BrewDog’s 2018 Beer Geek Award Winners

Last week BrewDog held their UK and Europe Beer Geek finals in East London, a series of beer-related competitions to pick beer’s biggest and most accomplished fans and practitioners. And we’ve all the big winners for you!

Social Media Geek – David Hill

First up was the much anticipated Social Media Geek award and last year’s winner Lena Olaussen was part of the judging panel this time around.

David Hill won for his Instagram feed @thecraftdiaries which brilliantly blends photography and illustration. Sweet dreams are made of his….

Beer Blogger – Eoghan Walsh

This year’s beer blogger competition was brutal. But in the end Eoghan Walsh was crowned for his accomplished writing and for covering one of the most brilliant cities in the world for beer.

If you haven’t read the Brussels Beer City blog you should bookmark it immediately…In a crowded field Eoghan takes beer writing to the next level.

Beer Reviewer Geek – Michael Wilson

Although we thought this award to be similar to the Beer Blogger category, the top echelon at BrewDog assured us that Beer Reviewer Geek celebrates the more analytic beer aficionado.

And Michael Wilson was unanimously rewarded by this year’s judging panel for his concise critical thinking that deftly avoided tired clichés on his epic Craft & Slice blog.

Brewery Hopper Geek – Stephan Brauner

We told you these competitions weren’t for the casual beer traveler…and this beer fan’s travels were global in both aspirations and reality!

The ultimate brewery hopper, at least across the pond, was Stephan Brauner whose beer journeys took him took him to and astounding 90 different breweries! Brauner dominated this competition…no one else was even close.

Beer Photographer Geek Award – Matt Hickman

A new addition to BrewDog’s Beer Geek competitions. the Beer Photographer Geek catagory celebrates photography and the art of capturing beer’s essence.

Taking great pictures requires an attentive eye, a steady hand, and the patience of a monk. And Matt Hickman’s images told story upon stories.

Beer Tasting Geek – Brett Sheret

Last week’s final beer tasting competitions asked its finalists to take on and identify five different styles and not suprisingly things got aggressive.

But in the end Brett Sheret, outlasted the rest and was rewarded for being the best.

Beer Scholar – Daren Fearson

BrewDog’s Beer Scholar smackdown was a Beerology quiz to end all quizzes. But unlike most college level tests that afford participants reasonable time to complete, these competitors went head to head and had to come up with the correct answers in just ten minutes.

In the end Daren Fearon proved the ultimate Beer Scholar, securing that title for the second year in a row…the first back-to-back champion in Beer Geek Awards history.

Europe’s Biggest Beer Geek / World’s Biggest Beer Geek – Matt Hickman

Basically ‘the best in show” Matt Hickman took it all for his photographs in the European competition and when pitted up against the US overall winner beer blogger Bill Vanderburgh was judged the supreme winner.

All these winners will be packing their bags and heading off to the awesome MASH festival in Barcelona later this year, courtesy of BrewDog.

All image credits: BrewDog