Celebrating Craft and Community: NC Beer Industry Awards Banquet Honors Leaders and Breweries.
Winston-Salem, NC – The North Carolina craft beer community came together on the evening of Tuesday, November 19th for a night of celebration and recognition at the 2024 NC Beer Industry Awards Banquet, held during the annual NC Craft Brewers Conference at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem, NC. Sponsored by Yakima Chief Hops, Country Malt, Berkeley Yeast, and Ales4ALS, the banquet honored the exceptional achievements of the state’s brewing industry.
Highlights included the recognition of four industry award recipients, the announcement of NC Brewery of the Year and NC New Brewery of the Year, and the celebration of medalists from the prestigious 2024 NC Brewers Cup Competition. This memorable event highlighted the innovation, excellence, and community spirit that defines North Carolina’s craft beer industry.
Order of the Lupulin:
Jamie Bartholomaus, owner of Foothills Brewing Company, was honored with induction into the esteemed Order of the Lupulin during this year’s banquet. This lifetime achievement award recognizes individuals who have made a profound and lasting impact on North Carolina’s craft brewing industry. Bartholomaus joins an illustrious group of past recipients, including Uli Bennewitz, Oscar Wong, Sean Wilson, and Sebastian Wolfrum, further cementing his legacy as a leader in North Carolina’s craft beer history.
Jamie Bartholomaus has held numerous roles since beginning his career in 1993. As the founder of Foothills Brewing Company, he has grown the brewery from an initial annual output of just 800 barrels in 2005 to a regional brewery producing over 40,000 barrels annually. His achievements also include:
Left to right: Jamie Bartholomaus, Les Stewart
Serving as the Guild’s first President of the Board in 2008, where he played a pivotal role in establishing a support network for North Carolina’s independent breweries.
Returning to the Guild’s Board in 2017, taking on leadership roles as both President and Secretary of the board while remaining a steadfast advocate for the growth and advancement of the industry.
Expanding Foothills' operations to include ventures such as a cafe, coffee roasting, and THC beverages, showcasing his forward-thinking approach and adaptability to industry trends.
Mentoring and training the next generation of brewers, earning Foothills its reputation as a “farm brewery” that fosters education, professional development, and career growth.
Community Contributor Award:
Leah Ashburn accepting the Community Contributor Award
Highland Brewing Company received this year’s Community Contributor Award, recognizing an individual or organization for their charitable and philanthropic service to the larger community. When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina, Highland Brewing lost power, water, and communication along with the rest of Asheville. Despite these challenges, Leah and Brock Ashburn along with their team quickly transformed the brewery into a critical distribution hub, hosting organizations like Beloved Asheville, World Central Kitchen, Flush AVL, and Wine to Water to provide essential relief services to their community. In addition, Highland’s parking lot became an access point for the local neighborhood whose entry road was destroyed by the storm.
Reflecting on their efforts, Leah Ashburn noted, “Each day we make massive changes to improve and solve the next set of questions. Our staff is incredibly skilled and willing to do anything.” For their extraordinary dedication to helping their community in its time of greatest need, Highland Brewing Company exemplifies the values of service and resilience honored by this award.
Extra Effort Award:
Left to right: Frank Bloom, Les Stewart, Lisa Parker
Frank Bloom received this year’s Extra Effort Award for his outstanding volunteer service to the NC craft beer industry. Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Frank immediately stepped forward to help, offering his connections with relief organizations and venues in Western North Carolina. On behalf of the NC Craft Brewers Guild, he willingly stepped into the volunteer role of NC Beer Relief Supplies Coordinator, organizing and dispatching some of the first authorized trucks into the impact zone.
Over the following weeks, Frank worked tirelessly to coordinate supply pickups, deliveries, and communications with municipal officials and relief organizations, all while managing his full-time job and the opening of his own new brewery. His efforts were pivotal in ensuring timely aid reached those in need. For his extraordinary dedication, the NC Craft Brewers Guild proudly recognized Frank Bloom with the 2024 Extra Effort Award.
Leadership Recognition:
Lisa Parker’s Certificate of Appreciation, captain’s hat, and roses
Lisa Parker, Executive Director of the NC Craft Brewers Guild, was honored for her exemplary leadership during the Guild’s Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Under her guidance, the Guild played a critical role in organizing and delivering aid to western North Carolina’s hardest-hit areas. In response to the industry’s outpouring of support, the Guild worked quickly to establish a brand new 501(c)(3) charitable giving arm for the NC craft beer industry - the NC Craft Brewers Foundation. The Foundation’s first initiative has been to establish a Business Recovery grant program to help western NC breweries rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, disbursing $63,500.00 of grant funding in its first round of applications.
In recognition of her efforts, Lisa was presented with a captain’s hat, symbolizing her role in navigating the Guild through this challenging time, and a plaque featuring Rosalyn Carter’s quote: “Leaders take people where they want to go, great leaders take people where they ought to be.”
NC Brewers Competition Awards
2024 marked the 13th anniversary of the NC Brewers Cup competition. 934 entries were submitted by 126 independent North Carolina craft breweries, making this year’s competition the largest to date, and the largest single state commercial competition in the U.S. Southeast.
The NC Craft Brewers Guild was pleased to present the following awards:
NC Brewery of the Year is awarded to the one brewery in the competition who secured the most points overall, based on the medals won.
NC New Brewery of the Year is an award that recognizes the brewery with the highest point score, who has opened within the past two years.
Divine Barrel Brewing, NC Brewery of the Year
NC Brewery of the Year for 2024 was awarded to Divine Barrel Brewing. This Charlotte-based brewery, which opened in 2018, won 2 first place gold medals, 1 second place silver medal, 1 third place bronze medal, and 2 honorable mentions.
The 2024 NC New Brewery of the Year recognition was awarded to Brunswick Beer and Cider, located in Leland, NC.
All 2024 NC Brewers Cup category medalists can be viewed by clicking HERE.
