Podcast Episode 388: Best in Beer Critics Roundtable as Stan Hieronymus, Kate Bernot, and Joe Stange Share Their Personal Picks

After two days of judging for our Best 20 Beers in 2024, the team sat down to discuss their own most enjoyable beers and experiences of the past year—along the way identifying some trends that may offer hope for the next chapter of craft beer’s story.

Podcast Episode 388: Best in Beer Critics Roundtable as Stan Hieronymus, Kate Bernot, and Joe Stange Share Their Personal Picks Primary Image

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The Best in Beer theme continues this week, as contributing editor Kate Bernot and hops insider Stan Hieronymus sit down with executive editor Joe Stange and cofounder and editorial director Jamie Bogner. Together, they discuss their personal favorites from the past year in beer, round-robin style, recorded live at Craft Beer & Brewing office in Fort Collins, Colorado. They each discuss their own top 10 beers as well as most their compelling beer experiences, meanwhile offering thoughts on trends that should give hope for the future of craft brewing around the world.

While we determine the magazine’s Best 20 Beers in 2024 via a combination of blind judges’ scores through the year plus additional blind tasting among this same crew, their personal picks are their own—from hedonistic choices to compelling stories that tell beer stories through their own eyes.

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ProBrew is excited to now offer 2–4 week lead times on all in-stock ProFill Rotary Can Filler and Seamers. These models are available in 100–300 can per minute filling speeds and are built with a focus on scalability and low dissolved oxygen pickup. This special lead time is only while supplies last, so send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 262-278-4945. ProBrew, Brew YOUR Beer.

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You might have heard of Old Orchard, but have you heard of their newest flavors? Berry Blend, Blood Orange, Lemonade, and Tart Cherry are the latest additions to their lineup of flavored craft juice concentrate blends. Old Orchard’s R&D team can also formulate custom blends unique to your needs. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer.


Experience distinct transparency and juiciness with Omega Yeast’s DayBreak-V (pronounced “five”). Using their Lumina technology, Omega genetically eliminated haze in the popular British-V strain, allowing you to preserve the fruit-boosting prowess while achieving crystal clarity. Perfect for modern West Coast IPAs. Learn more at [email protected].

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Keep your brewery running smoothly with Five Star Chemicals. Our cleaning solutions are specifically formulated to meet the unique needs of breweries, ensuring that your equipment stays clean and free of harmful bacteria and contaminants. From cleaning fermentors to kegs, we have a solution for every step of the brewing process. Use Five Star Chemicals today and taste the difference in your brews.


RSS MACLIN, a family-owned company started by the Head of Seaming Technology from PS Angelus and SME and Field Service Technician for Ball Corp, offers audits and repairs for can seamers and can integrity training. With experience from big breweries, they bring valuable knowledge to craft businesses. They provide solutions for can damage, seam training, and help your facility become self-sufficient without relying on original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)Should we just use OEM here?. If you have any questions regarding your machine setup, parameters, or concerns about your can line call us at (330) 299-8210 or email at [email protected].


Indie Hops breeds new hop varieties to help brewers captivate beer lovers. Brewers worldwide trust Indie’s unique varieties—Strata, Lórien, Luminosa, Meridian, and Audacia—to modernize, brighten, and diversify their beer lineup. Indie also offers classics that thrive in Oregon terroir such as Chinook, Crystal, and Sterling. Thoughtfully crafted and selected hops to meet your brewing needs. Visit indiehops.com/podcast to discover what’s new in hop flavors. Indie Hops—Life is short, let’s make it flavorful!


Berkeley Yeast. Founded by bioengineers. Yeast that’s designed to improve flavor, quality, and consistency; increase efficiency; and save you money. If you’ve been following yeast, you’ve heard about our strains: Superbloom strains make classic hops flavor; Fresh strains keep diacetyl low even with large hop additions; Tropics strains make a tropical bouquet reminiscent of the finest Southern Hemisphere hops. And, we just dropped new strains that are even more futuristic. Nationwide free shipping. Mention this podcast for 20 percent off your first order.

Jamie Bogner is the cofounder and editorial director of Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®. Email him at [email protected].

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