On Saturday, February 28th, the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame inducted the class of 2026. Earlier this month, we introduced the list of nominees. The Hall recognizes individuals whose vision, leadership, and dedication helped shape the modern American craft beer industry. The ceremony was livestreamed on YouTube.
Without further ado, here is the American Craft Beer Hall of Fame class of 2026
Larry Bell
Larry Bell founded Michigan’s Bell’s Brewery in 1985. It started as a humble homebrew shop in 1983, where Larry brewed with a 15-gallon soup kettle. To navigate the laws at the time, Larry sold his beer in plastic jugs to go. In the coming decades, Larry built the brewery into an iconic brand, producing recognizable beers like Two Hearted Ale.
Garrett Oliver
Garrett Oliver is best known as, well, that’s hard to say. The longtime brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewing is also a prolific author. He’s a pioneer in educating people about beer and food pairing. He’s an advocate for diversity and inclusivity. And he’s a damned snazzy dresser, and much more. No true beer lover’s bookshelf is complete without the Oxford Companion to Beer, which he authored in 2011.
Pete Slosberg
Pete Slosberg is the guy who introduced Pete’s Wicked Ale in 1986. It was a game-changing beer that helped introduce the broader beer audience to something beyond the huge corporate beers of its time. His approach was different. Pete’s Wicked Ale never came from Pete’s brewery: it was entirely contract-brewed. The marketing, one might say, was largely done guerilla-style.
Kim Jordan
Kim Jordan was one of the co-founders of New Belgium Brewing in 1991. Under her direction as Executive Chair of the Board, the brewery was noted not only for making different, innovative beers but also for making a difference. New Belgium existed at the crossroads of business savvy, environmental responsibility, community commitment, and philanthropic giving. Kim stepped down as CEO in 2015. The best things about New Belgium, yeah, that was Kim.
Teri Fahrendorf
Teri Fahrendorf is one of the first women to carve out a name for herself in the industry. In the late 1980s, she enrolled in the brewing program at the Siebel Institute in Chicago, became the first woman to serve as class president, and then jumped headfirst into professional brewing. In 1990, she landed at Steelhead Brewing in Eugene, where she earned many awards and accolades. In 2007, she founded the Pink Boots Society. Read more about Teri here.
Carol Stoudt
Carol Stoudt built a 30-barrel brewhouse and started brewing beer to expand the family’s already thriving restaurant and antique business in Adamstown, PA. That was 1987. By 1992, her brewery was racking up medals at the GABF and earning other awards. Carol is a trailblazer who was a badass bosslady in the craft beer biz before there even was one. People call her the first female brewmaster in the United States following Prohibition. Were there any before Prohibition?
Sam Calagione
Sam Calagione is the founder and familiar face behind Dogfish Head Brewing. When the brewery opened in 1995, it took a different path: it started making beers that defied industry norms and challenged people’s perception of beer. He earned a James Beard Award in 2017. Very few brewers on earth can say they’ve done that! He’s a charismatic leader and a forceful advocate for the craft beer industry.
Charlie Bamforth
Charlie Bamforth is not a familiar name, but at some point, you drank a beer in which he played an important role. He led the brewing program at the University of California, Davis, for 20 years, retiring in 2018. At some point, you’ve enjoyed a beer brewed by one of his many, many students. Charlie was instrumental in creating the concept of professional brewer education in the USA. Since 2019, Charlie has served as Senior Quality Advisor at Sierra Nevada Brewing.
