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Beer

Breweries making Good Beer are pioneers of local manufacturing, using traditional and creative brewing and fermenting methods to redefine consumer expectations for craftsmanship with their beers. These brewers aim to reshape supply chains and promote responsibility by sourcing ingredients locally and grown without synthetic inputs when possible, practicing resource conservation and supporting local communities.

About

The Good Food Awards rely on the expertise of the beer community to create the tasting, determine judges and set standards for the category. Read on to learn who has been integral to building the category, as well as what the beer standard are and who will be judging this year.

Committee

Co-Chairs

Carly Hackbarth

Carly Hackbarth Photography 

Carly Hackbarth is a San Francisco–based food, beverage, and cookbook photographer whose work makes people say, “I want to eat/drink that!” With an extensive background in digital marketing, she partners with clients to create imagery that aligns seamlessly with their brand vision. Carly previously served as the social media manager for San Francisco Beer Week and the SF Brewers Guild, and she now leads The Proof Collective, a networking group for women in food. This is her third year chairing the Good Food Awards, and she is proud to contribute to the incredible local food and beverage community in San Francisco.

2024 Judges

Mark Overbay

Co-founder & President, Big Spoon Roasters

Jason Alexander

Co-Founder and CEO, Free Range Brewing

Bryan Roth

Managing Editor/Podcast Host, Good Beer Hunting

Sam Suchoff

Owner, Lady Edison Pork

Sebastian Wolfrum

Executive Maltster, Epiphany Craft Malt

Dr. J Jackson-Beckham

Founder and Principal, Crafted For All

Standards

In order to be eligible for a Good Food Award, beer entries must meet the following standards:

  • Certified organic, or meet at least four of the following eligibility criteria:
    • Made with at least one ingredient (besides water and yeast) sourced within 150 miles. Malt will be considered “local” if sourced from a local malter.
    • Made with at least one ingredient (besides water) that is grown without the use of synthetic inputs, including herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers.
    • Made by a brewery that has made concrete water recycling or other resource efficiency improvements in the production or delivery process in the last three years.
    • Made by a brewery that engages deeply with its community by participating in a sustainably-minded guild; offering paid time off for employees to volunteer for causes they believe in; or otherwise offers substantial support to its community.
    • Made by a brewery that prioritizes resource or consumer packing waste reduction through programs, such as mash repurposing, growler programs and container-related sustainability measures.
    • Made by a brewery that proudly maintains one or more third-party accreditations embodying social responsibility and transparency.*
  • In addition, all Beer entries must meet the following criteria:
    • Made in the USA or US territories.
    • Made by a crafter that is an upstanding member of the good food community, committed to equity and inclusion in all levels of their business,** as exemplified through integrating these practices:
      • Creating a safe and healthy work environment where employees receive a fair wage, are safe and respected at work and have access to the resources they need to keep themselves healthy.
      • Offering a diversity, equity, and inclusion training to staff members and/or leadership annually.
      • Thoughtfully acknowledging the heritage of culturally-specific food on websites, packaging and/or marketing materials.
      • For the small percentage of Good Food community that operates on a significantly larger scale, meeting additional criteria related to board diversity, maternity leave and employment practices.**

*Such as 1% for the Planet, B Corp, GMO-Free Project, Fair Trade or other local organizations focused on environmental and social responsibility.
**Check if you are in the 2% of companies meeting the Good Food Foundation definition of large scale, and review the addition criteria on the Rules & Regulations page.