Hudson Valley Homebrewers Winter Competition
Entries
Judging
Entry Registration
Account Registration
Judge Registration
Steward Registration
Entry Drop-Off
Entry Shipping
Rules
If you are willing to judge or steward, please return to register on or after Tuesday, September 1, 2026 12:00 AM, EDT.
ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
This is a themed competition for dark & spicy beers, meads, and ciders. Please take note of accepted styles as they are limited. All spiced entries should be of winter spices and will be judged accordingly.
Any wood beers should be from the allowed categories.
NO ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED ON DAY OF THE COMPETITION!!!
All entries must be received within the designated drop-off window dates/times at one of the designated drop-off locations.
Sorry for the inconvience this year to all our judges, stewards and volunteers. Organizing has become increasingly more difficult over the years. In order to maintain the integrity of this event we need all participant's entries to be received by the time the drop-off window ends. Thank you for your cooperation.
This competition is AHA sanctioned and open to any amateur homebrewer age 21 or older.
All mailed entries must received at the mailing location by the entry deadline - please allow for shipping time.
All entries will be picked up from drop-off locations the day of the entry deadline.
All entries must be handcrafted products, containing ingredients available to the general public, and made using private equipment by hobbyist brewers (i.e., no use of commercial facilities or Brew on Premises operations, supplies, etc.).
The competition organizers are not responsible for mis-categorized entries, mailed entries that are not received by the entry deadline, or entries that arrived damaged.
The competition organizers reserve the right to combine styles for judging and to restructure awards as needed depending upon the quantity and quality of entries.
Qualified judging of all entries is the primary goal of our event. Judges will evaluate and score each entry. The average of the scores will rank each entry in its category. Each flight will have at least one BJCP judge.
Brewers are not limited to one entry in each category or sub-category as long as the beers are from different brewing sessions.
Categories with a small number of entries may be combined at the discretion of the competition organizers. The Competition Coordinator or other qualified person will review elements of beer categories and styles with each panel prior to judging.
The Best of Show judging will be determined by a Blue Ribbon Panel based on a second judging of the top winners.
Bottles will not be returned to entrants.
Entry Acceptance Rules
Each entry will consist of TWO 12 to 22 ounce cans, capped bottles or corked bottles that are void of all identifying information, including labels. Printed caps are allowed, but must be blacked out completely.
12oz brown glass bottles are preferred; however, green and clear glass or plastic will be accepted with the understanding that color can affect storage quality. Swing top bottles, corked bottles and cans will also be accepted.
Bottles will not be returned to contest entrants.
Completed entry forms must be submitted with all entries, and can be printed directly from this website. Entry forms should be attached to bottles with a rubber band only; glue and/or tape are unacceptable.
Please fill out the entry forms completely. Be meticulous about noting any special ingredients that must be specified per the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines. Failure to note such ingredients may impact the judges' scoring of your entry.
Brewers are not limited to one entry in each category.
Entry Info
Pay Entry Fees
After creating your account and adding your entries to the system, you must pay your entry fee(s). Accepted payment methods are:
- Credit/debit card and e-check, via PayPal
BJCP 2015 / 2021 Styles Accepted
Indicates that the style's entry limit has been reached and no more entries of that style will be accepted.
| 2C International Dark Lager | 3D Czech Dark Lager | 6B Rauchbier |
| 6C Dunkels Bock | 8B Schwarzbier | 9C Baltic Porter |
| 13A Dark Mild | 13C English Porter | 15B Irish Stout |
| 15C Irish Extra Stout | 16A Sweet Stout | 16B Oatmeal Stout |
| 20A American Porter | 20B American Stout | 20C Imperial Stout |
| 21B Specialty IPA | 26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale | 27A7 Pre-Prohibition Porter |
| 29B Fruit and Spice Beer | 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer | 30B Autumn Seasonal Beer |
| 30C Winter Seasonal Beer | 30D Specialty Spice Beer | 33A Wood-Aged Beer |
| 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | C2E Cider with Herbs/Spices | M3A Fruit and Spice Mead |
| M3B Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Mead |
Entry Delivery
Entry bottles accepted at our drop-off locations Thursday, October 1, 2026 12:00 AM, EDT — Saturday, October 31, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT.
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.
Club Members Only Option (*You Can Bring To Sorting Day Saturday, Aug 24th)
To Be Announced at Club Meeting
6467610534
**Your entries must be registered and bottle labels printed BEFORE registration window closes!
Shipping Info
Entry bottles accepted at our shipping location Thursday, October 1, 2026 12:00 AM, EDT — Saturday, October 31, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT.
Ship entries to:
Please contact Ellen Chadwick in contacts for shipping address
TBD
Packing and Shipping
Carefully pack your entries in a sturdy box. Line the inside of your carton with a plastic trash bag. Partition and pack each bottle with adequate packaging material. Please do not over pack!
Write clearly: Fragile. This Side Up. on the package. Please only use bubble wrap as your packing material.
Enclose each of your bottle labels in a small zip-top bag before attaching to their respective bottles. This way it makes it possible for the organizer to identify specifically which entry has broken if there is damage during shipment.
Every reasonable effort will be made to contact entrants whose bottles have broken to make arrangements for sending replacement bottles.
Judging Sessions
HVHB Winter Competition Main Event AM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 8:30 AM, EDT
PreJudging AM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 8:30 AM, EDT through Saturday, October 31, 2026 6:00 PM, EDT
TBD
PreJudging PM
Saturday, October 31, 2026 12:30 PM, EDT through Saturday, October 31, 2026 12:00 PM, EDT
TBD
HVHB Winter Competition
Saturday, October 31, 2026 1:00 PM, EDT
Best of Show
There will be a "Best of Show" award this year.
Best of Show: TBD
May the best brewer win! Good Luck!
Note: Awards are subject to change.
Awards
The awards ceremony will take place once judging is completed. Results will be posted on this website as well as scoresheets uploaded to your profile. Awards will be mailed.
Places may be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category/table.
The 1st place entry in each category will advance to the Best of Show (BOS) round with a single, overall Best of Show beer selected.
Cider and Mead Best of Show (BOS) will be combined together but separate from beer.
Awards Ceremony
TBD
Saturday, October 31, 2026 3:00 PM, EDT
Volunteers
Judges and Stewards
If you are willing to judge or steward, please return to register on or after Tuesday, September 1, 2026 12:00 AM, EDT.
Staff
If you would like to volunteer to be a competition staff member, please register or update your account to indicate that you wish to be a part of the competition staff.
Sponsors
Contact
Use the form below to contact a competition official. All fields with a star are required.