Introducing the inaugural VinePair Next Wave Awards, recognizing spirits, wine, and beer professionals who have distinguished themselves in the past year for propelling the industry forward to a brighter, more equitable, and sustainable future.

This year’s Next Wave Awards celebrate creativity, innovation, and goodwill, and underscore the importance of those pursuits in shaping and revolutionizing drinks culture as we know it.

Read on to learn more about the winners and their exceptional contributions to the drinks industry this year.

Bartender Of The Year
Julia Momosé
Spirits Brand Of The Year
Wilderness Trail
Wine Professional Of The Year
Yannick Benjamin
Brewery Of The Year
Talea Beer Co.
Bar Program Of The Year
Horse Inn
Master Blender Of The Year
Victoria Eady Butler
Sommelier Of The Year
Alexis Percival
Collaboration Of The Year
Brave Noise
Drinks Professional Of The Year
Aaron Polsky
Winery Of The Year
Brendel Wines
Retailer Of The Year
Parcelle
Nonprofit Of The Year
Beer Kulture
Food & Beverage Of The Year
Gage & Tollner
Winemaker Of The Year
Tara Gomez
Brewer Of The Year
Breeze Galindo
Advocate Of The Year
Fawn Weaver
Julia Momose

Bartender Of The Year

Julia Momosé

Partner and creative director of Chicago’s Kumiko, Julia Momosé’s ingenuity behind the bar is only one part of her drive to push the industry forward.

Bar Program Of The Year

Horse Inn

Located in Lancaster, Pa., Horse Inn dates back to 1920, but its inspired cocktail menu and impressive whiskey collection (not to mention its excellent food and hospitality) are a draw for modern drinkers.
Horse Inn
Aaron Polsky

Drinks Professional of the Year

Aaron Polsky

With LiveWire Drinks, Los Angeles-based bartender Aaron Polsky has not only started a collaborative RTD brand, but also provided a blueprint that genuinely serves all parties.

Food & Beverage Program of the Year

Gage & Tollner

Perfectly executed cocktails, a robust wine list, and a menu of reimagined chop-house fare set the stage for Sohui Kim, St. John Frizell, and Ben Schneider’s stunning reincarnation of Gage & Tollner, which first opened in Brooklyn in 1892.
Gage and Tolner
Wilderness Trail

Spirits Brand Of The Year

Wilderness Trail

Wilderness Trail founders Dr. Pat Heist and Shane Baker come from plant pathology and microbiology backgrounds, which informs their truly extraordinary whiskeys down in Danville, Ky., taking into account the always-unpredictable future of the industry.

Master Blender Of The Year

Victoria Eady Butler

After a 31-year career with the Department of Justice, Victoria Eady Butler joined the team at Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and quickly became its official master blender, making award-winning whiskey sold around the world.
Victoria Eady Butler
Fawn Weaver

Advocate Of The Year

Fawn Weaver

The founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, Fawn Weaver and her work — with the Nearest Green Foundation and beyond — are inspiring a new generation of spirits businesses.
Brendel Wines

Winery Of The Year

Brendel Wines

Helmed by brand director Cassandra Felix, Brendel Wines honors its legacy by producing wine from the Grignolino grape — the grape originally planted by the estate’s founder — and showcasing the diversity of wine styles that can be made in the Napa Valley.

Winemaker Of The Year

Tara Gomez

Tara Gomez’s passion for winemaking and decades-long career are on display in the delicious wines she makes for both Kitá and Camins 2 Dreams in California’s Santa Ynez Valley.
Tara Gomez
Yannick Benjamin

Wine Professional of the Year

Yannick Benjamin

Yannick Benjamin’s vision for East Harlem’s Contento restaurant and his work with Wheeling Forward and Wine on Wheels continue to redefine accessibility in wine and hospitality.

Sommelier of the Year

Alexis Percival

Partner and co-beverage director at New York City’s Kindred and Ruffian Wine Bar, Alexis Percival makes wine accessible to countless curious drinkers. Launched in 2020, Percival’s wine tasting club has supported and fostered a community for women studying to become wine professionals.
Alexis Percival
Parcelle

Retailer Of The Year

Parcelle

With its thoughtful curation and commitment to the larger drinks community, Parcelle, under the stewardship of founder Grant Reynolds, sets the standard for wine retail.
Breeze Galindo

Brewer Of The Year

Breeze Galindo

Brewer at Other Half Brewing Company in Brooklyn and creator and host of the Other Half Women’s Forum, Breeze Galindo not only makes some of the state’s best beer, but continues to push the dialogue around beer and hospitality forward.

Brewery Of The Year

Talea Beer Co.

Founded in 2019 by LeAnn Darland and Tara Hankinson, Talea creates craft beer with mass appeal. Their bright and airy Brooklyn brewery and taproom, opened in 2021, is a welcoming space for beer enthusiasts, beginners, and everyone in between.
Talea
Brave Noise

Collaboration of the Year

Brave Noise

Started in the wake of 2021’s craft beer reckoning, Brave Noise is Brienne Allan and Ash Eliot’s beer collaboration — and call to action for brewers and beer drinkers alike. Their goal: a safe and discrimination-free beer industry.

Nonprofit of the Year

Beer Kulture

Creating access, scholarship and mentorship opportunities, and community, Beer Kulture and its founder and CEO Latiesha Cook continue to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion in the craft beer space.
Beer Kulture
Illustrations by Rebecca Clarke