Brewers Association Announces 2024 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…

“Year after year, our Industry Awards shine a spotlight on the trailblazers of the craft beer community,” said Bob Pease, president and CEO, Brewers Association.

“This year’s honorees aren’t just making waves; they’re reshaping the landscape of brewing excellence, advocating for crucial legislative changes, and adding texture to the vibrant tapestry of our craft beer family.”

“We look forward to watching these visionary leaders continue to shape and inspire our community for years to come.”

Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing

 Tonya Cornett, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. (Bend, 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.

Tonya Cornett, this year’s Innovation in Craft Brewing award winner, developed an affinity for beer in the mid-1990s in Colorado, where she worked her first brewery job at H.C. Berger Brewing in Fort Collins. Following a two-year stint at Oaken Barrel Brewing in her home state of Indiana, Tonya committed academically to brewing. She attended the World Brewing Academy, a partnership between Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, and Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany.

Upon graduating, Tonya assumed the brewmaster position at Bend Brewing in Oregon, where she honed her craft and earned eight gold medals at the Great American Beer four gold medals at the World Beer Cup. Throughout her career, she is personally responsible for an exceptional 28 medals combined in these competitions.

In 2008, Tonya became the first woman to be awarded the title of the World Beer Cup Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year. During these formative years at the brewpub level, Tonya explored traditional and experimental brewing methods and was one of the first brewers in the country to brew kettle sours, a style now embraced across the globe.

In 2012, she took her skills and passion for recipe design to 10 Barrel Brewing in Oregon as the senior innovation brewer. She now leads a team of exceptionally talented brewers. Tonya has also been featured in two documentaries, “The Love of Beer,” chronicling her last year at Bend Brewing Co., and “Beers of Joy,” which follows her to Germany, learning about traditional Berliner Weisse beers. Tonya has been credited with helping to bring Oregon beer into the national spotlight.

Brewers Association Recognition Award

 John Pinkerton, Moon River Brewing Co. (Savannah, Ga.)

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

Recognition Award winner John Pinkerton is the owner and brewmaster emeritus of Moon River Brewing in Savannah, Georgia. He was the Brewers Association Board of Directors’ first member representing the Southeastern states.

John was the founder and first president of the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild, where he grew the guild membership by over 400%.

John’s relentless advocacy and positive spirit have played a pivotal role in enacting legislation in the Peach State, notably the “Brewpub Bill” in 2012. He was also integral in setting the foundation for the critical “Beer Jobs Bill” in 2015 and 2017, which allowed breweries in Georgia to sell their products for on-premise consumption, marking the completion of a 50-state initiative to recognize this right for every brewer.

In addition to his impressive legislative achievements, John has sponsored, contributed to, and held countless competitions and small homebrewing festivals in the Savannah area.

Pinkerton also went the extra mile during the COVID-19 pandemic when he ensured all furloughed staff members had insurance coverage by covering the total cost of each premium at significant cost to Moon River.

FX Matt Defense of the Industry Award

Eric Orlando, The Zita Group, and the Brewers Guild of New Jersey

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.

F.X. Matt Defense of the Industry Award winner Eric Orlando is a tireless industry advocate with more than two decades of experience providing legislative and public affairs counsel as it relates to policy development, grassroots outreach, coalition development, direct advocacy, press relations, and research. He is the executive vice president of The Zita Group, a lobbying firm in New Jersey.

In addition, Eric serves as the government affairs director for the Brewers Guild of New Jersey and sits as a board member of the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association and Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Eric was named on the annual ROI-NJ Influencers Power List in 2023 and his dedication to promoting and protecting small and independent craft brewers makes him a respected leader in the Garden State and beyond.

 

Brewers Association Mentor of the Year Award

Laura Lodge, owner of Customized Craft Beer Programs, LLC

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.

This year’s Mentor of the Year, Laura Lodge, began her craft beer journey in the late 1990s, working with a small, independent distribution company in Colorado. Today, Laura owns Customized Craft Beer Program, a consulting business offering insight for and assistance with all things craft beer.

Lodge has experience in all three distribution tiers including consulting for breweries and distributors, creating retail programs for destination resorts, and participating in the creation and production of educational and experiential craft beer events throughout the country, such as the well-known Big Beers, Belgians & Barleywines Festival, for which she is the executive director.

During the pandemic, Laura co-founded Start A Brewery, LLC, a business designed to help dreamers, breweries-in-planning, and growing breweries by offering access to a community of savvy industry professionals and free resources broken down by business phase and category. This venture has proven beneficial both for the general public and Laura’s participation in the Brewers Association Mentorship Program.

“Laura was by far my best mentor. She went above and beyond the scope of our planned subject and gave me amazing guidance,” said one mentee. “With her help, I went from feeling lost and disheartened to feeling like I had actionable goals and a real possibility of a legitimate business plan. I left the program feeling like I had a career-long friend I could rely on, and I look forward to continuing a relationship with her outside the program.”

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The 2024 award recipients will be honored during a special ceremony on April 23, 2024, at the Craft Brewers Conference® in Las Vegas.

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)