If you are willing to judge or steward, please return to register on or after Wednesday, July 1, 2026 8:00 AM, EDT.

Competition Rules

🌿 Welcome to To the Bitter End

This AHA and BJCP sanctioned Mini-MASH competition celebrates beers where hop aroma, hop flavor, and hop bitterness take center stage. Whether your passion is crisp noble bitterness, classic English character, modern American hop bombs, or Southern Hemisphere hop expression, this competition is for you.

Judging will be conducted using the 2021 BJCP Style Guidelines and is limited to the following styles:

Specialty Categories

The following specialty categories are also accepted provided the declared base beer is one of the eligible styles listed:

• 29A Fruit Beer
• 29B Fruit and Spice Beer
• 29C Specialty Fruit Beer
• 30A Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
• 30C Winter Seasonal Beer
• 30D Specialty Spice Beer
• 33A Wood-Aged Beer
• 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer

Entries submitted to one of these specialty categories with an ineligible base style will be fully judged and receive scoresheets, but will not be eligible for awards.

All entries must be handcrafted products made by amateur brewers using ingredients available to the general public and brewed on private equipment.

Entries must be shipped via UPS, FedEx, DHL, USPS, or another commercial carrier. Hand-delivered entries will not be accepted.

All entries must arrive by the published shipping deadline. Please allow adequate transit time. Late, damaged, or missing shipments cannot be accepted.

The competition organizers reserve the right to combine judging tables as necessary. Entries will always be judged according to the style in which they were entered.

Qualified judging is our highest priority. Every flight will include at least one BJCP judge whenever possible. Larger flights may be split using a mini-Best of Show round before final placements are awarded.

The judges will follow the hops...

...To the Bitter End.

Entry Acceptance Rules

🍺 What Can I Enter?

Each entry must consist of capped or corked bottles with no identifying information on the bottle itself. Printed caps are acceptable but must be completely blacked out.

Brown 12 oz bottles are preferred, although green, clear, swing-top, and corked bottles are all acceptable.

Brewers may enter multiple beers, but only one entry per BJCP subcategory.

Please complete your entry forms carefully, especially for Specialty IPA entries that require additional information.

Entries outside the accepted style list will not be accepted.

Bottles will not be returned.

Whether you're chasing crisp noble bitterness or enough dry hops to fumigate your neighborhood, we look forward to judging your beer.

Entry Fees

$15.00 (USD) per entry.

Entry Limits

Entry Limit:

150

Entry Limit – Paid:

100

Entry Limits Per Participant

Entry Limit Per Participant:

5

Per Style Entry Limit:

1

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 2021 / 2025 Styles Accepted

Indicates that the style's entry limit has been reached and no more entries of that style will be accepted.

Shipping Info

Entry bottles accepted at our shipping location Friday, October 23, 2026 8:00 PM, EDT — Friday, November 6, 2026 7:00 PM, EST.

Ship entries to:

Paul Jones
26 Dartmouth Rd, West Orange NJ, 07052

Packing and Shipping

📦 Ship It Like You Mean It

Carefully package your entries in a sturdy shipping box.

• Line the inside with a plastic bag.
• Wrap each bottle individually using bubble wrap.
• Avoid packing bottles so tightly that they place pressure on one another.
• Clearly mark the outside of the package:
  FRAGILE — THIS SIDE UP

Place each bottle label inside its own small zip-top bag before attaching it to the bottle. This allows organizers to identify damaged entries if breakage occurs during shipping.

Every reasonable effort will be made to contact entrants whose bottles are damaged in transit so replacement bottles may be arranged if time permits.

Remember:

A broken bottle has zero IBUs.

Judging Sessions

Dan's Garage 1
Friday, November 13, 2026 10:07 AM, EST through Friday, November 13, 2026 1:00 PM, EST
Pickup / Dropoff

Dan's Garage 2
Friday, November 13, 2026 1:00 PM, EST through Friday, November 13, 2026 11:00 PM, EST
pickup/dropoff

AM 1 Judging
Saturday, November 14, 2026 9:00 AM, EST

AM 2 Judging
Saturday, November 14, 2026 1:00 PM, EST

BOS Judging
Saturday, November 14, 2026 3:00 PM, EST

Awards

🏆 To the Bitter End

Awards will be presented after judging has concluded.

Judges may award First, Second, and Third Place within each judging table. However, at their discretion, places may be withheld if entries do not meet the expected standard of quality.

The First Place beer from each table will advance to a single Best of Show round, where one overall champion will be selected.

This is a remote competition. Awards will be shipped to recipients following the event.

Digital scoresheets will be available through the BCOEM competition website after judging has concluded.

Only one beer can make it...

...To the Bitter End.

Awards Ceremony

Paul's Boutique
Morristown NJ
Saturday, November 14, 2026 7:00 PM, EST