Everything You Need to Know about the Canada Beer Cup

The Canada Beer Cup is an annual event launched by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association that celebrates the best in Canadian craft beer. The event is open to all independent Canadian breweries, and a panel of beer experts judges the competition. The winning brewery that tops the highest score as "Best in Show" beer is awarded the coveted Canada Beer Cup trophy.

The Canadian Beer Cup is an important event for the Canadian craft beer industry, as it provides a platform for independent breweries from coast to coast to showcase their products to international and the country's top beer experts.

How the Canada Beer Cup Works

The Canada Beer Cup is an annual event that celebrates the best of Canadian craft beer from independent Canadian breweries.

The Categories

This competition presents 70 style categories, such as the new Canadian Style Beer, where craft brewers are challenged to create and submit a uniquely Canadian-style beer based on the process, style, ingredients, and other unique elements.

The International Judges

The competition is judged by a panel of beer experts from across the country, including international judges coming from the UK, Europe, and the US, who will evaluate each beer on its aroma, appearance, flavour, and mouthfeel.

The Cup Trophy

The Canada Beer Cup trophy is a highly coveted prize among Canadian breweries. The trophy will be awarded to an independent brewery that produces the best Canadian craft beer, called the "Best in Show", as determined by a panel of international beer experts. Anyone who entered any style category is eligible to win the Canada Beer Cup trophy.

The Proceeds

The competition is made for the Canadian craft beer industry and made for the same industry. So all proceeds will go to the Canadian Craft Brewers Association to support the various craft breweries across the country.

What Are the Rules of the Canada Beer Cup

The Canada Beer Cup is an event that pits breweries from across the country against each other in a battle for beer supremacy.

Brewer Eligibility

To be eligible for the competition, a brewery should:

• licensed to brew beer by territorial or provincial authority;
• have a valid Canadian excise duty license;
• be at least 75% owned in Canada; and
• brewed less than 400,000 hectolitres of beer in 2021.

Beer Entries

To be eligible for the Canada Beer Cup, a brewery may submit:

• enter any number of beers they wish to enter into the competition;
• enter any number of beers in a single style group;
• enter beers in cans, bottles or growlers; and
• enter each beer in only one style group (except for the Feature category, which can be entered in a different style).

Beer Eligibility

To have an eligible Canada Beer cup entry, the beer should be:

• commercially available or formerly commercially available in bottles, cans, kegs, taps or on growlers; and
• the brand, name and formula must be owned by the submitting brewery.

What Are the Criteria and How Are the Beer Entries Judged

Once the beers have been received, they are assessed by a panel of judges. Each beer is judged on its own merits and objectively using a pointing system.

The judging standards will adhere to the style guidelines and will check the balance, creativity and character of the beers within the Style.

The winning brewery in each category is awarded a gold medal, and the second and third-place breweries are awarded silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The category winners will then move up to the final judging to determine which craft beer will be awarded the coveted Canada Beer Cup!

Conclusion

The Canada Beer Cup is an annual event that celebrates the best beers in the country. The competition is not just about winning, but it's also about promoting Canadian beer and celebrating the hard work and creativity of our brewers. So even if your beer doesn't come out on top, you can still take pride in knowing that you're helping to put Canada on the map as a craft beer destination.

Steel City Tap offers a variety of services for breweries, distributors, and beer bars, from custom tap handles and keg collars to custom stickers and taps. We also had the honour of creating the trophies for the Canadian Beer Cup. The brewing industry is constantly evolving, and we are always looking for new ways to help our clients stand out. Let us help you grow your business and make your mark in this industry! Contact us today to get started!