2020 Honey Beer Competition Online Registration Is Now Open

The deadline for registering for the 5th Annual Honey Beer Competition is fast approaching. This annual competition held by the National Honey Board recognizes the best beers made with honey in the nation. Registration for the 2020 event closes on Friday, July 17, 2020.

“We talked to quite a few brewers about whether or not we should host this year’s competition due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the brewing industry,” Catherine Barry, National Honey Board’s director of marketing, said in a press release. “We received a resounding ‘Yes, have the competition!’ because we’re able to offer a free competition and truly promote some amazing brewers and their honey beers.”

Held in in accordance with the Beer Judge Certification Program, the Honey Beer Competition features beer style categories, a cider category and a design category. This year’s entries must be submitted by Friday, July 17 and is limited to 300 entries that must be commercially available in the United States. Breweries may submit multiple entries per category, but each beer may only be entered in one category. To register, visit www.honeybeercompetition.com.

Last year, more than 290 made with honey beers competed for category and Best in Show honors. When the judging was complete, Chomolungma from Jackie O’s Brewery in Athens, Ohio, took home Best in Show honors as well as first place in the Amber/Brown Ale category. The winners of the 2019 Honey Beer Competition:

Best in Show Winners

• Gold Medal: Chomolungma – Jackie O’s Brewery, Athens, Ohio
• Silver Medal: Stone Ship – Four Father Brewing, Valparaiso, Indiana
• Bronze Medal: Klosterman Honey Wheat Lager – Fretboard Brewing Co., Blue Ash, Ohio

Category Winners

• General Ale: Bee Enlightened Honey Kolsch – Half Full Brewery, Stamford, Connecticut
• Amber / Brown Ales: Chomolungma – Jackie O’s Brewery, Athens, Ohio
• General Lager: Klosterman Honey Wheat Lager – Fretboard Brewing Co., Blue Ash, Ohio
• Wheat Beer: Shenanigan’s Honey Wheat Ale – Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Belgian-Style Ale: Honey Wit – Big aLICe Brewing Co., New York City, New York
• Fruit / Spiced / Vegetable Beer: LSD Honey Ale – Indeed Brewing Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Braggot: Stone Ship – Four Father Brewing, Valparaiso, Indiana
• IPA: Honey Shot – Alvarium Beer Company, New Britain, Connecticut
• Stouts and Porters: Honey Dip Stout – Able Baker Brewing Company, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Sour: Faro’s Curse, After Hours Brewing Company, Wentzville, Missouri
• Barrel-Aged: Double Barrel Honey Dip Stout – Able Baker Brewing Company, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Other/Experimental: Me, You, Happoshu!, Pelican Brewing Co., Cannon Beach, Oregon
• Cider: Texas Honey – Austin Eastciders, Austin, Texas
• Packaging/Design: Spring Saison, The Millworks, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The National Honey Board (NHB) is an industry-funded agriculture promotion group that works to educate consumers about the benefits and uses for honey and honey products through research, marketing and promotional programs. The Board’s work, funded by an assessment on domestic and imported honey, is designed to increase the awareness and usage of honey by consumers, the foodservice industry and food manufacturers. The ten-member-Board, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, represents producers (beekeepers), packers, importers and a marketing cooperative.