I had the fun opportunity to steward at a home brew competition last weekend. And after doing so, I highly recommend that other beer geeks do the same.
It was the Pacific Brewers Cup…..
As the website explains, “This year marks the 16th-Annual Pacific Brewers Cup Homebrew Competition. The competition is hosted on a rotating basis by the Strand Brewers’ Club, Pacific Gravity in Culver City, and the Long Beach Homebrewers.”
I was stationed at this table….
There was three sub-categories to this group and it was my job to keep the beer flowing to the judges and to do the other little things to make their jobs easier like having enough water and cups and bread on the table. And since I had only two judges (some tables had six!), that job wasn’t super stressful.
It is interesting to watch others judge a beer so specifically to style guidelines and then be able to taste it yourself to match it up against what comments the judges were making. This style is not wide with many variables so it makes the job somewhat easier if the beer doesn’t hew to the norm. But it also means that you will get many beers that are closer together taste wise.
Thanks to the home brew clubs for putting this event together and letting me see behind the scenes.
Best of Show
Congratulations to Kingsley Toby & Brian Holter for their Belgian Dark Strong Ale! (You may know them as Pipe Dream Brewery)
High Point Club
Congrats to this year’s High Point Club winner Pacific Gravity!
You can check out the full list of winners HERE. (You will notice that Kip from the forthcoming L.A. Ale Works and Chris who is new at the recently new on tap Ohana have numerous mentions!)