USA TODAY 10Best
Best beer festival? Readers choose Brewgaloo
Best Beer Festival (2020)
Beer festivals not only offer attendees the chance to sample numerous brews – sometimes even rare and one-off pours — these events also allow beer fans to dialog with their favorite brewmasters, sample paired foods and learn about a host of topics related to beer and brewing.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Beer Festivals are as follows:
- Dames and Dregs Beer Fest - Atlanta
- Suwanee Beer Fest - Suwanee, Ga.
- Charleston Beer Festival - Charleston
- Rare Beer Fest - Cincinnati
- Tailspin Ale Fest - Louisville
- Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival - Atlantic City
- All Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival - Multiple Cities
- Great American Beer Festival - Denver
- Fresh Fest Beer Fest - Pittsburgh
- Brewgaloo - Raleigh, N.C.
Photo courtesy of Dames and Dregs Beer Fest
No. 10:
This newer festival, now in its third year, “seeks to empower and educate the community by celebrating the female contributions to brewing.” You won’t find any bro culture here, but what you will find is more than 40 breweries pouring over 120 beers, 30 artist market vendors, food trucks, live bands and DJs, and female-led panel discussions on topics like business, activism, sustainability and, of course, brewing.
Photo courtesy of Suwanee Beer Fest
No. 9:
This Georgia St. Patrick’s Day Party doubles as one of the state’s biggest and best craft beer festivals, celebrating its tenth year in 2020. The event at Town Center Park features more than 350 craft beers (unlimited tastings), alongside live music, games, local food vendors and a homebrew contest.
Photo courtesy of Charleston Beer Festival
No. 8:
This event in Charleston’s Riverfront Park brings together more than 40 breweries from around the Carolinas pouring over a hundred different beers, as well as live music, food trucks, beer games, craft vendors and samples from the local homebrew community.
Photo courtesy of Rare Beer Fest
No. 7:
This one-day festival at Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist Brewery is a celebration of rare, niche and hard-to-find beers. More than 40 breweries participate, bringing their finest selections to the event that almost always sells out in advance. Tickets include 10 samples and a tasting notebook, where beer lovers can record their new favorites.
Photo courtesy of Tailspin Ale Fest
No. 6:
This Louisville fest is all about beer and planes, and a great way to warm up in the dead of winter. Beer enthusiasts and flight fanatics gather amid a display of WWII-era aircraft at Bowman Field in the hangar at Louisville Executive Aviation. Also known as “Louisville’s Winter Warmer,” the event features more than 150 craft beers — including a section dedicated to Kentucky brews. Attendees also enjoy live music, the best of Louisville food trucks and great photo ops with vintage planes, pin-up girls and “fly boys.“
Photo courtesy of Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival
No. 5:
Each spring, beer enthusiasts in the Atlantic City area descend upon the convention center for a weekend filled with suds, sounds and surprises. The Atlantic City Beer & Music Festival has been going strong for over a decade, adding new elements to each edition. Besides sampling more than 1,000 beers from 200 different breweries, attendees can rock out to headlining bands, watch culinary demos from local chefs and compete with other beer geeks in a variety of competitions.
Photo courtesy of Hannah Snyder
No. 4:
The All Star Craft Beer, Wine, and Cocktail Festival takes over ballparks in cities across the nation, with upcoming events in Arlington, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tampa. Festival tickets include unlimited samples, with more than 200 beer, wine and cocktail options (with a heavy focus on local offerings), live music, a keepsake sampling class, yard games and free or discounted tickets to an upcoming ballgame.
Photo courtesy of Brewers Association
No. 3:
Denver becomes ground zero for beer fans each fall, when the Brewers Association presents the largest collection of American beers in one spot at this premier beer festival. Hundreds of breweries participate, and beers are served by their brewers, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to speak with them personally. An educational component features talks by top brewers and innovators, beer-making demos, beer pairing sessions and even a pavilion dedicated to sustainability. The festival is also a competition, with medals being awarded in more than 90 beer style categories.
Photo courtesy of Fresh Fest Beer Fest
No. 2:
During the Fresh Fest Beer Fest in Pittsburgh's Allentown neighborhood, some 3,000 craft beer industry professionals and enthusiasts come together for a weekend celebrating Black-owned breweries with collaborations with Black artists and entrepreneurs from throughout Pennsylvania and the country.
Photo courtesy of Shop Local Raleigh/Greater Raleigh Merchants Association
No. 1:
During Brewgaloo, festival goers enjoy beers from more than 110 North Carolina breweries paired with bites from 50 food trucks and vendors, all to the sounds of live music. The Raleigh festival is the largest of its kind in the state.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning festivals!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a... Read More
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, speaker and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art, and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include USAToday, Thrillist.com, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Theinfatuation.com, ButterATL.com, James Beard Foundation, Atlanta Magazine, and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television, beer fests, conferences, and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD, Good Beer Hunting, and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. In a collaboration going on six years with brewing giant New Belgium, Ale has produced a beer he conceptualized called Piano Keys—a chocolate vanilla imperial stout—geared to support diversity and racial equality. This project with New Belgium also spawned his initiative, BrewGether, which raises funds to support nonprofits embracing the same mission as Piano Keys. Ale proudly owns AllWays Open Creative Solutions, an agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, web design, video production, photography, consulting, and social media. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Dennis Malcolm "Ale" Sharpton
Dennis Malcolm Byron aka Ale Sharpton is a world-renowned beer authority, award-winning journalist, blogger (AleSharpton.com), photographer, event planner, host, speaker and beer judge to name a few of his roles. While passionately traveling the globe to cover everything from automobiles to culinary scenes, celebrity profiles, sports, hotel destinations, art, and what he terms “the world’s best beverage,” Ale has contributed to more than 30 magazines and websites combined. His current media outlets include USAToday, Thrillist.com, Craft Beer & Brewing, CraftBeer.com, Theinfatuation.com, ButterATL.com, James Beard Foundation, Atlanta Magazine, and others. Along with being featured in various publications, on the web, radio, podcasts, television, beer fests, conferences, and ongoing Cruisin’ For A Brewsin’ video series, Ale utilizes his Cornell University School of Hotel Administration education and vast work experience to consult in the culinary industry as well. Forbes, Smithsonian Institution, UNTAPPD, Good Beer Hunting, and numerous others have showcased Ale’s accomplishments. In a collaboration going on six years with brewing giant New Belgium, Ale has produced a beer he conceptualized called Piano Keys—a chocolate vanilla imperial stout—geared to support diversity and racial equality. This project with New Belgium also spawned his initiative, BrewGether, which raises funds to support nonprofits embracing the same mission as Piano Keys. Ale proudly owns AllWays Open Creative Solutions, an agency specializing in creative direction, logo design, branding, web design, video production, photography, consulting, and social media. Although a native New Yorker, Ale proudly calls Atlanta his home. Follow Ale’s globetrotting adventures on his captivating Instagram (@realalesharpton).
Gary Monterosso
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who... Read More
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is a regular guest on “You Oughta Know,” on WHYY-TV, a PBS station based in Philadelphia. Gary also hosts one-minute beverage updates on several southern NJ radio stations. From 2010-2017, he was seen on the History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, “Artisan Beers.” After a 41-year career as a NJ- based educator, Gary now teaches beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. Gary has appeared on many television programs discussing craft beers and has guested on BBC radio offering an American perspective on the beverage. In late 2014, he lent his expertise to CBS News New York, by offering fall beer recommendations. One of the highlights of his career was a three-year stint on the Sirius Satellite Radio network, talking about the latest happenings in the beer world. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients.
Gary Monterosso
Gary Monterosso is an award-winning critic, who has written for national and regional publications. He is a regular guest on “You Oughta Know,” on WHYY-TV, a PBS station based in Philadelphia. Gary also hosts one-minute beverage updates on several southern NJ radio stations. From 2010-2017, he was seen on the History Channel show called “The Epic History of Everyday Things.” He is the author of the book, “Artisan Beers.” After a 41-year career as a NJ- based educator, Gary now teaches beer appreciation classes at Wilmington University. Gary has appeared on many television programs discussing craft beers and has guested on BBC radio offering an American perspective on the beverage. In late 2014, he lent his expertise to CBS News New York, by offering fall beer recommendations. One of the highlights of his career was a three-year stint on the Sirius Satellite Radio network, talking about the latest happenings in the beer world. In 2014, Gary was selected by Chilled Magazine to be a member of the “Chilled 100,” signifying him as one of the top 100 beverage personalities in the United States. He continues to be a fixture at regional beer events by hosting dinners and tasting seminars. He has qualified as a Certified Beer Server, a part of the Cicerone Certification Program, recognizing his knowledge of beer styles, culture, the brewing process and ingredients.
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and... Read More
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Jack Muldowney
Jack Muldowney is co-founder of The Hop Review and founder of Chicago-based design and illustration studio, Malt. Since 2012, he's been fortunate enough to sit down with some of beer's biggest personalities, as well as travel the U.S. and the globe to capture the industry's best stories. He's also hosted several events, including the annual fresh beer festival "Ultra Fresh", and is a two-time SAVEUR "Best Beer Coverage" nominee. Through his travels, Jack appreciates the varying perspectives of an industry that's always adapting, and enjoys sharing pints with beer enthusiasts of all types.
Ruth Berman
CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer... Read More
CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning beer tour company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts, Ruth was recently knighted in Belgium by the Knighthood of the Brewers Mash Staff for her contributions to spreading the world about Belgian beer culture. Bon Beer Voyage offers high quality, small group, gourmet beer vacations (Beercations) both in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind-experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, world class beer, brewery insider visits and beer tastings. She is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server, as well as a member of the Pink Boots Society and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. She has served on the panel of beer experts for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards since 2014. While traveling, Ruth enjoys sketching and painting watercolors of the breweries she visits.
Ruth Berman
CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage, an award-winning beer tour company for Belgian and Craft Beer Enthusiasts, Ruth was recently knighted in Belgium by the Knighthood of the Brewers Mash Staff for her contributions to spreading the world about Belgian beer culture. Bon Beer Voyage offers high quality, small group, gourmet beer vacations (Beercations) both in the US and abroad; providing their guests with one-of-kind-experiences, locally guided sightseeing, great food, world class beer, brewery insider visits and beer tastings. She is also a Certified Tour Director, Licensed Tour Guide and a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server, as well as a member of the Pink Boots Society and the North American Guild of Beer Writers. She has served on the panel of beer experts for USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards since 2014. While traveling, Ruth enjoys sketching and painting watercolors of the breweries she visits.
