Central Texas Continues to Shine at the 2022 CBMAs

Most craft beer enthusiasts have heard of brewing contests like the Great American Brew Fest and the World Beer Cup, but they may not know about the Craft Beer Marketing Awards. Founded in 2019, the CBMAs celebrate excellence in craft beer marketing and design around the world. A global panel of 300 beer, marketing, and design experts vote on entries to 38 different categories (increased from 27 in 2022).  From can and bottle design to taproom murals and cause-related projects, the CBMAs cover almost every aspect of selling craft beer.

Three Central Texas breweries brought home awards at the 2022 CBMAs, which were announced in May. San Antonio’s Freetail Brewing got gold Crushies in the 8-15oz can design category for their Spicy Puro Pickle and Yeet the Hops Double IPA. In the Best Brand Identity – Use of Mascot contest, Austin Beerworks also received a gold Crushie for their Austin Anthem can series.

However, the biggest Central Texas winner was Pinthouse Pizza. Pinthouse received two gold Crushies for their Core Beer Can redesigns. The colorful, kaleidoscopic cans were joined by the bottle design for Jaguar Shark and Deep Discovery in winning an award. Both ABW’s Anthem cans and the Pinthouse labels were created by Austin-based design agency Helms Workshop. San Antonio’s Anderson Marketing Group designed the Freetail cans.

Houston and DFW also Win

Two other Texas metros are home to 2022 award winners. Houston’s Urban South and Eureka Heights as well as Katy’s No Label Brewing brought home crushies. Vector Brewing in Dallas was a first-time winner for bottle design.

CBMA’s website features a full list of categories and winners. Breweries and marketing agencies looking to enter the 2023 competition have until January 27 to submit entries.

From the press release:

New for the 2023 Award Season:

Crushie Award Redesign

The Crushie trophy has been reinvented and can now be removed from the base to be used as a fully functional tap handle. This innovation was designed and produced all within the industry, and made in the USA by Steel City Taps.

“We’re so excited to be working with Steel City Taps on the creation of these new Crushie trophies that become tap handles,” said Jackie DiBella-Curry, co-founder of the CBMAS. “It was really important for us to figure out how to keep the trophy production within the industry—and to make the Crushies even cooler, and more functional for winners to display.”

New Crushie Categories

The 2023 CBMAS consist of 38 categories that cover all aspects of brew marketing—from labels to logos and tap handles to taprooms. And this year, the CBMAS added newly designated categories to recognize industry suppliers and partners.

Proceeds of the all-new beer-related tattoo category, “Show off Your Tatts,” will be donated to The Michael James Jackson Foundation, a grant-making organization that funds scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color within the brewing and distilling trades for a more just, equitable, and dynamic future.

To see the full list of categories, click here.

 CBMAS Timeline

• Early Bird Entry Period: September 26 – October 28, 2022
• Full Entry Period: September 2022 – January 27, 2023
• Judging: March 6, 2023 – April 11, 2023
• Winners Announced: Week of May 7, 2023 @ CBC event (TBD) and via live stream

The full live awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in person with a virtual feed during the week of the 2023 Craft Brewers Conference in May in Nashville, TN. Entries are open to anyone involved in marketing within the brewing industry—including cider and hard seltzer—across the world. For additional information, visit craftbeermarketingawards.com.