Karl Strauss Award Dinner
Presented by the Museum of Beer & Brewing
This annual event is named in honor of one of the Museum of Beer & Brewing's founding fathers. The Karl Strauss award is given out annually to a person or organization who has contributed substantially to the beer and brewing industry.
Past recipients include:
Karl M. Strauss - 2005
Karl Strauss came to the United States from Germany in 1939. He was educated at the Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephan as a brewing engineer. He began working at Pabst Brewing Company as a supervisor and through his career with Pabst became Vice-President of Brewing. Karl was a founding member of the Museum of Beer and Brewing and a past president of Master Brewers Association of the Americas.
Go to History of Karl Strauss for more information regarding his career.
2006 Herb and Helen Haydock - 2006
Herb and Helen are world-renowned collectors of beer memorabilia.
Their collections were displayed at numerous breweries throughout the United States.
They are members of the American Breweriana Association.
Charlie Papazian - 2007
Charlie is the founder of the Brewers’ Association.
The Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup were initiated by Charlie.
Charlie wrote the Homebrewers’ bible “The Joy of Home Brewing”
and “The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing”.
He has given many talks and published numerous articles on the art of home brewing.
The Siebel Family - 2008
The Siebel School of Brewing was founded in Chicago in 1890 by Joseph Siebel.
Three generations of the Siebel family faithfully carried out the ideals of training brewers for the American continents.
The Siebel Institute was a major provider of technical knowledge and materials to America’s brewers.
The school was operated by Joseph Siebel’s descendants Ron and Bill Siebel in 2008.
Dr. David Ryder - 2009
David Ryder, a native of Great Britain, received his Doctorate in Brewing from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
David worked for South African Breweries before joining the Joseph Siebel Institute as Technical Director and primary instructor.
David joined Miller Brewing Company and retired as Vice-President of Brewing Research and Development.
He is a former Director of the Museum of Beer & Brewing.
William Ladish, The Ladish Family Tradition - 2010
Herman Ladish, the patriarch of the family began malting for the brewing industry in the early 1900s. His management and malting skills allowed the Ladish Company to become the premier maltster in the United States.
Herman also founded the Ladish Foundry, a producer of high-quality forged metals for the industry.
William Ladish is the great-grandson of the founder.
The Gettelman Family - 2011
In 1876 Adam Gettelman took ownership of the A. Gettelman Brewing Company.
The brewery developed along with the Fred Miller Brewery in the Menomonee Valley of Milwaukee.
The brewery is best remembered for Gettelman’s $1,000 beer.
The grandsons of Adam, Tom and Fred Gettelman operated the brewery until it was sold to Miller Brewing Company in 1961.
The Leinenkugel Family - 2012
Leinenkugel was founded in Chippewa Falls in May 1867 by Prussian immigrant Jacob Mathias Leinenkugel.
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company doing business as Leinenkugel’s is based in Chippewa Falls Wisconsin.
The fourth generation of the Leinenkugel family remains intimately involved in the management.
The brewery, 7th oldest in the US, was sold to Miller in 1988.
Randy Sprecher, Specher Brewing Company-2014
Randy was a supervisor at Pabst Brewing Company in 1982 when he decided to start a microbrewery.
Sprecher Brewing Company was an early pioneer in the art of craft brewing.
Randy and his team have developed many innovative beers and are famous for non-alcoholic beverages.
Briess Malting Family - 2015
Roger Briess, the great-grandson of Ignatius Briess, developed Briess Malting, headquartered in Chilton, Wisconsin, into a world-renowned producer of pale and specialty malts.
The Briess family began malting in 1876 in Moravia, Czech Republic. Briess is now owned by Roger’s spouse and sons.
Roger was a founding member of the Museum of Beer and Brewing.
Lakefront Brewery – Klisch Brothers - 2016
Russ and Jim Klisch began brewing at the site of a former bakery in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood.
In the beginning they used dairy equipment and brewed in 55-gallon, stainless steel drums, and the first barrel of beer was sold on December 2, 1987 to a tavern a short distance from their brewery.
Through innovative technology and a friendly demeanor, they developed Lakefront Brewery into a renowned craft brewer in Wisconsin and the Midwest.
New Glarus Brewery – Dan Carey - 2017
Dan Carey was a supervisor at Anheuser Busch. He completed the Institute of Brewing exam to become a diploma brewer.
Together with his spouse, Deb, they founded the New Glarus Brewery and made it into a world-class brewery.
Dan’s beers are famous for quality and style. Spotted Cow can be found in most locations only in Wisconsin.
James McCabe, Milwaukee Brewing Company - 2018
Beginning with the Milwaukee Ale House, a brewpub on Water Street, Milwaukee, the McCabes expanded to a brewing facility on 2nd Street which also had a packaging department.
The business grew to such an extent that the group purchased the logistic center of the former Pabst Brewing Company and produced Milwaukee Beers.
Ken Grossman – Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - 2019
In 1978, Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chicio, California with Paul Camuse.
Grossman and his wife Katie (Nee Gonser) have three children and live in Chico, California. His son Brian and daughter Sierra will run the company when he retires. His son Brian moved to North Carolina to manage the new Sierra Nevada Brewery in Mills River, North Carolina , which began production in 2014.
Sierra Nevada is the 10th largest brewery in the US.
The Steiner Gimbel Family - Hopsteiner - 2021
Steiner was founded by Simon H. Steiner (1825-1910) and his father Heinrich in 1845 in Laupheim, Germany,
Hopsteiner is one of the principal suppliers of hops and hops products to brewers around the world. The group's owner and president, L. S. Gimbel 3rd. represents the fifth generation of the family to play an active role in the business.
Professor Emeritus Michael Lewis - 2022
Professor Emeritus Michael J. Lewis is the author of the book “Stout” (Classic Beer Style Series published by Brewers Publications, 1998), and co-authored the book titled "Brewing”, (published by Springer, 2012, 2nd Edition) which focuses on the principles and practices most central to understanding the brewing process.
Professor Lewis published 96 technical/scientific papers.
He has conducted the program in Brewing Science at the University of California-Davis since 1952. He accepted emeritus status in 1995.
Teri Fahrendorf – Pink Boots Society - 2023
Brewmaster, Road Brewer, and Founder of Pink Boots Society.
She was the third woman craft brewmaster in the USA in 1988.
Teri founded the Pink Boots Society, which is an international education-focused nonprofit organization supporting women beer professionals through scholarships and networking opportunities. Pink Boots Society is established in 40 countries with about 100 chapters serving over 2,600 members.
She is a major contributor to the Art, Science, and History of Beer and Beer Culture
Robert Perlick Family Tradition - 2024
Five generations of the Perlick Family, beginning with Robert in 1880, provided the brewing industry with brass and copper fittings initially. Today, the company is a world-famous producer of beverage dispensing and refrigeration systems for the bar, restaurant, and entertainment industry