When my husband and I began homebrewing fifteen years ago, we lived in a small town and didn’t know anybody else who brewed. Friends’ reactions to the news that we were homebrewers usually were panicked gazes that plainly said: PLEASE DON’T MAKE US DRINK IT. That was back when dial-up modems were still a thing, and we had to drive three hours to get to the closest homebrew store. After having two babies back-to-back we hung up our homebrew caps for a few years, since growing babies was more of a priority than propagating yeast.
Things changed quickly. We moved to a bigger city, dial-up Internet gave way to DSL, and our kids no were no longer quite as dependent on us 24/7. So we dusted off the homebrew kit, drove fifteen minutes to the closest homebrew supply store, and got back to work. Back then we were doing extract kits (and we still do from time to time—they’re fun!) and fumbled our way around things, which wasn’t altogether bad, but it was a bit…lonely.
Soon we discovered several other friends who brewed, and most of them worked with my husband. We started getting together for brew days, and before we knew it, we were all growing as brewers and upgrading from extract kits to all-grain gravity systems (yay for high ceilings in the garage!). With the Internet bringing so much instant knowledge to our fingertips, we were able to learn new techniques and fix problems, and soon our batches became pretty good. Also, our friends no longer panic when they hear we brew—they ask when they can come hang out with our keg-o-rater. Not us, mind you. Our beer.
Our group of brewing friends started a yearly gathering where we taste each other’s best batches and rate them. We also have fun chatting about our methods, our madness, and our catastrophes. The winner takes home an old bottle capper we spray painted gold (they go to PetSmart to engrave a name plate for the trophy) and, of course, bragging rights. The parties have steadily grown in size over the years, and because they’ve been such a staple in our brewing, I’d like to share some tips on how to host a homebrew competition with your friends.
Send out invitations months in advance
Sending out invitations a few months ahead gives your friends time to start planning their brews. If you wait until four weeks beforehand, you’re going to get very little participation and batches that probably aren’t ready for prime time. Two months before the party, send a reminder that you’re looking forward to seeing everybody and to get rocking on their brews. Then follow up a month before with a formal invitation, so they can sign up for a potluck dinner (we have several friends in our group who own smokers, so it’s evolved into a beer and BBQ event!) and to get RSVPs.
Have tasting supplies on hand
Every year we host, we remind attendees to bring a 4-ounce tasting cup, to label their beer, and to bring a small, ice-filled cooler to keep the beer cold. Most of the time people forget one or all of the above so we end up raiding our own house to help them out. So I suggest you order disposable 5-ounce cups, a set of Avery address labels, and have your own large coolers with bags of ice…just in case. It’s a small extra expense, but it’ll save lots of hassle and allow you to relax.
Come up with a scoring system
One year we decided to get fancy. We’d attended a beer tasting event at a local liquor store, and thought, “Hey, wouldn’t our friends just love this?” We came up with a scoring sheet similar to what the pro beer tasters use, printed them out, and were excited to see what we’d all learn about the partygoers’ beers that night.
Total disaster. For the most part, people enjoyed the sheet, but weren’t quite sure how to actually use it. They’d have a favorite beer in mind, but after scoring it and adding up the points, the beer wouldn’t place as well as they thought it would. Some people ranked the beers in order of how much they liked them, skipping over the aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel scores.
We realized we’d gone about things the wrong way. What mattered was not being pro beer tasters, but actually enjoying the beer and having a great time. Know your audience—if your friends are definitely into more detailed scoring, great. If not, tailor your system to make it work for them. We created a simple score sheet with rankings and room to make notes. Easy peasy.
Don’t forget your designated drivers
While your designated drivers in attendance might be able to have a little bit of beer, you don’t want them to feel left out the rest of the night. Come up with an arsenal of DD drinks that aren’t water. Have on hand a variety of sparkling waters, sodas, juices, and more. If it’s in your budget, thank them for being so awesome by giving them small gift certificates for the homebrew store. They are the unsung heroes of the night, so don’t put them in a corner. Nobody puts the DDs in a corner.
We’d love to hear more about your own homebrew competition tips. Feel free to share them in the comments!