Beer Competitions

The most prestigious beer competition in the United States is open to breweries from across the country, but some states tend to win more than others for reasons that include population size (i.e., more breweries) and proximity. Let’s take a closer look.

When it comes to succeeding at competitions, brewing great beer is only the baseline. From two of the winningest breweries in the United States, here are key strategies to increase the odds.

Brewers who’ve enjoyed repeat success at the judging tables have this advice for their friendly competition: From category selection to packaging methods, you need to sweat the details.

Medals and other honors can raise your brewery’s profile, boost your team, and even increase sales. Yet with tighter budgets and more competitions than ever, breweries are carefully considering where and how many they can enter.

Organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild and open to breweries across the country, the inaugural Best of the West Coast IPA National Throwdown recently named its winners from among 200 entries.

Some brewers put a lot of thought and care into their contest entries—and the rest are at a disadvantage. To increase your chances of winning, here are some top tips from the organizers of major international competitions.