5 categories of styles (BJCP 2021 Guidelines*)
- 🌾 Lawnmower Beers These are highly drinkable, refreshing styles usually characterized by lower alcohol content and a clean finish.
- 1A. American Light Lager: Highly carbonated, very light-bodied, nearly flavorless lager designed to be consumed very cold. Very low malt and hop presence.
- 1B. American Lager: A very pale, highly carbonated, light-bodied, well-attenuated lager. It has a slightly fuller mouthfeel and more flavor than the Light version, but is still very neutral.
- 1C. Cream Ale: A clean, well-attenuated, flavorful American “lawnmower” beer. Often an ale-lager hybrid; it features low malt notes and a touch of corn-like sweetness.
- 1D. American Wheat Beer: Refreshing wheat beer that lacks the clove and banana esters of German Weissbier. It has a clean fermentation profile and a bready, doughy wheat character.
- 18A. Blonde Ale: An easy-drinking, approachable, malt-oriented American craft beer. It is more flavorful than American Lagers but remains balanced and clean.
- 27. Pre-Prohibition Lager (Historical): A version of American lager brewed before 1920. It is more robust than modern lagers, often featuring more hop bitterness and a grainy sweetness from the use of 6-row barley and corn.
- 🥨 German Ales & Hybrids These styles often focus on specific yeast expressions (banana/clove) or clean, cool-fermented ale profiles.
- 10A. Weissbier: A pale, refreshing German wheat beer with high carbonation, a fluffy mouthfeel, and a distinct banana-and-clove yeast character.
- 10B. Dunkles Weissbier: A dark German wheat beer. It retains the banana/clove yeast profile of a Weissbier but adds bready, caramelly, or chocolatey malt richness.
- 10C. Weizenbock: A strong, malty, fruity wheat ale. It combines the yeast character of a Weissbier with the rich malt and strength of a Bock (Dunkel or Heller).
- 5B. Kölsch: A clean, crisp, delicately balanced beer usually with a very subtle fruit and hop character. It is an ale-lager hybrid (warm fermented, cold conditioned).
- 7B. Altbier: A well-balanced, well-attenuated, bitter yet malty German amber ale. “Alt” refers to the “old” style of brewing (using ale yeast) in Düsseldorf.
- 27. Roggenbier (Historical): A specialty German rye beer. It uses the same yeast as a Weissbier (banana/clove) but replaces much of the wheat with rye, creating a spicy, grainy, and creamy texture.
- 🇧🇪 Belgian Ales Known for complex fermentation profiles, these beers are driven by fruity esters and spicy phenols.
- 24A. Witbier: A refreshing, barley/wheat-based ale spiced with coriander and dried orange peel. It is hazy with a creamy mouthfeel and a light, citrusy tartness.
- 24B. Belgian Pale Ale: A moderately fruity, somewhat peppery, copper-colored ale. It is more malt-focused than British or American pales, with a “biscuity” toasted malt character.
- 24C. Bière de Garde: A “beer for keeping.” A traditional artisanal Franco-Belgian farmhouse ale. It is usually malt-focused, with “cellar” notes and a smooth, medium-to-strong alcohol presence.
- 25B. Saison: A seasonal farmhouse ale. It is highly carbonated, pale, and very dry. It features a prominent fruity-spicy yeast character (citrus, pepper) and a hoppy finish.
- 📁 X-Files (Experimental & Local) These categories are reserved for beers that do not fit into standard competitive classifications.
- 34C. Experimental Beer: A catch-all category for any beer that uses a process, ingredient, or goal that doesn’t fit another style description. This is for true “boundary-pushing” brews.
- X1: Argentine Styles: Dorada Pampeana
- X2: Argentine Styles: IPA Argenta
- X3: Italian Styles: Italian Grape Ale
- X4: Brazilian Styles: Catharina Sour
- X5: New Zealand Styles: New Zealand Pilsner.
- Local Styles: These are often listed in the BJCP Appendix or under “Historical Beers.” They include regional specialties like:
- Grodziskie: A low-gravity, highly carbonated, oak-smoked wheat beer from Poland.
- Lichtenhainer: A sour, smoked, lower-gravity historical German wheat beer.
- Sahti: A traditional Finnish beer flavored with juniper and baker’s yeast.
- 🤷 IndeCiders: We couldn’t decide which cider styles to include so we included them all according to the 2025 BJCP Cider Style Guidelines
*All styles are based on the 2021 BJCP Beer Style Guidelines unless otherwise indicated.
Yes… we do realize that not all styles are represented. In an effort to keep this competition small and exclusive we do this on purpose and will changes styles from year to year.