Winter 2020, Issue 46

Welcome to the 46th edition of The Beer Connoisseur magazine. Last year provided plenty of intrigue and great flavor in the world of beer, and, in this edition, we look ahead to the coming year and also harken back to the best beers, beer styles and breweries of 2019.

Seeing as this is our annual The Beer in Review winter edition, we keep you in the loop on how the wonderful world of beer continued to evolve and grow in 2019. Whether a brewer or beer fan, we believe this issue has something for everyone.

This issue is split into three sections. First, our Industry Outlook details the year that was for the beer industry in 2019 – while also keeping the future in mind – from the perspective of the consumer, the craft beer segment and restaurants. All three are in-depth explorations featuring statistics, research and interviews with industry insiders to offer the full picture of the craft beer business.

Of course, any beer magazine worth its weight in IBUs features an abundance of beer reviews, and this edition of The Beer Connoisseur lives up to that. Our most robust section features the Top 100 Beers of 2019 as featured in our Official Review. With a wide range of styles from fruit lambics to chocolate peanut butter stouts, our Top 100 Beers has it all. Beyond that, our Best Beers by Style Category outlines the finest beers in a wide range of different styles, and we award our Best Breweries of 2019.

Closing out the issue is our Features section, which details emerging styles to keep an eye on next year, as well trending hops that brewers will employ in 2020 to provide new avenues of flavor. Then, the section concludes with an interview featuring Jim Koch of The Boston Beer Co. and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery discussing the future of their brands following a massive merger in 2019.

More than anything, The Beer in Review is a love letter to the wondrous fermented beverage that is our namesake, and we hope you read this issue while imbibing a fresh new brew. Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy the 46th installment of The Beer Connoisseur!

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THIS ISSUE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 
The Original Craft Beer Club
Willamette Valley Hops
 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

From the Editor

Industry News

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

2020 Consumer Trends
An exploration of IRI Worldwide sales data, which tracks some of the most popular beers by brewery and by style category.

2020 Trends in Craft
We analyze the numbers to report what happened in 2019 and see where the industry is headed in the new year. 

2020 Restaurant Trends
The most important changes for beer-focused restaurants including locality, the rise of cannabis and CBD, environmentally conscious cuisine and more.

THE BEER IN REVIEW

Top 100 Beers of 2019
The best of the Official Review in 2019. Discover all the brew that’s fit to drink in this year-end beer celebration.

The Best Beers of 2019 by Style Category
The year’s best beer categorized by the most populated beer styles in the 2019 Official Review. A one-stop shopping list of the best brews on shelves today.

The Best Breweries of 2019
The year’s breweries that submitted the highest-scoring beers collectively. These brewers demonstrated mastery of their craft in 2019.

ADVERTISERS INDEX

FEATURES

Top Emerging Beer Styles for 2020
Every year sees new styles rise and older ones fall by the wayside, and 2020 will be no different.

The Hop Report: Trending Hops for 2020
Without hops, beer would be far less interesting. Jim Dykstra outlines some of the trendiest hops to keep an eye on in 2020.

Jim Koch & Sam Calagione Talk 2020 Trends
The founders and brewers of Samuel Adams and Dogfish Head sit down and discuss the future of craft beer and their specific brands following a seismic merger in 2019.

REVIEWS

Official Review
Single-blind reviews from our panel of experts. Featuring Upland Juicy Harvest, Right Brain Pig Porter, Anchor Christmas Ale 2019 and more!

Brewer Q & A
Brewers share secrets of their highest-scoring beers.