On Sept. 1, Moon River Brewing Co. brewmaster John Pinkerton was awarded the 2012 Pioneer Award at the Savannah Craft Brew Festival in Savannah, Georgia.

According to the announcement in the festival brochure:

For more than 18 years, he has worked in every aspect of operations in both brewpubs and regional-scale production breweries.

Pinkerton graduated from Radford University in 1991, completed the diploma course at the Siebel Institute in 1996 and attended the Alltech Alcohol School in 2002. He has established a career charcterized by leadership and service to the craft-brewing industry.

His record as an advocate for men and women working in the brewing trade can be traced back to 1996 when he was a founding Steering Committee member of the Rubber Boots Society (a guild for brewers in the mid-Atlantic).

As a longtime member of the Brewers Association (BA), he has contributed countless hours of service to the organization.

After being elected to the BA's Board of Directors in 2009, Pinkerton was appointed as the Chair of the Brew-pub Committee. He also sits on the BA's Technical and Government Affairs committees, and is serving his second term on their Board.

At the start of 2010, Pinkerton helped establish the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild and currently serves as president. In just two years time, the Guild has managed to establish itself as a notable presence in Georgia's political landscape.

In 2012, it scored its first legislative victory by successfully piloting HB 472 through the Georgia General Assembly. He is frequently called upon to serve as a judge for regional and national competitions. He also volunteers his expertise for conferences, festivals and competitions.

Brewmasters from Moon River Brewing Co. and Terrapin Beer Co. have collaborated to create Turtle Moon Rye-zn (3.9 ABV). The beer went on tap at Moon River Brewing Aug. 31, 2012. This brew represents the two companies' participation in the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Collaboration Series.

Classic style of Bavarian hefeweizen with a few interpretive twists
According to brewmaster John Pinkerton, "In addition to the wheat malt and traditional Bavarian yeast culture, we added Munich malt for a light toastiness and several types of malted rye for complexity. On top of that, we layered in yet another dimension with some local Savannah honey, supplied by our friends at Savannah Bee Company.

"The initial impression is very traditional with its yeast-derived flavors, aromas of bananas and clove spice. The pallet is then challenged to tune-in amid a torrent of beguiling malt flavors, tangy-sweet apple and a hint of grassy honey," he continues. "The finish is pleasantly grainy with a slight bitterness that lingers for a moment while the fruit and spice fades away."

Fermentables: Light Munich Malt (U.K.), Malted Wheat (German), Malted Rye (Canada), Rye Crystal Malt (U.K.) and raw honey (Savannah, Georgia)

Hops: Saaz (Czech Republic)

Georgia Craft Brewers Guild: A not-for-profit trade organization serving Georgia's small and independent breweries, prewpubs and contract breweries. Pinkerton is the current president of the guild.

Collaboration: The Guild has paired most of the brewery members with brewpub members and each pair works together to plan, design and brew a unique beer. Brewmaster Brian "Spike" Bukowski of Terrapin Beer Co. in Athens, Georgia, teamed up with John Pinkerton of Moon River Brewing.