From the Editor (Issue 46)

Welcome to the 46th edition of The Beer Connoisseur magazine. Last year provided plenty of intrigue and great flavor in the world of beer, and, in this edition, we look ahead to the coming year and also harken back to the best beers, beer styles and breweries of 2019.

Seeing as this is our annual The Beer in Review winter edition, we keep you in the loop on how the wonderful world of beer continued to evolve and grow in 2019. Whether a brewer or beer fan, we believe this issue has something for everyone.

This issue is split into three sections. First, our Industry Outlook details the year that was for the beer industry in 2019 – while also keeping the future in mind – from the perspective of the consumer, the craft beer segment and restaurants. All three are in-depth explorations featuring statistics, research and interviews with industry insiders to offer the full picture of the craft beer business.

Of course, any beer magazine worth its weight in IBUs features an abundance of beer reviews, and this edition of The Beer Connoisseur lives up to that. Our most robust section features the Top 100 Beers of 2019 as featured in our Official Review. With a wide range of styles from fruit lambics to chocolate peanut butter stouts, our Top 100 Beers has it all. Beyond that, our Best Beers by Style Category outlines the finest beers in a wide range of different styles, and we award our Best Breweries of 2019.

Closing out the issue is our Features section, which details emerging styles to keep an eye on next year, as well trending hops that brewers will employ in 2020 to provide new avenues of flavor. Then, the section concludes with an interview featuring Jim Koch of The Boston Beer Co. and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery discussing the future of their brands following a massive merger in 2019. Of course, any issue wouldn't be complete without our official review, brewer Q&As and industry news.

More than anything, The Beer in Review is a love letter to the wondrous fermented beverage that is our namesake, and we hope you read this issue while imbibing a fresh new brew. Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy the 46th installment of The Beer Connoisseur!

Cheers!

- Chris Guest, Managing Editor