NY State Craft Beer Competition presented by Ultimate Brew Services

To make a great craft beer you bring all of your artistry, dedication, science and passion to the table. We bring the most respected judges from the industry to the other side of that table.

 

Our Judges

WE HAVE THE BEST JUDGES. Our judges include the most influential people in the NY beer industry, including Brewmasters, Cicerones, BJCP judges, educators, retailers, and industry writers and consultants.

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Why Enter?

You are invited to enter the

The New York State Craft Beer Competition presented by Ultimate Brew Services 

will be held in Rochester, NY, on Saturday/Sunday, March 2-3, 2024.

Open to all licensed New York State breweries.

OUR GOAL IS TO INCREASE AWARENESS IN YOUR BREWERY AND HELP YOU SELL MORE GREAT BEER!

Why this competition

The New York State Brewers Association presents the premier New York State Craft Beer Competition. 

This official state competition will highlight and promote the best craft beers in New York. It is part of the Governor's effort to promote New York beverages by streamlining regulations and providing incentives. The number of craft, farm, and restaurant brewers has increased six-fold, to more than 400, and demonstrates the state’s ongoing commitment to building a large and vital industry. 

All entries will be blind judged by a panel of trained beer judges and industry professionals based on pre-established criteria and using a custom scoring sheet developed by the NYSBA. 

BEER ENTRIES will be stored in a temperature controlled environment.

Per entry, send:
5 -  12oz or 16oz bottles or cans
4 -  22oz, 25oz, 750ml or 32oz bottles or cans (including crowlers) ~ sorry, no growlers.

Awards

The top three finishers in each category will receive Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals.

The overall winner will receive the Governor’s Cup to the Best of Show beer. 

Special NYS Farm Beer Award - This year NYS BEER will not be its own category, but instead, the top 3 highest scores chosen from NYS submissions across all categories will be the deciding factor. Please be sure to specify if your submission meets the 60% NYS labeled definition when registering your beer. 

Promotion of winners

This year's competition is sponsored by Edible Magazine with 11 statewide publications produced. The competition and results will be promoted in Edible Magazine, throught the Governor's Office, Taste NY, the NYSBA and featured on the NY State Fair’s website and its social media channels (180,000 subscribers to its Facebook page). The following opportunities are open to all entrants at no charge:

  • Have a booth at the NY State Fair to sample and sell your beer (schedule in advance);
  • Host one of the Fair’s popular daily Beer Seminars where Brewers can share samples of their beer and discuss their products;
  • In the Horticulture Building, you can display medals and product bottles in the showcase set aside to promote the competition;
  • Additionally, there may be opportunities for product sampling and/or sales from some of the Fair’s vendors. This can be discussed on a case-by-case basis, according to interest.