • Silver:
    Tales From the Cask, hosts Chip Mims, Tony Walldroff and Jennifer Balik.
  • Bronze:
    Beer O’Clock!, host Lisa Morrison.
  
  
• Best Food Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, that places beer in the context of food, including but not limited to recipes and pairings, and cookbooks.
  • Gold:
    Feeding Frenzy: Avoiding Gimmicks in Culinary-themed Beers,
    by Jeff Cioletti: All About Beer Magazine.
  • Silver:
    The When, Where and How of Proper Food Pairing,
    by Marty Nachel: Jollity Magazine. Part 1. Part 2.
  • Bronze:
    The Potent Flavors of Barrel-aged Beer,
    by Ken Weaver: FSR Magazine.
  
  
• Best Travel Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, that transports the reader to a place and provides guidance or insight on the location’s unique features and beer landscape, including travel books.
  • Gold:
    Dusseldorf vs. Cologne: My two rounds of a friendly German beer bout, by Will Hawkes: The Washington Post.
  • Silver:
    Smoke and Shadow: Exploring lager’s roots around Bamberg, by Joe Stange: All About Beer Magazine.
  • Bronze:
    Oregon Breweries, by Brian Yaeger: Stackpole Books.
  
  
• Best Short Form Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, that contains fewer than 600 words.
  • Gold:
    A Theology Ph.D. is Putting His Faith in Brewing,
    by Sarah Bennett: The L.A. Weekly.
  • Silver:
    Wheatwine, A beer style to warm up your winter,
    by Zak Stambor: Chicago Tribune.
  • Bronze:
    The Belgian Highlands,
    by Drew Beechum: BeerAdvocate Magazine.
  
  
• Best Humor/Editorial Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, that provides the author’s position or opinion on a topic related to the beer industry with or without comedic emphasis.
  • Gold:
    Pittsburghers, relax: The mayor is fixed, by Chris Togneri: Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
  • Silver:
    Hop Farm Harmony,
    by Josh Noel: Chicago Tribune.
  • Bronze:
    IPA Spinoffs: The Rise of the India Silly Ale, by Brian Yeager: All About Beer Magazine online.
  
  
• Best History/Technical Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, that chronicles beer historically and/ or technically, offering industry guidance, including introductory beer books.
  • Gold:
    Brew Britannia,
    by Jessica Boak and Ray Bailey: Aurum Press.
    
    
    
  
  
  • Silver:
    Experimental Homebrewing,
    by Drew Beechum and Denny Conn: Voyageur Press.
  • Bronze:
    Practical Parti-Gyle Brewing,
    by Joe Stange: Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine.
  
  
• Best Local/Regional Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, intended for a local, statewide or regional audience, including alt weeklies, brewspapers, and local newspapers.
  • Gold:
    Alaska Beer: Liquid Gold in the Land of the Midnight Sun,
    by William Howell: Arcadia Publishing.
  • Silver:
    Creativity is the name of the game,
    by Patrick Evans: Grand Rapids Business Journal.
  • Bronze:
    Casey Brewing and Blending finds the sweet life with sour beers,
    by Eric Gorski: The Denver Post.
  
  
• Best National/International Writing
  Beer writing, including print or online media, intended for a national or international audience, including magazines, online magazines, and newspapers with national/ international circulation or readership.
  • Gold:
    Unlocking the Secrets of Smell,
    by Aleszu Bajak: BeerAdvocate Magazine.
  • Silver:
    Craft: What does it mean anymore?,
    by Joshua Bernstein: Imbibe Magazine.
  • Bronze:
    Stocking the Cellar without Breaking the Bank,
    by Patrick Dawson: Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine.

To be eligible, entries must have been published from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. They were then judged on these criteria:

• Readability 25%
• Voice and style 25%
• Knowledge of subject/accuracy/factual content 20%
• Creativity/originality 15%
• Interest/newsworthiness 15%

Here's what beer writer Alan McLeod, on the judging panel, had to say about judging the contest.

This was my third year judging in the NAGBW... Or is it NABWG? I don't know if that counts as big enough a sample size but a few observations from what I've seen.

Entries numbers generally were up as far as I saw as was the average quality. There were about 25% of entries which should not have been passed on to the judges, 50% were work-person-like pieces and 25% showed actual independent creative thinking. Not bad. Not like year one.

Like last year, I got to judge writings I would not be bothered to hunt out myself and half the time I felt rewarded. Not bad. It's good that folk want to write. There's little chance of making money out of beer writing, so it's likely out of honest interest. Which is good. It's quite sad that breweries don't support good beer writing, but that doesn't change how I feel about good writing.

Congratulations to all the winners. I recommend folk read what they wrote. Click on the links; they're free. Buy the books; they're enjoyable and educational, and they further a good cause. Beer.

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