In light of the Coronavirus (and COVID-19) the Washington Beer Awards are delayed till the fall.
Press Release
image courtesy Washington Beer Awards
Washington Brewers,
We hope this message finds you healthy with beer in the fermenter. We have been tracking the evolving responses to the Covid-19 outbreak and it is very clear that executing the 2020 Washington Beer Awards as currently scheduled is not a viable option. All of our collective energy needs to be focused on keeping safe and doing what we need to keep our brewing industry healthy for the foreseeable future. As a result, we have decided to postpone the awards and are suspending registration.
Our core mission has always been to recognize brewing excellence in Washington. We feel that providing that recognition and encouragement to our brewers is needed more now than ever. We all need something to celebrate in these tough times. Consequently, we have made the decision not to outright cancel this year’s awards. We are hoping to target a fall time frame for a revamped competition where we can also help showcase some seasonal beers that do not make it into the spring/summer line-up. This is still contingent on day-to-day conditions in the state in the upcoming months and our ability to safely execute a competition. Hopefully in that time frame things will reach a “less dynamic” state where we can all plan and conduct operations farther out than the next day. We will continue to assess the viability of executing the awards and provide updates via e-mail and through our website.
In the meantime, please know that we are all behind you through this phase. We cannot wait to get out of our homes and out to your breweries to enjoy your beers and see you all. While we are sad we won’t be placing medals around your necks in June, we’ll be working to try to find a way to get you that recognition before the end of the year if conditions permit.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to reach out. Otherwise, please keep safe and healthy and remember that while not the best solution, bottle labels can be a substitute for toilet paper in a pinch!
Cheers,
Mark and Peter
