Golden Tap Awards

The Golden Tap Awards (GTAs) is an annual beer awards event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The awards are sponsored and presented by [http://www.bartowel.com The Bar Towel] , a website and forum dedicated to the discussion and promotion of Toronto's craft and microbrew beer scene.

The GTAs were launched in 2003 as a way to recognise the achievements of craft brewers and bar owners in the Greater Toronto Area, hence the "GTA" acronym. In 2006, the scope of the awards was expanded to include brewers and bars throughout the province of Ontario. Winners of the awards are selected via online voting which is open to the general public.

In 2003 and 2004, the event took place at [http://www.sphericalarts.com/ The Academy of Spherical Arts] . In 2005, it was moved to [http://www.beerbistro.com/ beerbistro] , where it became a mini beer festival, featuring several dozen craft beers from Toronto (and from 2006 onwards, Ontario) on tap and in bottles. The beerbistro events have also had a "Best Beer of the Fest" award given to the beer that receives the most votes from event attendees.

The 2008 edition of the awards will take place at beerbistro on August 23rd, with voting open until August 9th via the [http://www.goldentapawards.com Golden Tap Awards website] .

Past Winners

2007

• Best Microbrewery in the GTA: Mill Street Brewery
• Best Microbrewery in Ontario (non-GTA): [http://www.churchkeybrewing.com/ Church-Key Brewing Company] , Campbellford
• Best Beer Brewed in the GTA: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
• Best Beer Brewed in Ontario (non-GTA): [http://www.beaus.ca/ Beau's] Lug-Tread Lagered Ale, Vankleek Hill
• Best GTA Beer Bar (Draught Selection): [http://www.cestwhat.com/ C'est What]
• Best GTA Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): [http://www.beerbistro.com/ beerbistro]
• Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer Bar: [http://www.winkingjudge.com/ Augusta's Winking Judge] , Hamilton
• Best Ontario (including GTA) Brewpub or Tied House: [http://www.millstreetbrewpub.ca/ Mill Street Brewpub] , Toronto
• Best Beer of the Fest: [http://www.blackoakbeer.com/ Black Oak] Transvestite's Tipple, Oakville

Plus four Editor's Choice Awards, as determined by a panel of [http://www.bartowel.com/ Bar Towel] members and associates:

• [http://www.greatlakesbeer.com/ Great Lakes Brewery] , brewers of Devil's Pale Ale, Orange Peel Ale and others
• Michael Hancock, brewer of [http://www.denisons.ca/ Denison's] Weissbier and Dunkel
• [http://www.rolandandrussell.com/HOME.html Roland + Russel] , beer importers
• Volo Cask Days, an event organized by [http://www.barvolo.com/ Volo] in Toronto

2006

• Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer Bar: [http://www.winkingjudge.com/ Augusta's Winking Judge] , Hamilton
• Best GTA Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): [http://www.barvolo.com/ Volo]
• Best GTA Beer Bar (Draught Selection): [http://www.cestwhat.com/ C'est What]
• Best Ontario (including GTA) Brewpub or Tied House: Granite Brewery, Toronto
• Best Ontario (non-GTA) Microbrewery: Wellington Brewery, Guelph
• Best GTA Microbrewery: Mill Street Brewery
• Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer: Scotch-Irish Sgt. Major's IPA, Ottawa
• Best GTA Beer: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
• Best Beer of the Fest: Beau's Lug Tread Lagered Ale "Kolsch-Bock"

2005

• Best Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): Smokeless Joe
• Best Beer Bar (Draught Selection): [http://www.cestwhat.com/ C'est What]
• Best New Beer Bar: [http://www.beerbistro.com/ beerbistro]
• Best Microbrewery: Mill Street Brewery
• Best Beer: Mill Street Tankhouse Pale Ale
• Best New Beer: Cameron's Dark 266
• Best Beer of the Fest: Black Oak Hop Bomb

2004

• Best Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): Smokeless Joe
• Best Beer Bar (Draught Selection): [http://www.cestwhat.com/ C'est What]
• Best Microbrewery: Mill Street Brewery
• Best Beer: (tie) Mill Street Tankhouse Pale Ale and Steam Whistle Pilsner

2003

• Best Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): Smokeless Joe
• Best Beer Bar (Draught Selection): [http://www.cestwhat.com/ C'est What]
• Best Microbrewery: Black Oak Brewing
• Best Brewpub: Granite Brewery
• Best Beer: Granite Best Bitter Special

External links

* [http://www.goldentapawards.com Golden Tap Awards official website]
* [http://www.bartowel.com The Bar Towel]