Make the Cut registration is OPEN!

For registration and complete contest information, visit:

http://www.makethecut.beer/

2015 Video:

From: http://www.makethecut.beer/

Can You Make The Cut?

The Beverage Warehouse and 14th Star Brewing Company have created a homebrew competition with the goal of giving an aspiring Vermont home brewer the chance to see if their homebrew can compete commercially.

Last year 300 Vermont homebrewers submitted their brews to be judged by a panel of professional beer judges along with hand selected members of the beer industry, local media, and fans of craft beer.This year, we’re doing it all again!

We are accepting 300 entries to be judged this year. Two finalists will be selected by the judges to brew a limited 120gal batch of their beer at 14th Star Brewing, which will then be sold in tasting pairs at participating Vermont craft beer meccas along with a ballot for public voting.

The winner of the 2016 Make The Cut Homebrew Challenge will be presented with a check for $1,000 from The Beverage Warehouse and be invited to brew a production sized batch of their winning beer at 14th Star Brewing Company (while maintaining rights to their recipe).

Their beer will launched to the public the week of the Vermont Brewers Festival and will be available on tap at select bars and restaurants, as well as in cans at local craft beer stores statewide.

Do you and your homebrew have what it takes?
Click here to register.

Our 2015 Winner!

Congratulations Brett Seymour!

Look for Brett’s 2015 Make The Cut winning submission, Salute Your Schwarz, currently on tap and in cans at your favorite craft beer locations throughout Vermont.
Check out all the finalists from the 2015 Make The Cut competition

“You just can’t put a monetary figure for this kind of an opportunity, we are going to allow you to test your dream of making this a professional reality.”Jennifer Swiatek – Beverage Warehouse

We have partnered with some great people and places to make this competition possible.

Contest Rules & Regulations

General

Competition is open to Vermont residents over 21 only. Proof of residence and age will be required of finalists.
Open to anyone not currently brewing professionally or owners of breweries. Administrative staff, sales people, etc employed at brewing companies are eligible, provided they are not involved in brewing/cellaring.
Only one entry recipe per individual/team.
Competition is open to all styles, however brewers should make note of the competitions timelines. (ie, a year-long barrel aged beer is out of the scope of the competition)
Portions of the contest will be filmed. By accepting the terms of the contest, you authorize Beverage Warehouse and 14th Star to use your likeness in promotional material.

Registration

Registration fee is $10. Half of all fees will be donated to Purple Hearts Reunited, the remaining fees will be donated to the charity of the winner’s choice and $300 to the runners up selected charity.
Due to limited space registration fees are non-refundable, but you can feel good knowing your money will be put to good use by a charity!
Registration is capped at 300 entries, one entry per person.
After two weeks of open registration, if all 300 spots have not been taken, registered homberewers will be allowed a chance to submit a second entry (for an additional entry fee).

Entry Submission

6 12oz or 3 22oz bottles of your homebrew must be hand delivered to 14th Star Brewing, 133 North Main St #7, St Albans VT 05478 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on February 12th and 13th, 2016. Entries brought in before hand will not be considered. All entries will must have proper submission form (provided to all those who register) and recipe enclosed to be considered.
Any mailed entries will be returned to sender, if possible, or destroyed without judging.
Bottles should be submitted without a label or identifying mark, aside from the provided submission form and recipe.
Recipes must include, at a minimum:
- Grain bill
- Hop schedule
- Yeast used
- Adjuncts/other ingredients
- Mash temp/time/type/steps/water volume, etc
- Sparge time/temp/water volume etc
- Fermentation times/temps/steps, etc
- Source of water: Tap, bottled, spring, snow, sap, rain, etc
- Brewing salt additions/filtration methods
- Brewing water chemistry, if known.

Judging & Prizes

Judging will consist of scoring for beer style (BJCP) as well as a commerciality/marketability component. Remember, the focus of the competition is finding a homebrewer who is producing beer that can compete in the open, commercial market.
Scoresheets for all beers will be available upon request, following the judging.
The monetary grand prize of this contest is $1,000.00 from the Beverage Warehouse. The winner will also get to choose a charity for which proceeds from half the entry fees will go to. The Brewer shall earn no monies from sales of the product. Majority value in this competition lie in the exposure of their product.