Maryland Craft Beer Competition (2024) Info
Account Registration
Registration is closed.
Entry Registration
Entry registration is closed.
Rules
Eligibility
To be eligible to enter the Maryland Craft Beer Competition, your brewery must hold a valid, Maryland manufacturers license and be a member of the Brewers Association of Maryland. This competition is BJCP sanctioned.
Entry Registration
All entries must be registered on this website no later than 11 October 2024 at 1700 EDT. Any entries registered after the deadline will be disqualified and are not eligible. Brewers are limited to a maximum of ten entries. A maximum of two entries per any single category is allowed with a combined maximum of ten entries per brewery allowed in the competition. Each beer entered into the competition may be entered only once. Each entry into the competition is $50. Do NOT send a check. BAM will send you an invoice
Entry Drop-Off
Entries may be dropped off at Heavy Seas Beer https://www.hsbeer.com/ during business hours beginning 11 October, 2024 through 17 October, 2024 2100 EDT. This is a narrow drop-off window. Please make note. Please refer to the URL above to comfirm taproom hours. Regional dropoff sites may be available. If so, details will be posted here once arrangements are final.
Dropped off entries will be stored under refrigeration from acceptance until the judging sessions commence.
All entries must be dropped off between 11 October and 17 October. Any entries dropped off prior to the drop-off window, or after, are not eligible and will not be judged.
Judging
Entries will be judged in the 20 categories listed under the Info tab. However, the competition organizers reserve the right to create additional categories, or combine categories, as necessary based on the entries received. In all cases, awards will be conferred to the deserving entries in each category regardless of combining or collapsing that may occur to balance judging panels.
The Best of Show judging will be determined by a Best of Show panel based on a second judging of the top winners from the first round held at the Baltimore Craft Beer Festival.
BA Judging Styles
If a style's name is hyperlinked, it has specific entry requirements. Select or tap on the name to access the Brewers Association styles as listed on their website.
| British-Style Barley Wine Ale | British-Style Imperial Stout | Brown Porter |
| Classic English-Style Pale Ale | Contemporary-Style Gose | Double Red Ale |
| English-Style Brown Ale | English-Style Dark Mild Ale | English-Style India Pale Ale |
| English-Style Pale Mild Ale | English-Style Summer Ale | Extra Special Bitter |
| Oatmeal Stout | Old Ale | Ordinary Bitter |
| Robust Porter | Scotch Ale | Scottish-Style Export Ale |
| Scottish-Style Heavy Ale | Scottish-Style Light Ale | Special Bitter or Best Bitter |
| Strong Ale | Sweet or Cream Stout | Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout |
| Foreign (Export)-Style Stout | Irish-Style Red Ale | American-Style Amber/Red Ale |
| American-Style Barley Wine Ale | American-Style Black Ale | American-Style Brown Ale |
| American-Style Imperial Porter | American-Style Imperial Stout | American-Style India Pale Ale |
| American-Style Pale Ale | American-Style Sour Ale | American-Style Stout |
| American-Style Strong Pale Ale | American-Style Wheat Wine Ale | Dark American-Belgo-Style Ale |
| Fresh "Wet" Hop Ale | Golden or Blonde Ale | Imperial or Double India Pale Ale |
| Imperial Red Ale | Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale | Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale |
| Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale | Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale | Pale American-Belgo-Style Ale |
| Session India Pale Ale | Smoke Porter | Specialty Stouts |
| West Coast-Style India Pale Ale | Adambier | Bamberg-Style Weiss (Smoke) Rauchbier (Dunkel or Helles) |
| Berliner-Style Weisse (Wheat) | German-Style Altbier | German-Style Kölsch / Köln-Style Kölsch |
| German-Style Leichtes Weizen / Weissbier | Kellerbier (Cellar beer) or Zwickelbier - Ale | Leipzig-Style Gose |
| South German-Style Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen / Weissbier | South German-Style Dunkel Weizen / Dunkel Weissbier | South German-Style Hefeweizen / Hefeweissbier |
| South German-Style Kristall Weizen / Kristall Weissbier | South German-Style Weizenbock / Weissbock | Belgian-Style Blonde Ale |
| Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale | Belgian-Style Dubbel | Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ales |
| Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic | Belgian-Style Lambic | Belgian-Style Pale Ale |
| Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale | Belgian-Style Quadrupel | Belgian-Style Session Ale |
| Belgian-Style Table Beer | Belgian-Style Tripel | Belgian-Style White (or Wit) / Belgian-Style Wheat |
| Contemporary Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic | French & Belgian-Style Saison | French-Style Bière de Garde |
| Other Belgian-Style Ales | Traditional Belgian-Style Gueuze | Australian-Style Pale Ale |
| Classic Australian-Style Pale Ale | Dutch-Style Kuit, Kuyt or Koyt | Grodziskie |
| International-Style Pale Ale | New Zealand-Style India Pale Ale | New Zealand-Style Pale Ale |
| Bamberg-Style Bock Rauchbier | Bamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier | Bamberg-Style Märzen Rauchbier |
| Bohemian-Style Pilsener | Dortmunder / European-Style Export | European-Style Dark / Münchner Dunkel |
| Franconian-Style Rotbier | German-Style Doppelbock | German-Style Eisbock |
| German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock | German-Style Leichtbier | German-Style Märzen |
| German-Style Oktoberfest / Wiesen (Meadow) | German-Style Pilsener | German-Style Schwarzbier |
| Kellerbier (Cellar beer) or Zwickelbier - Lager | Münchner (Munich)-Style Helles | Traditional German-Style Bock |
| Vienna-Style Lager | American-Style Amber Lager | American-Style Amber Light Lager |
| American-Style Dark Lager | American-Style Ice Lager | American-Style India Pale Lager |
| American-Style Lager | American-Style Light Lager | American-Style Maerzen / Oktoberfest |
| American-Style Malt Liquor | American-Style Pilsener | Contemporary American-Style Lager |
| Contemporary American-Style Light Lager | Contemporary American-Style Pilsener | Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lager |
| Baltic-Style Porter | Dry Lager | International-Style Pilsener |
| Aged Beer (Ale or Lager) | American-Style Cream Ale or Lager | Belgian-Style Fruit Beer |
| Brett Beer | California Common Beer | Chili Pepper Beer |
| Chocolate / Cocoa-Flavored Beer | Coffee-Flavored Beer | Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast |
| Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast | Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout | Experimental Beer (Lager or Ale) |
| Experimental India Pale Ale | Field Beer | Fruit Beer |
| Fruit Wheat Ale or Lager with or without Yeast | German-Style Rye Ale (Roggenbier) with or without Yeast | Ginjo Beer or Sake-Yeast Beer |
| Gluten-Free Beer | Herb and Spice Beer | Historical Beer |
| Indigenous Beer (Lager or Ale) | Kentucky Common | Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast |
| Light American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast | Mixed Culture Brett Beer | Non-Alcoholic Malt Beverage |
| Other Strong Ale or Lager | Pumpkin Beer | Rye Ale or Lager with or without Yeast |
| Session Beer | Smoke Beer (Lager or Ale) | Specialty Beer |
| Specialty Honey Lager or Ale | Wild Beer | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer |
| Wood- and Barrel-Aged Dark Beer | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber Beer | Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer |
| Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer | Energy Enhanced Malt Beverage | Flavored Malt Beverage |
| Local Ingredient (Custom Style) |
Entry Acceptance Rules
Number of Bottles Required Per Entry: 4
Entry Categories
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Pale Ale - GABF categories 43, 57, 66, 67A, 67B, 89A, 89B, 89C, 89D, 91, 92, 93, 94
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American IPA - GABF 99, 100, 101
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Specialty IPA - GABF 21, 67C, 90
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Double IPA - GABF 97, 98
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Juicy/Hazy/Fruity IPA - GABF 102
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Sour Beers and Wild Ales - GABF 26, 27, 28, 29, 58A, 58B, 59, 60, 77A, 77B, 77C, 77D, 77E, 80B
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Smoked or Wood-Aged - GABF 30A, 30B, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36A, 36B, 36C, 36D, 36E, 36F
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Fruit Beers - GABF 2, 3, 4, 5A, 80A
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Spiced Beers - GABF 5B, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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Pale Lager and Pilsner - GABF 35A, 35B, 37A, 37B, 38A, 38B, 39, 40, 41A, 41B, 42, 44A, 44B, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50A, 50B
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Amber, Dark Lagers and Bocks - GABF 45A, 45B, 45C, 51, 52, 53A, 53B, 53C, 54A, 54B, 55A, 55B
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Amber Ales and Brown Ales - GABF 61, 64A, 64B, 64C, 64D, 65A, 65B, 68A, 68B, 68C, 69, 70, 71, 95
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Porters and Stouts - GABF 11, 72A, 72B, 81, 82, 83A, 83B, 84, 85
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Wheat Beers - GABF 1A, 1B, 1C, 62A, 62B, 62C, 62D, 62E, 63
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Belgian Style Beers - GABF 25, 73A, 73B, 73C, 73D, 74, 75, 76, 78A, 78B, 78C, 78D, 79A, 79B, 79C
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Specialty/Experimental Beers - GABF 12A, 12B, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 24
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Session Beer - 17A, 17B, 17C, 18
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Strong Beer - 19A, 19B, 20A, 20B, 20C, 56A, 56B, 86A, 86B, 87A, 87B, 88A, 88B, 88C, 88D, 96A, 96B
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Historical Beer - 23A, 23B, 23C, 23D, 23E, 23F, 23G, 23H
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Local Ingredient - Custom Style. Any style listed above brewed with 100% ingredients grown locally (Maryland or any county touching Maryland), excluding local requirement for yeast.
Bottles
Bottles are accepted and preferred as an entry vessel type. Each entry must consist of 12 to 22 ounce capped bottle or corked bottles that clearly identifies the entry including labels and/or embossing. Printed caps are allowed.
12oz brown glass bottles are preferred; however, green and clear glass will be accepted. Swing top bottles will likewise be accepted as well as corked bottles.
A minimum of four (4) 12 oz bottles must be provided per entry.
Cans
Cans are accepted and preferred as an entry vessel type. Each canned entry must consist of a sealed can that clearly identifies the entry, including labels.
12 oz cans are preferred; however 16, 22, or larger cans will be accepted.
A minimum of four (4) 12 oz cans must be provided per entry.
Growlers and Crowlers
Growlers and Crowlers are accepted; they are not preferred but accepted. Each entry must consist of a 16 to 64 ounce sealed growler/crowler that clearly identifies the entry including labels, tags, or stickers.
A minimum of 48 ounces of beer must be provided per entry. While a single growler/crowler may be provided, entrants should recognize that once opened, the quality of the beer growler/crowler can rapidly diminish. Therefore, entrants should consider smaller growlers/crowlers to minimize oxygen exposure and maximize freshness.
Paperwork
All requisite paperwork must be submitted with each entry and can be printed directly from this website. Entry paperwork should be attached to bottles, cans and growlers by the method specified on the label.
Be meticulous about noting any special ingredients that must be specified. Failure to note such ingredients may impact the judges’ evaluation of your entry.
Bottle / Can / Growler Returns
Bottles, cans, crowlers and growlers will not be returned to entrants.
Judging Sessions
First Rounds MCBC 2024
Saturday, October 19, 2024 09:00, EDT
Final Round/Best of Show
Saturday, November 2, 2024 12:00, EDT
Best of Show
In recognition of excellence, the Brewers Association also provides an overall Best of Show category. The recipient of the overall 1st place entry is awarded the Maryland Comptroller’s Cup during the Baltimore Craft Beer Festival - the Stanley Cup of Craft Beer!
Awards
2024 Maryland Craft Beer Competition finalists will be judged, head-to-head, at the Final Table. This Brewers Association of Maryland competition’s talented judges will review the best beers of the competition LIVE and we’ll award the Maryland Craft Beer Cup to the winning brewery!
Awards Ceremony
Baltimore Craft Beer Festival
Baltimore Peninsula, Baltimore, MD
Saturday, November 2, 2024 15:00, EDT
Judging Sessions
First Rounds MCBC 2024
10/19/2024 09:00, EDT.
Final Round/Best of Show
11/02/2024 12:00, EDT.
Account Registration Closed
Account registrations accepted 08/30/2024 00:00, EDT through 10/19/2024 09:00, EDT.
Registrations for judges or stewards accepted 08/30/2024 00:00, EDT through 11/08/2024 00:00, EST.
Entry Registration Closed
Entry Drop-Off Closed
Please pay attention to the notes provided for each drop-off location. There could be earlier deadlines for some drop-off locations listed, particular hours when entries are accepted, certain individuals to leave your entries with, etc. All entrants are responsible for reading the information provided by the organizers for each drop-off location.