Enter the 2025 Competition
The National Homebrew Competition gives amateur brewers the opportunity to receive invaluable feedback, win prizes, and recognizes outstanding, world-class homebrewed beer, mead, and cider.
- Getting Started
- Dates & Deadlines
- How to Enter
- Shipping/Drop-off Information
- Results & Awards
- Styles Guidelines
Mead & Cider: In 2024, we expanded the mead and cider categories into standalone awards categories. While the intention was to increase mead and cider entries, the response did not meet expectations. For 2025, mead and cider categories will again be distilled into four mead award categories (Traditional, Fruit, Spice, Specialty) and two cider categories (Standard Cider/Perry and Specialty Cider & Perry).
German Pils, so strong! This may come as no surprise to those who love good beer, but the rise of the lager in recent years is real. Because of its strong showing the past few years, German Pils will have its own standalone category in 2025. This also shifts the name of the previous “Pilsner” award table to “Pale Lager.”
Finals in Kansas City: The final round judging will be in Kansas City, Mo., June 26-27. We’ve been extremely fortunate and grateful to host the Final Round in San Diego for the past two years and are excited to move to a new city with a vibrant homebrewing scene for Final Round judging.
Seven First Round Sites: Cheers to more competition to make those medals even more worthwhile! Thank you to Philadelphia for all their years hosting (and KC, we’re excited to see you for the Final Round!). In 2025, Seattle will be the home of our Pacific NW regional first round site in lieu of Portland, which graciously hosted in 2024.
Ninkasi, Homebrew Club, and Gambrinus Award Tiebreaker Criteria Update: We have reviewed and updated tiebreaker criteria for these awards. The updated criteria focus on awarding both those who excel in the Final Round and the First Round. See updated tiebreaker info under the Results & Awards section of this page.
Shipping & Receiving Dates: For 2025, shipping/receiving dates for each First Round site will vary based on actual judging dates for that location. This improvement will allow for flexibility for all homebrewers to select the best location for their entries based on the timing of shipping & judging.
Entrants will select their First Round judging site during registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
BJCP Guidelines: The 2025 National Homebrew Competition will use the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.
Entry fee for 2025 is $29 per entry. Failure to pay within the beer registration window will result in dismissal from the competition.
Log in to your AHA account on HomebrewersAssociation.org. If you forget your AHA login username or password, click on Forgot username or password on the login box or contact Membership Team.
Head to our Join page and follow the steps to become a member.
Note: It will take six (6) hours for the BAP competition software to verify your account after purchasing an American Homebrewers Association membership.
Subscribe to NHC emails here and add info@brewersassociation.org to your Safe Senders list.
Register for your chosen First Round site here. Registration is hosted in Beer Awards Platform.
All National Homebrew Competition entries must be homebrewed beer, mead, or cider. “Homebrewed” means that entrants cannot use professional equipment or other means provided by professional brewers or breweries. The competition does not currently have categories for seltzer, hard soda, kombucha, and other alternative fermentations. Please refer to the 2021 Beer Judge Certification Program Beer, Mead, and Cider Style Guidelines.
Yes, all AHA members are welcome to enter. Entrants explicitly may not use professional equipment, ingredients, or processes.
Your AHA account must be correct before registration opens on January 28, 2025. You can log in to your competition profile using your username and password and update it to the correct information.
Important Dates
January 20: Club Registration Deadline
Homebrew clubs must be registered with the AHA.
January 28 – February 28*: Entry Registration & Payment
*The registration period has been extended.
Eligible entrants register for the competition and pay for their entries. Entries may be edited after payment until their individual judging site’s edit deadline (typically about one week prior to the receiving date. Please refer to your individual site for details).
February 28: Deadline for Cancelation & Refunds
Changes to categories and specialty info are accepted through March 20, contingent on category availability. Refunds will not be issued for cancelations after this date.
Deadline for Category/Entry Changes – Varies by First Round Site
Changes to categories and specialty info are accepted. The deadline for changes varies based on your individual first round site, and are based on category availability. Please reference your First Round competition registration site for this information (Last bullet on homepage of the Beer Awards Platform registration site for the competition).
March – April: First Round Shipping/Drop-off Window (Dates vary by location)
All competition entries must be received at the entrant’s respective shipping/drop-off location (see your registration site for shipping information)
March-April: First Round Judging
First Round judging takes place at seven locations across the country.
June 2-11: Final Round Shipping/Drop-off Window (Kansas City, Mo.)
All competition entries must be received at the shipping/drop-off location for the Final Round (different from the First Round locations).
June 26-27: Final Round Judging
Final Round competition judging will take place in Kansas City, Mo.
June 28: Award Ceremony at Boulevard Brewing
The awards ceremony will be live streamed via The Brewing Network. In-person attendance is currently only open to Final Round judges who participate in both days of judging.
Step 1: Competition Registration/Payment
AHA members register on the Beer Awards Platform for the First Round site of their choice starting at 10:00 a.m. MST on January 28, 2025. Links to register for First Round locations will be posted to HomebrewersAssociation.org.
First Round Competition Site Selection: Sites will fill on a first-come, first-served basis and are limited to approximately 750 entries per site. Homebrewers do not need to choose the site that is closest to them geographically and can select any site they choose based on availability (choose wisely).
ENTRIES: Entrants must indicate how many entries they would like to submit to the competition and pay for all entries. There is no cap to the number of entries per brewer. If there is the capacity to accommodate additional entries after registration closes, we will notify brewers directly. You may enter more than one beer per category or subcategory. You may NOT enter the same beer more than once anywhere in the competition (that would be weird). You will be able to edit specific beer entry details after payment. NOTE: The competition registration and payment system is an all-inclusive system.
Fill out the registration form in full. Many categories will require you to provide specialty information about your entry—examples include fruits, spices, types of barrels, etc. You will receive a confirmation email with your entry info. You will be able to edit your entry information through your First Round site’s specified entry edit deadline.
It is your responsibility to subscribe to our emails before the registration window closes and monitor your email during this time. Beers may be edited after registration and payment until the shipping window.
Step 2: Entry Confirmation
You will receive a confirmation email after registering and paying for your entries. A $29-per-entry fee is due by credit card upon registering for the competition.
Disclaimer: unpaid registration will result in dismissal from the competition.
Step 3: Beer Editing and Labeling
Log in to your registration for your First Round Competition site at Beer Awards Platform and manage your competition entry information. Make sure all the information is correct. Provide all full names (first and last) of your team (if applicable).
NHC TABLES: Every year, the competition organizes the BJCP Style Guidelines into Tables in a meaningful and manageable way. Review the Table Categories in the “Style Guidelines” section of this site carefully to know which subcategories fall within which NHC Tables. Note: the category list is organized by table number, with the corresponding BCJP category number listed in parentheses. Be sure to include any additional information required for your entry’s subcategory in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines.
HOMEBREW CLUB: Entrants may only choose one homebrew club total for the entirety of the competition. Changing a homebrew club is prohibited after the shipping window closes.
ENTRY LABELS: Entry labels will be available within Beer Awards Platform, in your competition record for your First Round site. Print and attach labels to each bottle for ALL entries using a rubber band only. Labels must be at least 1″ wide and 2.625″ tall.
Entries may be edited through your First Round site’s posted entry edit deadline.
Step 4: Shipping Window
All entries must be received during the shipping window (dates vary by First Round site) at the designated locations for each Judging Center. This information is shown on the front page of the NHC website. If you are unsure, please contact the site organizer for your Judging Center.
Step 5: Feedback & Results
First Round score cards will be sent back to entrants via email, and all brewers advancing to the Final Round of judging will be notified within two weeks of the end of their First Round site’s judging. Advancing brewers will receive additional instructions for sending entries to Final Round judging in Kansas City.
All Final Round entries will receive written, non-numerical scored feedback, which will be emailed the day after the Awards Ceremony. IMPORTANT: All medal winners are required to provide recipe information to be published in Zymurgy magazine.
First Round: Two (2) bottles must be sent to the First Round competition site selected during registration.
Final Round: Three (3) bottles must to be sent directly to the Final Round collection site in Kansas City for any beers advancing to the Final Round of judging. Further instructions are sent after the First Round.
Container Size & Appearance Requirements:
- Large Format (750ml/22oz) bomber bottles and Grolsch/flip-top bottles are not allowed for competition and will be disqualified
- Two (2) 10–14 oz. bottles/cans per entry are preferred. Bottles/cans larger than specified measurements are subject to disqualification.
- Bottles/cans less than 10 oz. are acceptable.
- Bottles/cans must not exceed 9.5″ tall and 2.75″ in diameter, regardless of the amount of liquid the bottle can hold.
- Bottles, cans, and caps must be free from labels, tape, or any identifying marks. Bottles with raised lettering are allowed.
- Entry Labels for each entry must be a minimum of 1.5″×2.625″ and rubber banded to each bottle appropriately.
Bottles/cans not meeting the requirements will be disqualified during the competition.
We do not provide refunds except for extreme and insurmountable circumstances. Entries not being ready for the competition do not fall within extreme and insurmountable circumstances. The refund deadline is February 28, 2025.
We will ask for a recipe if one or more of your entries wins a medal.
Reference the Dates & Deadlines page for information about editing entries. Once you’ve completed the registration and payment for the competition, you can log in and edit your entries through April 1. You must pay for your entries during the registration period to be eligible and maintain your place in the competition.
After the registration and payment window closes, no you cannot delete entries. Only choose the number of entries you expect to ship to your First Round site, as we do not provide refunds unless it is an extreme and insurmountable circumstance. Refund deadline is February 28. After that, you are stuck with your requested entries regardless of whether you ship all of them.
No, sorry.
Your choice! It is your responsibility to enter each entry in the appropriate category and subcategory. Staff of the National Homebrew Competition and the Brewers Association cannot aid homebrewers in this decision. Detailed descriptions of each of the beer styles and subcategories are available via the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines.
For specific information on special ingredients and entry instructions in a subcategory, please reference the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines, find your subcategory, and locate the subheading “Entry Instructions.” This section identifies the required information necessary to judge an entry. The online entry portal will prompt you for the underlying base beer style and for specialty information such as fruit, spices, type of wood, etc. Entries not accompanied by this information will be at a disadvantage during judging.
Tip: keep it simple. When entering entries with ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, or spices, avoid words like extract, puree, fresh, all-natural, or canned—just indicate the ingredient used.
Do not use brand names, geographic names, or any other proper names of special ingredients. To eliminate potential judging bias and to maintain anonymity of entries, any identifying and/or potentially biasing information (positive or negative) will be reviewed and edited for judging at the competition director’s discretion. Only essential ingredient and/or process-focused information pertinent to judging will be provided to judges. (Ex: “My award winning IPA brewed with homegrown blueberries” will be converted to “IPA w/blueberries”, etc.)
All MEAD entries must include sweetness, carbonation, and strength information.
All CIDER entries must include sweetness and carbonation information.
First Round Competition Site Shipping: March – April 2025 (dates vary by First Round site). Please refer to the First Round site you selected during registration. Address details and hours of operation coming soon.
Final Round Competition Shipping: June 2-11. Shipping address coming soon.
This availability varies by location. Please reference the receiving location instructions for your individual First Round or Final Round site. For sites that allow direct drop-off, beers must be packaged safely (e.g. no loose bottles or the like).
It is the entrant’s responsibility to make sure entries arrive on time and are labeled correctly. Please do not use the United States Postal Service (USPS).
- The AHA highly encourages using Spirited Shipper, Whale Pods, or similar for easy-to-use, minimal waste containers. Such packaging cuts down on waste materials and reduces delays in unpacking and sorting.
- Plan on using a national courier. It is best to schedule a pickup from your home or a place of business. Shipments brought directly through UPS or FedEx may get denied, as shipping alcohol is against policy. Indicate “glassware” or “samples” if asked to provide such information.
- Beware of scrutiny with ground shipping.
- Package MUST have “Attn: 2025 NHC” listed on package when delivered.
- Deliver Direct (drop-off): Entrants may deliver their beers directly to their site’s designated drop-off location if one is provided. Not all sites have a drop off-location.
- Arrange for a return receipt or tracking number with your shipping company if you wish to confirm delivery of your package. Shipping/drop-off locations cannot confirm delivery of your entries.
Cost-saving tip: Entrants may consolidate shipments when sending competition beers. This saves time and money! Consider contacting your local homebrew club, homebrew shop, or brewery to discuss options.
Homebrewers located outside the US may ship their entries:
- You may ship using a courier and customs clearance company of your choice, but we recommend a national courier of your country.
- Declare the package as “samples, glassware” with a $0 or $1 value as a gift.
Disclaimer: Some brewers have had trouble with US Customs. The AHA is not responsible for any confiscated, lost, or damaged entries.
If you have further questions, please email info@brewersassociation.org.
Shipping addresses for First Round and Final Round locations will be provided once registration opens.
Ask for a tracking number when you ship! If you do not have a tracking number, do not contact the business of the shipping/drop-off location!
First, second, and third place winners in the First Round with a score of 30 points or greater are awarded ribbons for their achievements and advance to the Final Round of the National Homebrew Competition.
First Round results will be published and Judge Feedback (Comment Cards) will be emailed to entrants within two weeks of the end of judging for your First Round site.
First Round ribbons are sent out to entrants about 30 days after the Final Round judging has finished.
2025 Final Round Medal Winners will receive:
- NHC medal
- Mentioned by name in the National Homebrew Competition press release
- Gold Medal: $100 MoreBeer gift card; winning recipe and photo included in Zymurgy magazine;
- Silver Medal: $50 off Brewers Publication books; name, city, and state included in Zymurgy magazine;
- Bronze Medal: One complimentary entry to the 2025 National Homebrew Competition; name, city, and state included in Zymurgy magazine
Final Round awards will be announced on June 28 via an awards ceremony at Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Mo. This ceremony will be live streamed via The Brewing Network. In-person attendance is open to Final Round judges only.
Results are verified, and winners are posted to HomebrewersAssociation.org after the award ceremony concludes in late June/early July (details TBD). All results will be posted by no later than three days after the award ceremony.
Gold Medal: A world-class beer that accurately exemplifies the specified style, displaying the proper balance of taste, aroma, and appearance.
Silver Medal: An excellent beer that may vary slightly from style parameters while maintaining close adherence to the style and displaying excellent taste, aroma, and appearance.
Bronze Medal: A fine example of the style that may vary slightly from style parameters while still displaying quality taste, aroma, and appearance.
Each entry that wins a medal will receive one medal. Additional medals may be purchased. Visit the Foxy Designs website for more information.
Please visit our medal designer’s website to place a duplicate medal order. Duplicate medals are $50 including shipping.
2025 Major Award winners will receive:
- National Homebrew Competition Grand Prize Trophy
- Free Great American Beer Festival ticket(s) (one ticket for individual brewer winners, up to four max for winning clubs)
- Photo in Zymurgy magazine feature story on NHC Major Awards
- The 2025 Homebrew Club Of the Year Award winner receives $500 cash prize for their club!
Major awards include: American Homebrewers Association Homebrewer of the Year, American Homebrewers Association Homebrew Club of the Year, Gambrinus Club, American Homebrewers Association Meadmaker of the Year, and the American Homebrewers Association Cidermaker of the Year
Clubs are awarded points based on the number of gold (six points), silver (four points), and bronze (two points) medals won in the Final Round. Entrants must maintain the same club in the First Round and Final Round. In the event of a tie, tiebreaker criteria will determine a winner. The tiebreaking system is as follows:
- Most club entries advancing to Final Round
- Most total entries in First Round advancing categories
- Most total first round entries in Gold Medal category(ies)
Clubs are awarded points based on the number of gold (six points), silver (four points), and bronze (two points) medals won in the Final Round. The winner is determined by total Final Round entry points awarded divided by total number of entrants in the Final Round. To be eligible, clubs must have at least five club members entering the First Round, and at least two club members advancing to and one (1) placing in the Final Round. In the event of a tie, tiebreaker criteria will determine a winner. The tiebreaking system is as follows:
- Number of club entries advancing to Final Round, divided by total number of First Round club entries.
- Most total entries in First Round advancing categories
- Most total first round entries in Gold Medal category(ies)
First-place winning entries in all of the beer NHC Tables will compete in Best-of-Table (BOT) judging. The Best-of-Table beer determines this award.
First-place winning entries in all the mead NHC Tables will compete in Best-of-Table (BOT) judging. The Best-of-Table mead determines this award.
First-place winning entries in all the cider NHC Tables will compete in Best-of-Table (BOT) judging. The Best-of-Table cider determines this award.
Homebrewers are awarded points based on the number of gold (six points), silver (four points), and bronze (two points) medals won in the Final Round. Entrants must have at least one entry place in NHC beer table categories to be eligible. In the event of a tie, tiebreaker criteria will determine a winner. The tiebreaking system is as follows:
- Most entries advancing to Final Round
- Most total entries in First Round advancing categories
- Most total first round entries in Gold Medal category(ies)
For any award or other honor, including the major awards, the homebrewer(s) identified on the registration application determine which person and which homebrew club is awarded points. Individual members of a group of brewers earn points as a group and do not earn points on an individual basis. Points and awards are not transferable.
Entrants may choose only one homebrew club to affiliate themselves with. All points earned by the individual will go to the affiliated club for the major club awards. The affiliated club is finalized on April 1. Any change afterward will not be honored.
Yes, we renumber the entries once they arrive at the competition with a judging ID. These numbers are different than your entry IDs which is the number that printed out on your bottle labels and the number you’ll find next to each entry in your brewer profile. If you feel you received the incorrect comment sheets, please email info@brewersassociation.org with your judging number from the comment sheets you received.
The NHC Tables are determined using the Beer Judge Certification Program’s 2021 Style Guidelines and previous years’ data. The following is a list of NHC Tables and the BJCP subcategories (listed in parentheses to the left of each style category).
“ * ” Indicates additional judging information (base style, special Ingredients, etc) required.
Table 1: Pale American Beer
- American Light Lager (1A)
- American Lager (1B)
- Cream Ale (1C)
Table 2: Pale European Beer
- International Pale Lager (2A)*
- German Leichtbier (5A)
- Kolsch (5B)
- German Helles Exportbier (5C)
- Historical: Kellerbier (27A1)*
Table 3: Pale Lager
- Czech Pale Lager (3A)
- Czech Premium Pale Lager (3B)
- Historical: Pre-Prohibition Lager (27A6)
- New Zealand Pilsner (X5)
Table 4: German Pilsner (5D)
Table 5: Pale Malty European Beer
- Munich Helles (4A)
- Festbier (4B)
- Helles Bock (4C)
Table 6: Amber European Beer
- International Amber Lager (2B)
- Czech Amber Lager (3C)
- Marzen (6A)
- Vienna Lager (7A)
- Altbier (7B)
Table 7: Dark European Lager
- International Dark Lager (2C)
- Czech Dark Lager (3D)
- Munich Dunkel (8A)
- Schwarzbier (8B)
Table 8: American Wheat & Blonde
- American Wheat Beer (1D)
- Blonde Ale (18A)
- Dorada Pampeana (X1)
Table 9: German Wheat & Rye Beer
- Weissbier (10A)
- Dunkles Weissbier (10B)
- Weizenbock (10C)*
- Historical: Roggenbier (27A8)
- Historical: Sahti (27A9)
Table 10: Pale British Ale
- Ordinary Bitter (11A)
- Best Bitter (11B)
- Strong Bitter (11C)
- British Golden Ale (12A)
- Australian Sparkling Ale (12B)
- English IPA (12C)
Table 11: Scottish & Irish Ale
- Scottish Light (14A)
- Scottish Heavy (14B)
- Scottish Export (14C)
- Irish Red Ale (15A)
Table 12: American Pale Ale (18B)
Table 13: Amber & Brown American Ale
- American Amber Ale (19A)
- California Common (19B)
- American Brown Ale (19C)
- Historical: Kentucky Common (27A2)
Table 14: Brown British Beer
- Dark Mild (13A)
- British Brown Ale (13B)
- English Porter (13C)
- Historical: London Brown Ale (27A4)
Table 15: Irish & British Stout
- Irish Stout (15B)
- Irish Extra Stout (15C)
- Sweet Stout (16A)
- Oatmeal Stout (16B)
- Tropical Stout (16C)
- Foreign Extra Stout (16D)
Table 16: American Porter & Stout
- American Porter (20A)
- American Stout (20B)
- Historical: Pre-Prohibition Porter (27A7)
Table 17: American IPA (21A)
Table 18: Specialty IPA
- Specialty IPA (21B)*
- Belgian IPA (21B1)*
- Black IPA (21B2)
- Brown IPA (21B3)
- Brut IPA (21B7)
- Red IPA (21B4)
- Rye IPA (21B5)
- White IPA (21B6)*
- IPA Argenta (X2)
Table 19: Hazy IPA (21C)
Table 20: Strong American Ale
- Double IPA (22A)
- American Strong Ale (22B)
- American Barleywine (22C)
- Wheatwine (22D)
Table 21: Strong European Lager
- Dunkles Bock (6C)
- Doppelbock (9A)*
- Eisbock (9B)
Table 22: Strong British Ale
- British Strong Ale (17A)*
- Old Ale (17B)
- Wee Heavy (17C)
- English Barleywine (17D)
Table 23: Imperial Porter & Stout
- Baltic Porter (9C)
- Imperial Stout (20C)
Table 24: Saison (25B)*
Table 25: Belgian Ale
- Witbier (24A)
- Belgian Pale Ale (24B)
- Biere de Garde (24C)*
- Belgian Blond Ale (25A)
- Belgian Single (26A)
Table 26: Strong Belgian Ale
- Belgian Golden Strong Ale (25C)
- Belgian Dubbel (26B)
- Belgian Tripel (26C)
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale (26D)
Table 27: European Sour Ale
- Berliner Weisse (23A)
- Flanders Red Ale (23B)
- Oud Bruin (23C)
- Lambic (23D)
- Gueuze (23E)
- Fruit Lambic (23F)*
- Gose (23G)
Table 28: Fruit Beer*
- Fruit Beer (29A)*
- Specialty Fruit Beer (29C)*
- Fruit & Spice Beer (29B)*
- Grape Ale (29D)*
- Catharina Sour (X4)*
Table 29: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer Beer*
- Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A)*
Table 30: Specialty & Seasonal Spiced Beer*
- Specialty Spiced Beer (30D)*
- Autumn Seasonal Beer (30B)*
- Winter Seasonal Beer (30C)*
Table 31: Smoke-Flavored Beer
- Rauchbier (6B)
- Historical: Lichtenhainer (27A3)
- Historical: Piwo Grodziskie (27A5)
- Classic-Style Smoked Beer (32A)*
- Specialty Smoked Beer (32B)*
Table 32: Wood-Aged Beer*
- Wood-Aged Beer (33A)*
- Specialty Wood-Aged (33B)*
Table 33: American Wild Ale*
- Brett Beer (28A)*
- Mixed Fermentation Sour Beer (28B)*
- Wild Specialty Beer (28C)*
- Straight Sour Beer (28D)*
Table 34: Specialty Beer*
- Other Historical Beer (27A)*
- Alternative Grain Beer (31A)*
- Alternative Sugar Beer (31B)*
- Commercial Specialty Beer (34A)*
- Mixed-Style Beer (34B)*
- Experimental Beer (34C)*
Table 35: Traditional Mead
- Dry Mead (M1A)*
- Semi-Sweet Mead (M1B)*
- Sweet Mead (M1C)*
Table 36: Fruit Mead
- Cyser (M2A)*
- Pyment (M2B)*
- Melomel (M2E)*
- Berry Mead (M2C)*
- Stone Fruit Mead (M2D)*
Table 37: Spice Mead
- Fruit & Spice Mead (M3A)*
- Spice, Herb or Vegetable Mead Count (M3B)*
Table 38: Specialty Mead
- Braggot (M4A)*
- Historical Mead (M4B)*
- Experimental Mead (M4C)*
Table 39: Standard Cider & Perry*
- New World Cider (C1A)*
- New World Perry (C1D)*
- English Cider (C1B)*
- French Cider (C1C)*
- Traditional Perry (C1E)*
Table 40: Specialty Cider & Perry*
- New England Cider (C2A)*
- Applewine (C2C)*
- Ice Cider (C2D)*
- Specialty Cider/Perry (C2F)*
- Cider with Herbs/Spices (C2E)*
- Cider with Other Fruit (C2B)*