A. ELIGIBILITY AND CATEGORIES

1. Anyone may enter a beer, mead or cider.

2. Entries must be referred to by Category NUMBER and Subcategory LETTER.  Download the style guidelines (HTML, PDF or MS Word) for category designations and descriptions.

3. Commercially brewed beers, ciders and meads are ineligible.

B. HOW TO ENTER, WHAT TO ENTER

1.  Online registration will begin November 7, 2011.  We would appreciate that you register via the web page if you are able: it makes the job easier on our end.

2. Entry Fees: $6.00 for each entry. All checks should be made payable to the St. Louis Brews. Attach entry fee to registration form(s) and place inside package. Any entries not accompanied by an entry fee will not be judged.

3. Entry requirements: Provide TWO BOTTLES for each entry. Bottles must be 10- to 12-ounce green or brown glass and clean and free of any labels (inked, paper, or otherwise). Bottles for Meads may be smaller.  Bottles with permanent, painted-on labels are prohibited. Entrants are encouraged to use brown, long-neck returnable bottles for extra protection from light and breakage. NOTE: Grolsch-type swing tops are not acceptable. Soft drink or other printed crown caps are acceptable if they are blacked-out with a black marking pen to assure anonymity in judging.

Use a rubber band to attach to each bottle a paper with your name, beer designation if multiple entries in category, category and subcategory, and registration number (a registration number will be assigned to each entry if entered on-line). The use of tape or glue to attach forms is not acceptable.

4. Beers from a single batch may be entered in multiple Categories. Multiple entries in a Category are acceptable but MUST be from different batches.

5. Recipe need not be submitted with entry. However, if your beer or mead has a special ingredient (herb, spice, fruit, etc.), is a classic style of a herb, spice, or fruit beer, or was brewed using an experimental method, you must describe the style, special ingredient, experimental technique, etc. on the entry forms. Meads must also be identified as still, sparkling, dry, or sweet.

C. WHERE TO ENTER, WHEN TO ENTER

1. Entries will be accepted starting November 7, 2011. Entries accompanied by fees and registration information MUST be received by Friday, December 2, 2011 before the close of the business day at the following locations. These locations are ONLY for folks dropping off their entries in person.

St. Louis Wine & Beermaking
231 Lamp Lantern Village
Chesterfield, MO 63017
(314) 230-8277

Worm's Way Garden & Homebrew Supplies
1225 North Warson Road
St. Louis, MO 63132
(314) 994-3900

O'Fallon Brewery
26 West Industrial Drive
O'Fallon, MO 63366

2. Out-of-Town entries: PACK YOUR ENTRIES WELL. Partition and pack each bottle with adequate packaging material. Boxes should weigh less than 40 pounds. Entries will be refrigerated upon receipt, thus helping to preserve their quality prior to judging. Entries sent by mail MUST be received by Friday, December 2, 2011. NO EXCEPTIONS! Entries may be shipped to:

HHHC 2011
The Schlafly Tap Room
2100 Locust Street
St. Louis, MO 63103
Attn: The Schlafly Brewers
314.241.BEER

D. JUDGING / STEWARDING

1. Those interested in judging or stewarding, please register on-line using our judge registration page.  We ask that you register on-line whenever possible.

2. Preliminary evening rounds of judging will be held starting at around 6:00pm Wednesday, December 7 and Friday, December 9 at the Schlafly Taproom., and the main judging & banquet will be held on Saturday, December 10 beginning at 9:00am at Annunciation Church Cafeteria, 16 West Glendale, Webster Groves, MO 63119.  Here is a link to a map: Annunciation Church.   Decisions of the judges are final. Organizers reserve the right to combine categories if a sufficient number of entries are not received. Organizers also reserve the right to break up categories if too many entries of a particular subcategory are received.

3. We will host all participating judges and stewards at the Saturday banquet following the competition. The banquet will begin around 6:00 pm. We expect a visit by Santa. Please bring your family.

4. A limited number of beds are available to out-of-town judges/stewards, please contact us early to set up a place to stay.

E. AWARDS AND PRIZES

Medals will be given for first, second, and third-place winners in each category judged. Prizes will be given as available. Winners will be announced at the St. Louis Brews Holiday Banquet. A link to results will be posted here as soon as they are available, and no later than Monday, December 12. Digital images of the score sheets will be available on the registration site, so please be sure to supply a correct email address. An email will be sent informing each entrant that score sheets are available for viewing and/or downloading. If you do not have access to email, your score sheets will be mailed to your postal address.  Medals, score sheets (for those unable to receive email) and prizes will be sent no later than December 31.

Winners will be awarded points in the Midwest Brewer of the Year competition. This is an MCAB XIV qualifying competition. First Place winners in designated categories will be eligible to enter MCAB XIV in that style. Please refer to the MCAB website for details. MCAB XIV. Note to MCAB qualifiers: Entries for MCAB finals will be due in San Diego by January 18th.

The Happy Holiday Homebrew Competition is also the final stop on the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year circuit.

For Further Information

For further information, please contact the Competition Organizer Drew Lewis.

Now, enter those beers, meads and ciders and enjoy the competition!