International Brewery of the Year 2015, Danish Beer Blog Awards

Today we’re naming the non-Danish brewery of the year, or International brewery of the year 2015. This category gives me thousands of breweries to choose from, but of course I managed to find one that stands out for 2015 in particular, not just for brewing consistently great beer.

Shaun Hill and Hill Farmstead Brewery has won pretty much every award there is, and now he can add Beertalk Brewery of the Year to the collection. One of the highlights of the year was a Saturday in May. My friend Martin had traded some beers and received absolutely fresh Hill Farmstead pale ales and saisons, among a few other fine, hoppy American beers.

That day alone was pretty much enough to get this title, but if I may borrow a little bit from surrounding years, it’s even more certain. In October 2014, Shaun was in Copenhagen and had brought some fresh kegs of excellent beer that was served on the two Mikkeller Bars. In 2014 they started an expansion project, finished in 2015, which means that more of this divine beer can be brewed – although it’s still unlikely that I’ll ever see Hill Farmstead beer regularly on sale in Denmark.

And as recently announced, Hill Farmstead will be at Copenhagen Beer Celebration in 2016, meaning that I’m also certain to get my fix next year. Last but not least, though I’m not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, Shaun has taken away one of the best American brewers working in Europe, by hiring his friend Ryan Witter from Siren Craft Brew.

My kind of beer is without a doubt session-strength, well hopped golden beers, whether they originate from Bohemia, Bavaria, Belgium, Britain or Vermont. And in this category, Shaun Hill is without any doubt a champion. International Brewery of the Year 2015, Hill Farmstead Brewery.