Prize Lineup Announced for TBW Home Brew Contest

 
Toronto Beer Week’s Home Brew Contest is truly extraordinary and unconventional in terms of the relaxed rules that we apply to encourage entries, how we judge the beers and for the prize lineup that we will be offering to winning  brewers this year– thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, participating craft breweries and key industry suppliers.  Although some details are still being finalized, and the prize categories will ultimately be tailored to respond to the categories of beers that do well in the first round of judging,  here’s what we can tell you:

• Spearhead Brewing Company, as Official Sponsor of the TBW Home Brew Contest is offering a “best of show” prize to the brewer who has submitted a beer that is, in the opinion of the judges, truly exceptional.

The prize that Spearhead is offering consists of an opportunity to be special VIP guests of Spearhead Brewing Company at the 2012 Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego, including CBC registration, transportation and hotel accommodation.  The winning brewer will also be offered an opportunity to be Spearhead’s guest at their brewing site during a brew day. 

• The Amsterdam Brewing Company, brewer of last year’s best of show, Teichert Smoked Porter, is again offering to brew and release one of the winning beer categories with the winning brewer.

• Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company is joining the contest this year and is offering to brew an organic version of one of the winning beer categories with the winning brewer at their brewery in Vankleek Hill, and release the beer.

• The Granite Brewery released the winning Beer from the Southern Ontario Brewers “Plan it at the Granite” Contest during last year’s Toronto Beer Week.  This year the Granite will be offering to brew one of the winning ale categories with the winning brewer.  The brewer will  have the opportunity to join Ron Keefe during the brew session as “Brewer for the Day” .

• Great Lakes Brewery is offering the opportunity to brew one of the winning beer categories with the winning brewer their pilot system.  Great Lakes will release the winning beer as part of their illustrious Project “X” series.

• We are also planning to offer additional prizes from participating breweries, such as gift certificates, gift packs, swag, goodies from Bob Latimer at Beer Wine and Filter, gift certificates from Randy at Canadian Homebrew Supplies in Brampton, offerings from Taps Magazine, and other prizes that we will offer at random to brewers of high placing beers!  Just one caveat though:  Aside from Spearhead’s Best of Show Prize trip to the Craft Brewers Conference, transportation and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending a participating brewery for a guest brew day are the responsibility of the winning brewer. 

We don’t know of any other Home Brew Contests that can match TBW’s Home Brew Contest awesome prize lineup that will be available to the winning brewers.  So brewers, fire up your kettles and give us your best! 

The Home Brew Contest rules and entry forms are available by clicking here.

The deadline for receipt of entries is Friday September 9th at 9pm!