The Golden Tap Awards (GTAs) is an annual beer awards event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The awards are sponsored and presented by 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. In 2003 and 2004, the event took place at The Academy of Spherical Arts. In 2005, the event was moved to beerbistro where each event has featured an all-Ontario craft beer festival to coincide with the awards.
In 2009 the Golden Tap Awards consolidated all awards to recognize winners from across the province, instead of segmenting as GTA and outside of the GTA. The Golden Tap Awards will also recognize brewers who produce cask-conditioned beers for the first time.
The 2010 Golden Tap Awards were announced on August 21, 2010 at beerbistro, with a special Ontario Craft Brewers dinner taking place on Friday, August 20 as a part of the celebrations.
2009
Best micro or craft brewery in Ontario: Beau's All Natural Brewing Company, Vankleek Hill
Best brewery for cask-conditioned ale in Ontario: Granite Brewery
Best bar for draught beer selection in Ontario: C'est What
Best bar for bottled beer selection in Ontario: Bar Volo
Best bar for cask-conditioned ale in Ontario: Bar Volo
Best brewpub or tied house in Ontario: Mill Street Brewpub
Best regularly produced craft beer in Ontario: Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale
Best seasonal or specialty craft beer in Ontario: Black Oak Summer Saison
Best cask-conditioned ale in Ontario: County Durham Hop Head
Best of the festival: Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale, Vankleek Hill
Editor's Circle: Cask Ale Crawl
Editor's Circle: Rob Creighton & Grand River Brewing
Editor's Circle: Derek Hyde & Amsterdam Brewing
Editor's Circle: Jim Brickman
2008
Best Microbrewery in the GTA: Mill Street Brewery
Best Microbrewery in Ontario (non-GTA): Beau's All Natural Brewing Company, Vankleek Hill
Best Beer Brewed in the GTA: Steam Whistle
Best Beer Brewed in Ontario (non-GTA): Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale, Vankleek Hill
Best GTA Beer Bar (Draught Selection): C'est What
Best GTA Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): beerbistro
Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer Bar: The Manx, Ottawa
Best Ontario (including GTA) Brewpub or Tied House: Mill Street Brewpub, Toronto
Best Beer of the Fest: Grand River Bumbleberry Wheat, Cambridge
Plus four Editor's Choice Awards, as determined by a panel of Bar Towel members and associates:
St Veronus, Belgian bistro in Peterborough
Cameron's Cask Nights, a cask tasting event series
Dogfish Head Beer Dinner hosted by beerbistro
Steve Peters, speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
2007
Best Microbrewery in the GTA: Mill Street Brewery
Best Microbrewery in Ontario (non-GTA): Church-Key Brewing Company, Campbellford
Best Beer Brewed in the GTA: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
Best Beer Brewed in Ontario (non-GTA): Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Lug-Tread Lagered Ale, Vankleek Hill
Best GTA Beer Bar (Draught Selection): C'est What
Best GTA Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): beerbistro
Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer Bar: Augusta's Winking Judge, Hamilton
Best Ontario (including GTA) Brewpub or Tied House: Mill Street Brewpub, Toronto
Best Beer of the Fest: Black Oak Transvestite's Tipple, Oakville
Plus four Editor's Choice Awards, as determined by a panel of Bar Towel members and associates:
Great Lakes Brewery, brewers of Devil's Pale Ale, Orange Peel Ale and others
Michael Hancock, brewer of Denison's Weissbier and Dunkel
Roland + Russel, beer importers
Volo Cask Days, an event organized by Bar Volo in Toronto
2006
Best Ontario (non-GTA) Beer Bar: Augusta's Winking Judge, Hamilton
Best GTA Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): Volo
Best GTA Beer Bar (Draught Selection): 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 All Natural Brewing Company Lug Tread Lagered Ale "Kolsch-Bock"
2005
Best Beer Bar (Bottled Selection): Smokeless Joe
Best Beer Bar (Draught Selection): C'est What
Best New Beer Bar: 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): 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): C'est What
Best Microbrewery: Black Oak Brewing
Best Brewpub: Granite Brewery
Best Beer: Granite Best Bitter Special
