From the Editor (Issue 52)

Welcome to the 52nd edition of The Beer Connoisseur magazine!

2020 saw us release our landmark 50th issue, a touchstone release in our publication’s history, as well as grapple with a worldwide pandemic. 2020 was a rough year around the world, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues apace, with no end in sight for some countries – such as the United States.

Though the pandemic stunted the industry for a short time, things picked back up as the year went on, and we have a variety of stories devoted to the year that was within the industry. Whether an award-winning brewer or devoted beer aficionado, we believe this issue has something for everyone.

Issue #52 is split into three sections. First off is our Industry Outlook, which explores the past year in the beer industry while also keeping a steady eye on what 2021 will bring. Multiple angles are covered – the perspective of consumers, restaurants and the craft brewing sphere are all discussed. Statistics and plenty of in-depth data abound in these expertly crafted stories, including interviews with industry insiders.

The main course of the issue, as always, is our collection of the top-rated beers of the year, which features the Top 100 Beers of 2020 as found in our Official Review. Despite an unprecedented global pandemic, brewers were still able to get creative, and thus, a wide range of fascinating styles are featured in this section. We also provide our list of the Best Breweries of 2020, which features a returning favorite as well as some new names.

The issue closes with our Trends section, detailing emerging and popular styles that will look to gain ground in 2021 as well as upcoming popular hops that are sure to be hot commodities among brewers next year. In the end, this issue would not be possible without you, our dear readers. So, many thanks to you for joining us for Issue #52, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Cheers!

-Chris Guest
Managing Editor