This October, home brewers throughout Montana (and beyond) will have the opportunity to square off in Montana’s first* statewide home brew competition. A cooperative effort of Missoula’s Zoo City Zymurgists, Bozeman’s Bridger Brew Crew, and Billing’s Rimrock Brewers Guild, local home brew clubs, the 1st Annual Montana Mashup Competition will be held in Bozeman on October 19 and 20, 2013.
Bozeman’s Bridger Brewing Co. is hosting the competition and has also donated the grand prize – the opportunity to brew the champion home brew on a pro level at Bridger (limited to Montana residents). Bozeman Brewing Co. and 406 Brewing Co. are also donating prizes and helping with expenses to get the event off the ground.
Beer styles for the competition are:
6. LIGHT HYBRID
9. SCOTTISH AND IRISH ALE
13. STOUT
14. IPA
15. GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER
16. BELGIAN AND FRENCH ALE
18. BELGIAN STRONG ALE
22. SMOKE-FLAVORED/WOOD-AGED BEER
23. SPECIALTY BEER
The number preceding the style corresponds to the BJCP Style guidelines.
The idea for the Montana Mashup Competition started with a little friendly smack talk between Carl Spurgeon of the Zoo City Zymurgists and Jake Holshue of the Rimrock Brewers Guild about who brewed the best beer in the state.
Entry fees are $8.00 for the first entry and $3.00 for each entry after that. There is no limit on the number ofentries. The entry deadline is October 10, 2013, so you’ve still got time to whip up an award winning beer. Entries will be received at Bridger Brewing Co. in Bozeman and local home brew clubs are also organizing drop off points to help get your entries to the competition. You’ll need to fill out a bottle ID form to include with your entry fee (and three bottles of beer for each entry). The form is available here.
Organizers Jesse Bussard and Scott McCormick of the Bridger Brew Crew have put the call out for judges, additional sponsors, and more prizes. If you are a certified BJCP judge (or are working on it), or would like to sponsor or donate prizes, they’d love to hear from you. Send questions to [email protected]. There is also a facebook event page for the competition here.
Watch for more announcements as we get closer to the event.
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* As far as I know.
