2022 NC Brewers Cup Competition

Entry Drop-Off Dates:

• Tuesday, August 23rd, 12pm - 4pm
• Wednesday, August 24th, 9am - 4pm

Entry Drop-Off Location:
Shipping your entries?  Please direct all shipments to:
GENERAL RULES
 

1. Entrant must be the producer of the beer.
2. Beer entries must be produced in North Carolina by a commercially permitted brewery.
3. All entries must have received NC ABC product/label approval.
4. All entering breweries must qualify as independent craft, per NCCBG (ie. less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled by a beverage alcohol industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.)
5. All entries (bottles/cans/crowlers) must include an official Entry Identification Label and a No-Charge Donation invoice. Both forms are auto-generated based on your online registration, and will be sent to you via email.
6. Online registration is required prior to dropping off/shipping your entry.
7. Entrants must submit two (2) samples (cans/bottles/crowlers) of each entry in the competition. 
8. Entry fees are $35 per entry. Credit card payment is collected during the online registration process. 
9. Entry limit:  A brewery can enter a maximum of 10 entries into the NC Brewers Cup competition.
10. All beer entries must possess the characteristics generally attributed to and conforming to the consumer understanding of “beer”. At least 51% of the fermentables must be derived from grain. Mead, cider, spirits, seltzers, hard soda, hard water, and kombucha are not eligible for the competition.
11. Breweries may use the same beer brand for multiple entries. (For example, if a beer is entered into the "Stouts" category, but also meets the definition of the "NC Home-Grown" category.) Entrants must still submit two (2) samples for each entry registration.

JUDGING 

• All entries will be judged by a pair of judges, including at least one certified BJCP or Cicerone beer judge.
• Entries will be judged according to the 2022 version of the Brewers Association Style Guidelines found here.  
• Entries will be accepted into 36 NCBC categories. The NCCBG reserves the right to combine categories for medal distribution, based on the number of entries received.
• Regardless of NCBC medal category, all entries will be judged blind according to the Brewers Association category style guideline for the associated subcategory entered into.
• Entries will be accepted for a 36th category: "NC Home-Grown": To qualify for this category, 55% of the beer's dry-weight ingredients must be sourced from North Carolina produced products.

WINNERS

• Medals (gold, silver, bronze) will be awarded to the top 3 winners of each designated style category. If warranted, a honorable mention in the category will additionally be recognized, but does not receive a medal.
• The NC Brewery of the Year is the competition's top prize and will be awarded the NC Brewers Cup trophy.   Breweries are awarded points based on medals won. Points are tabulated to determine a winner.
• We will also recognize:
  • NC New Brewery of the Year (especially for breweries who have opened over the past two years, this special group of entrants will be awarded points based on medals won. Points are tabulated to determine a winner.)
• All winners will be recognized at the NC Industry Awards Banquet in Winston-Salem on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd.

 

If you have any questions, please contact:
Lisa M. Parker | Executive Director
North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild
lisa@ncbeer.org
c. 919.951.8588