The Hidden Purpose of Beer Styles and Competition

As I write this, I’m preparing to judge commercial beers at the ?Best of Craft Beer Awards? in ?Central Oregon?. When I leave, my wife often tells me, “Have fun drinking beer.” Honestly, it is fun, but in reality judging is hard work. It requires training, practice, and focused attention to nuance and detail, all while staving off palate fatigue. I liken it to a high-level athletic activity. I’m usually exhausted at the end of a judging day. Nonetheless, the notion of a beer competition reeks of frivolous indulgence. So why do it?

Good question!

Let’s first understand the value of style education. It’s easy to assume that guidelines are a set of rules for brewers to adhere to. Actually, styles are a form of communication. The more specific we are, the better we communicate. To say we are drinking IPA is one thing, but to differentiate between West Coast, British or Hazy is much clearer.

The two main entities that classify beer styles are the ?Brewer’s Association (BA)? and the ?Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)?.

The BA guidelines are updated every year and are meant for commercial competitions. But they aren’t particularly detailed. The BJCP updates every 7 or 8 years and is meant for home-brew competitions. These are very detailed and are, therefore, used to study styles. For this reason, I reference the current BJCP guidelines in my podcast, ?Sense of Beer Style?, with Julia Herz.

I’ve seen brewers slap the name “American Lager" on a beer that tastes nothing like. It may be a good beer that sells well, but if I drink a Macro Light and order one of these, I’ll probably be disappointed. Why? Because of a communication, or definition breakdown. For this reason, there are a lot of good beers that don’t win medals. But, at least we know that medal winners are both good beer and good communicators.

Winning a medal communicates to the consumer, that this beer is a safe bet because people who have trained, practiced and exhausted themselves have all agreed that this beer is among the best. Winning a medal is a big deal for breweries too. It can change a marketing budget. It can increase sales. It can provide opportunity for distribution that was previously unavailable.

Winning a medal is also how brewers take a pulse on how they compare to other breweries. Brewers sometimes operate in a bubble, and the only other real way to evaluate how they compare is to either go drink competitor's beer or to engage in corporate espionage. Beer competitions are way more objective with less risk of jail time!

That’s why I study beer styles and judge beer competitions. It’s a public service. It serves the brewers, the breweries, and the consumers who ultimately decide if a beer is good or not. It may be a bit circuitous, but it's how we improve the beer industry as a whole. Are you interested in joining the cause?

How to start judging beer competitions

1. Become a certified ?BJCP Judge?.

2. Or, become a steward at local competitions. (This really is the better job!)

3. Learn about beer styles with ?Sense of Beer Style Podcast?

4. Learn about beer with the ?Good Beer Matters Podcast?

5. ?Sign up for this newsletter? if someone sent this to you.

Your Brother in Beer,

Jeremy