Ukrainians Earn U.S. Open Beer Championship Director’s Award

Oxford, Ohio (December 27, 2022) – The inaugural 2022 U.S. Open Director’s Award for humanitarian efforts within the brewing community was awarded to Lana Suitankova and Yuri Zastavny for raising thousands of dollars for Ukrainian relief.

Suitankova was the first Ukrainian cicerone and international beer judge. She and the publishers of Ferment Magazine created “Drinkers for Ukraine” to fund Ukrainian relief. Zastavny owns the Pravda Beer Theatre, a brewery located in Lviv, Ukraine. After Russia invaded, Yuri switched his bottling line from bottling beer to bottling Molotov Cocktails. Yuri also started the fundraiser “Brew for Ukraine,” where he released his beer recipes to the World’s Brewers to fund Ukrainian relief. To support Lana and Yuri’s efforts, the U.S. Open Beer Championship created two new categories in the 2022 competition, Ukrainian Golden Ale and Resist Ukrainian Anti Imperial Stout. All entry fees were matched by the U.S. Open and donated to help Ukraine relief.

This award was initiated by U.S. Open Judging Director Jon Downing, who in 1995 installed the first microbrewery in Ukraine. He also helped develop recipes for the first craft beers in this country. “At this special time of year, we would like to wish “Peace on Earth” and especially to the country of Ukraine,” said Dow Scoggins, founder of the U.S. Open. “It is our honor to support Lana and Yuri and contribute to helping Ukraine’s people.”