Best UK Cask Beer - Bath Ales Gem
I can't imagine many people would choose this one but to me it is pretty much perfect, with a perfectly balanced malty character. Honourable mentions to St Austells Proper Job and Dark Star Hophead.
Best UK Keg Beer - Beavertown Gamma Ray
I still don't drink a huge amount on keg and my exposure is largely limited to brewery taphouses. I can't really look past Beavertown's Gamma Ray for this one, the best APA I've tasted.
Best UK Bottled or Canned Beer - Beavertown Gamma Ray
As above.
Best Overseas Bottled or Canned Beer - Tripel Karmeliet
I've got into Belgian beer a bit more this year (although I've still barely scratched the surface). I've fallen hopelessly in love with Tripel Karmeliet, light and drinkable yet packing a punch. So good.
Best collaboration brew - Beavertown/Lervig The Gose Strikes Back
This has been a good year for collaborative brewing and although it's a bit left-field, this blackberry gose from Beavertown in conjunction with Norwegian brewery Lervig is the one that sticks out in my mind. Tart and fruity yet moreish.
Best Overall Beer - Beavertown Gamma Ray
For the reasons outlined above, it has to be Gamma Ray
Best Branding, Pumpclip or Label - The Kernel
I imagine every brewery is kicking themselves that they didn't come up with the simple brown paper labels. I do think a lot of breweries have got this right in many different ways, so honourable mentions to Partizan, Magic Rock, Beavertown and Brew By Numbers, all of which I think are great.
Best UK Brewery - Beavertown
Everything they touch seems to come out tasting like the tears of angels.
Pub/Bar of the Year - The Old Red Lion, Kennington
Still my favourite pub in London, step inside of Kennington Road and you feel a million miles away. They usually have a solid selection of cask ales and there are always great bottles on offer.
Beer Festival of the Year - CAMRA Great British Beer Festival
I'm not a beer festival person at all and indeed, this was the only one I attended this year. Nevertheless I was sufficiently impressed to award this to GBBF - a great selection of beer, reasonable prices and most importantly, plenty of seating!
Supermarket of the Year - Waitrose
Undoubtedly the best in terms of selection whilst others, most notably Sainsburys, seem to have got worse lately.
Independent Retailer of the Year - BottleDog
This is down to location as much as anything, as its a short walk from my work. Amazing selection of beer at, mostly, reasonable prices. An honourable mention to my local, Bossman Wines in Dulwich, which has upped its game considerably in the last few months.
Best Beer Blog or Website - Total Ales / Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog
Couldn't pick between these two, for me they are the two most engaging beer blogs out there by some distance.
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