Hemingway once said, \u201cI drink to make other people more interesting.\u201d Here at CraftBeer.com, we drink to find the most interesting people.<\/p>\n
2024 was a dynamic year of sharing stories within the craft beer world, and we\u2019d like to raise a pint to all of you who read along. As we\u2019re looking ahead to everything that 2025 will bring (readers: we\u2019d love to hear from you about what you\u2019re curious about this coming year), we\u2019d also like to take a moment to look back at some of the stories and people who defined craft beer in 2024, and hopefully, will shape our future. (And yes, we are aware it is February. We got a slow start to 2025 just like everyone else.) So let\u2019s get to it, shall we?<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nWhen it comes to looking ahead, no one\u2019s planning for the future more than Doug Goettsch<\/a> at Big Grove<\/a> Brewery<\/a>. We visited him in Iowa to witness everything he\u2019s built in the past decade. His Golden Triangle (you\u2019ll have to read the piece!<\/a>) consists of beer, food, and hospitality. It\u2019s a trifecta that we here at CraftBeer.com also spend a lot of time thinking about. Yes, we love beer, but we also appreciate all the things it pairs well with, the people it touches, and the places it takes us to.<\/p>\n Joshua M. Bernstein<\/a> ate tacos in Yakima <\/a>during hop<\/a> harvest<\/a>, finding Mexican food so good it closed the deal (he also answered the enduring question of why we stand for sitting on the most uncomfortable barstools<\/a>). Aaron Goldfarb<\/a> inserted craft into the beer can chicken<\/a> conversation, and explained why we\u2019re all wearing our Lager Lager Lager hats<\/a> with honor. David Nilsen<\/a> went afield and foraged<\/a> for wild beer adjuncts. We paired beers with the likes of hot chicken<\/a>, burgers<\/a>, and ice cream<\/a>, for the sake of research.<\/p>\n In New Orleans, Courtney Iseman traded craft cocktails for, you guessed it, craft beer<\/a> and found the bayou\u2019s best new breweries. And Buffalonian Anna Hezel<\/a> joined the Bills Mafia, profiling the rise in Buffalo Pils<\/a>(ners).<\/p>\n Beer has an earnest way of reaching beyond the glass, as detailed in Breana Lai Killeen<\/a>\u2019s piece about how The Women of Beer in Vermont<\/a> banded together, and in another article by Iseman describing how another group of people found pride<\/a> in what they do. An excellent article about AAPI beers<\/a> by Jasmine Arielle Ting<\/a> portrayed communities who put their true selves into what hits the shelves.<\/p>\n It can still be a struggle sometimes to get your beer brewed and out there. Mickey Lyons<\/a> wrote about how to navigate the beer label bottleneck<\/a>, and as a Detroit native, conveyed what we\u2019ve learned from Motor City\u2019s brewing history<\/a>. We launched a new column called The New Nobles, shouting out the new hop cultures around the country, with Fred Cullin<\/a> writing the first installment about the state of Michigan<\/a>.<\/p>\n To close out the year, Jerard Fagerberg<\/a> brought us song in this wonderful collective of beer choirs singing (and sipping) together in harmony and hymns<\/a>. So why don\u2019t we all toast to our shared interests, and find something more interesting to talk about \u2026 over craft beers, of course.<\/p>\n Cheers!<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n Somerville Chocolate Hops Dark Milk Chocolate Bar<\/a><\/p>\n This chocolatier operates out of Aeronaut Brewing\u2019s facility in Somerville, Mass. This decadent bar is laced with Mosaic hops for something totally unexpected.<\/p>\n BEER OF THE YEAR:<\/p>\n Seedz Brewery Shark Pils<\/a><\/p>\n I had this beauty over the Fourth of July weekend on their shaded patio, and it was sincerely one of the best German Pilsners I\u2019ve ever had\u2014dry and snappy, but bright and full of life.<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n Anyone who\u2019s watched Will Ferrell\u2019s Netflix documentary, Will & Harper<\/em><\/a>, will understand why this beer can puffer<\/a> is absolutely hilarious and absolutely essential. Would highly recommend getting matching coats for you and your beer bestie!<\/p>\n BEER OF THE YEAR:<\/p>\n I\u2019d go with the Jolli Beer Peach Mango Lager<\/a>.<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n Perhaps I\u2019m a bit biased here (guilty!), but I\u2019m super proud of the revised 10th-anniversary edition of The Complete Beer Course<\/em><\/a>. It\u2019s a road map that helps both new and experienced drinkers understand the past, present, and delicious future of beer.<\/p>\n BEER OF THE YEAR:<\/p>\n In Columbus, I\u2019m stocking up at Seventh Son<\/a> and Columbus Brewing<\/a>.<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n Zines published by David Nilsen and Melinda Guerra under Bean to Barstool<\/a> are such a fun discovery for any beer lover\u2014you can find educational content like David\u2019s \u201cPairing Beer & Chocolate\u201d; insightful (and award-winning!) stories from some of the most brilliant beer writers connecting beer to travel, personal memories, culture, trends, and more in various \u201cFinal Gravity\u201d issues; and I do have my own \u201cBeer Tarot\u201d zine I\u2019d recommend for those with mystical leanings.<\/p>\n BEER OF THE YEAR:<\/p>\n The California West Coast IPA from Progression Brewing Company<\/a> in Northampton, Mass. It was the platonic ideal of a WCIPA with all that bracing bitterness supported by some satisfying malt.<\/p>\n FUN FIND:<\/p>\n These have been on my wish list ever since I reported our beer and ice cream pairing story, so I wouldn\u2019t mind sharing a pint of any of these beer-infused ice creams<\/a> from Goldbelly.<\/p>\n BEER OF THE YEAR:<\/p>\n![\"foam](\"https:\/\/cdn.craftbeer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/20240821123405\/foam-brewers-women-holding-beers.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nDAVID NILSEN<\/strong><\/h2>\n
JASMINE TING<\/strong><\/h2>\n
JERARD FAGERBERG<\/strong><\/h2>\n
JOSHUA M. BERNSTEIN<\/strong><\/h2>\n
COURTNEY ISEMAN<\/strong><\/h2>\n
MICHAEL HARLAN TURKELL<\/strong><\/h2>\n