Brewers Association Announces 2023 Industry Award Recipients

Ever since 1987 the Brewers Association has been recognizing individuals who inspire, defend, and innovate within the craft brewing industry.

And this year’s winners couldn’t be more deserving…

“This year’s award recipients have set the bar high,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO, Brewers Association…

“They have legislated millions of dollars of excise tax relief for small brewers, pushed the envelope of brewing innovation, inspired and mentored future leaders, and cultivated, supported, and defended underrepresented communities. In short, this year’s honorees have had an immeasurable impact on the craft beer community and beyond.”

 

FX Matt Defense of the Industry Award

Ret. Representative Peter DeFazio

This award is named for the late FX. Matt of FX Matt Brewing Co. and is presented to an individual or company for their contributions and efforts in championing the small brewing industry.

Peter DeFazio retired from Congress after representing Oregon’s 4th Congressional District for 36 years—the longest-serving House member in Oregon’s history.

A long-time supporter of small and independent breweries, DeFazio was an original founder of the House of Representatives Small Brewers Caucus. Organized in 2007 as a way to educate his colleagues about the economic and social impacts of craft brewing, the Small Brewers Caucus grew to become the largest special interest caucus in Congress, playing a key role in reforms at the Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) on labeling, formulas, and other issues.

As co-chair of the Caucus, DeFazio led the fight against the FDA’s proposal to require drying, packaging, and labeling of spent grains and hops. The Caucus was also instrumental in the reform of taxation on beer, most notably the Craft Beer Modernization and Tax Reform Act (CBMTRA), saving brewers an estimated $80 million annually.

Brewers Association Recognition Award

 Jessica and Richard Fierro, co-owners, Atrevida Brewery (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

This award is presented each year to an individual or company whose inspiration, enthusiasm, and support have contributed to the craft brewing movement.

In 2017, Jessica Fierro entered her beer Doña Neta in VICE TV’s Beerland competition. The beer won. One year later, Fierro opened her own brewery, Atrevida Beer Co., in Colorado Springs. As a woman- and Latina-owned brewery, Fierro ran into difficulties on all fronts, from sourcing funding to battling biases. Fierro was resolved to build a business her way, which included hiring an all-women (and one male) brew crew.

Jessica and her husband, Rich, a former 15-year Army officer with four combat tours, have a vision to bring the community together. “Diversity, it’s on tap!” is engrained in Atrevida’s culture and displayed throughout the brewery. Every beer on the menu has a narrative with the intention of creating meaningful dialogue.

This unwavering commitment to the community was especially present on November 19, 2022. The Fierro family was at Club Q when a gunman opened fire. Five people lost their lives and 25 more were injured. Rich tackled the assailant and, with the help of bystanders, disarmed the gunman and undoubtedly saved lives.

The Fierros truly embody the meaning of their brewery’s name, “Atrevida,” which means bold or daring in Spanish, and their many contributions have inspired the craft brewing community and beyond.

Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing

 Ben Edmunds, Breakside Brewery (Portland, Ore.)

This award is presented in honor of Wynkoop Brewing Company’s Russell Schehrer to an individual or company for their innovative contributions to the brewing industry.

Ben Edmunds is the brewmaster at Breakside Brewery in Portland, Oregon, where he oversees the company’s production brewery and two pub breweries. As the founding brewer of Breakside, he helped grow the company from a small brewpub into a successful regional brewery. Edmunds is a brewers’ brewer—pushing style boundaries and creating new beer experiences for all to enjoy—and has proven himself to be a powerhouse and a major contributor to the advancement of brewing, not only for Breakside but for the industry as a whole.

Under Edmunds’ leadership, Breakside has won many medals at international competitions, including eight World Beer Cup awards, 22 Great American Beer Festival medals since 2011, and Brewery of the Year honors at the Oregon Beer Awards in 2015, 2017, and 2019-22.

Educated at the Siebel Institute and Yale University, he is a former president and current board member of the Oregon Brewers Guild, a judge at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, a founder of the Oregon Beer Awards, and a member of the MBAA National Technical Committee.

Brewers Association Mentor of the Year Award

Julie Rhodes, owner, Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions

Through its mentorship program, the Brewers Association connects dozens of mentors with individuals looking to develop their knowledge and skills, and those seeking to break into the craft brewing industry for the first time.

The Mentor of the Year Award recognizes a volunteer mentor for their outstanding mentorship to program participants and for demonstrating an extraordinary commitment to championing those who experience barriers to access and advancement in their professional journeys.

With over two decades of experience in the food and beverage industry, this year’s Mentor of the Year, Julie Rhodes, is an authority on off-site beverage sales, digital marketing, leadership, team management, and distributor partnership management.

She is the owner of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, an educational services and strategic business consulting company built specifically for small to medium-sized craft beverage companies, where she teaches owners and operators how to work smarter, not harder.

In addition to being an educator and strategic advisor, she is also a beverage business journalist, an active public speaker, a Certified Cicerone®, a member of the national board of the Pink Boots Society, and a member of the North American Guild of Beer Writers, the American Cider Association, Women of the Vine & Spirits, and multiple state brewery guilds…

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The 2023 award recipients will be honored for their dedication and service during a special ceremony on May 8, 2023, at the Craft Brewers Conference® in Nashville, Tenn.

Award recipients were nominated by their peers and determined by votes from committees comprised of members of the Brewers Association board of directors, the craft brewing community, and past award winners.

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(All image credits: Brewers Association)