Northeast
Max Finnance
Things have been relatively quiet in the Northeast this winter (perhaps our higher-than-usual snowfall has people staying bundled up inside) but we’ve enjoyed gathering for some great competitions since the last newsletter update, and I was fortunate to judge with many of you at the Merrimack Valley HBC (MA) and the Southern New England Regional HBC (CT). I was also thrilled to run into some familiar faces from the BJCP scene at CiderCon in Providence in early February, which is typically a more commercially-minded convention. As part of the cider buzz that enveloped Rhode Island that week, we were able to run a great Cider Tasting exam for both local judges and a few out of town folks.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about the upcoming competitions in our region over the next few months: the Salt City Brew Club Competition (NY) on 3/7, Homebrew Alley (NYC) on 4/11, Amber Waves of Grain (NY) on 4/18, the Greg Noonan Memorial HBC (VT) on 4/25. All of these can be counted on for a fantastic day of judging, and I plan to be making the rounds. I’m also optimistic that several more competitions will pop up in the next few months, so keep an eye on the BJCP’s competition calendar! While I’m sad that the NHC won’t have a first round site in the Northeast Region this year, I hope to be able to see as many of you as possible in either Philadelphia or Asheville for judging and festivities.
As an aside, Paul Hayslett, one of the judges from our region, has been working with John Allison (IN) to bring an exciting mead education opportunity to the U.S. They will be hosting two Polish mead enthusiasts, Krzysztof and Mateusz, aka “The Kings of Mead” on FB and YouTube (as well as the organizers of Europe’s Mead Madness Cup), to run classes aligned with the Mead Judging Programme (MJP) curriculum. This is unconnected to BJCP style guidelines or competition practices, but is a very cool in-depth mead experience nonetheless for any mead makers & fans. Classes are currently scheduled for October 2nd in Coventry, CT and October 4th in Crowne Point, IN. If you’re interested in more information about either class, or think you have sufficient interest in your area to potentially add a third class to their itinerary, email me ([email protected]) and I’ll connect you with the appropriate person. I’m planning to attend their class in CT!
One last note, I continue to maintain a list of folks from across the region who are interested in taking each exam (beer, mead, cider, written) so that we can get more exams scheduled in the Northeast as demand dictates. If you are looking for an exam seat for any of the BJCP’s in-person exams, please send me a note ([email protected]) and I’ll work to get you seated ASAP.
Cheers,
Max
Mid-Atlantic
Fred Mullner
Cherry Blossom Homebrew Competition – Washington, DC March 26-28
https://www.dchbcompetition.com/
TRASH XXIV – Pittsburgh, PA – April 18
https://www.dchbcompetition.com/
Dominion Cup- Richmond Virginia – August 8, 2025
Be sure to save the date for the 34th Dominion Cup, sponsored by the James River Homebrewers, in Richmond, Virginia. The final two rounds and Best of Show will be held Saturday, August 8, 2025, at the Richmond Volleyball Club. Early rounds will take place Friday, August 7, and other days TBD earlier in the week. The Dominion Cup has become one of the premier homebrew competitions on the East Coast and should be a great judging experience. There will be delicious food and beer, and some serious prizes in the volunteers’ raffle.
The web site for registering beers and to volunteer to judge or steward will be open in June. An email with details will go out before then. You may want to add [email protected] to your contacts to keep these important emails out of your junk folder. If you have any questions, please contact me at the above email address.
Jeff Hewit
Chief Judge Wrangler
BEER & SWEAT #38 – Cincinnati, OH – August 14/15
Save the Date in August for the best dammed KEG-ONLY Entry homebrew competition in the world! Love club night but missed NHC? This is more fun because everyone gets to participate from judging to sampling.
Bloatarian.com or search Beer and Sweat on Facebook
Asia-Pacific
Mark Hibberd
First up, congratulations to Australia’s first home-grown Grand Master judge, David Gilks from Canberra Brewers. A great achievement! David contributes to judging on many fronts including as one of BJCP’s Associate exam directors.
After more than a dozen exam in the region last year, we currently only have one exam scheduled for 2026 – in Thailand in July. I’d like to remind exam organisers to consider planning exams to coincide with competitions or beer events – this can make it easier for examinees, especially those needing to travel to re-sit an exam to advance their rank, and it can also increase the availability of suitably qualified proctors.
I’ve had some requests to organise the first Cider tasting exam in Australia. Please let me know if you’d be interested in sitting a Cider or Mead Tasting exam, most likely in Melbourne or Sydney.
Judge lapel pin ordering is now enabled for Australian and New Zealand judges in the new BJCP website – log on and click the account tab to see this option. Pins are available for new judges or if you’ve recently advanced your rank. Unfortunately, it hasn’t yet been possible to extend this to other parts of our region.
2025 was again a busy year with 65 sanctioned competitions across the region – the majority in Australia (26), China (18) and New Zealand (6) and a total of 15 across the rest of the region including Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore. A big thank you to all the organisers of these events, and to the many judges, stewards, and the enthusiastic brewers who enter their beers.
The 31 st Australian Amateur Brewing Championships was held in Western Australia on 1 November 2025 at Phat Brew Club in Perth. Congratulations to AABC champion brewer, Rob Stott (West Coast Brewers). The Champion State trophy was won again this year by Western Australia. Congratulations also to the champion brewers of the Australian state/territory (first-round) qualifying championships, which include Allan Wade (NSW), Paul Doneley (QLD), Kieren Vercoe (SA), Peter Sanger (TAS) and Brian Murray (VIC). From the total of 1641 first-round entries, 396 beers progressed to the AABC.
Congratulations to the champion brewer Colin Garland at the 6th annual Aotearoa Home Brewing Classic held in New Zealand in September 2025 with 136 entries.
I’m keen to include results or photos from other big competitions in our region – the Asia Homebrew Cup, Korea Homebrew Competition, Thailand Homebrew Competition, and Taiwan Homebrew Competition – contact me at [email protected].
Judging at the 2025 Australian Amateur Brewing Championships in November at Phat Brew Club in Perth…
North
Gail Milburn
No updates at this time
West
Brian Cooper
The competition season is underway across the West and as usual spring and early summer are full of opportunities. We’re seeing a strong lineup of homebrew and commercial competitions, including the World Cup of Beer (Alameda), Brewer’s Cup (Sacramento), various county fair competitions, and others. This year we’re also hosting two regional judging sites for the National Homebrew Competition: San Diego and San Francisco. Thank you in advance to the judges, stewards, and organizers helping make those happen.
We also have a number of BJCP exams scheduled in our region, so there are opportunities to stay involved—whether you’re testing, proctoring, or mentoring. I am always happy to help aspiring judges (or those looking to rank up) to find exam support. Please feel free to reach out to me if you need assistance locating exam resources, or perhaps to form a study group of your own.
Assistant Rep Update – Mahalo, Cindy… and Welcome, Alexander
After 9 years of service, Cindy Goldstein is retiring from her role as Assistant Regional Rep for Hawaii. Cindy has been a steady presence for judges, homebrewers, and craft brewers on the islands, and I’m grateful for the contributions she’s made to the program. Please join me in thanking Cindy for her service to the organization and wishing her the best for the future.
Stepping into the role is Alexander Gates of Honolulu. Alexander is a BJCP Certified Judge and Cicerone Certified Beer Server, as well as an award-winning beer writer whose work has appeared in Honolulu Magazine, Frolic Hawaii, Good Beer Hunting, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine, and BeerAdvocate. He has judged competitions both in Hawaii and on the mainland, and stays active in local sensory and education efforts. Alexander was nominated and endorsed by Cindy, and I’m glad we’ll continue to have Assistant Rep support on the islands.
Continuing in their roles are Oleg Shpyrko (San Diego area) and Jeff Koehler (Los Angeles area). The consistency and teamwork from all of our Assistant Reps across the region is much appreciated!
Finance Update
In my role as BJCP Treasurer, I also want to thank Assistant Finance Director Gordon Mauger from our region, who joined the Directorate last July. Many within our BJCP Directorates have worked with Gordon already, as he’s hit the ground running, handling most payments and reimbursements, plus helping to improve efficiencies and day-to-day processes alongside Finance Director Al Boyce. His steady work behind the scenes has made a real difference.
As always, thank you to everyone judging, organizing, and supporting competitions throughout California, Nevada, and Hawaii. I look forward to seeing many of you at upcoming events.
Cheers,
Brian Cooper
West Regional Representative / Treasurer
Europe, Middle East, Africa
Marek Kaminski
No updates at this time
Midwest
Sandy Cockerham
Since I’ve been traveling in Ecuador I’m letting some guests write the Midwest Rep update!
From Assistant Rep, Jim Vondracek, in Chicago-
With January 2026 marking the beginning of another cycle of homebrew competitions in the Midwest Region, organizers and judges are busy with some great competitions. The first Midwest Region competition of 2026 was the Chicago Winterbrew, organized by Brad Pausha and Michael Helzner of the Square Kegs homebrew club, and which moved to a new location this year – Dovetail Brewery. As of the writing of this, the next two competitions in the Midwest region are coming up this weekend in February – the Kansas City Biermeiseter’s 43rd Annual Homebrew Competition and B.O.C.K. ‘s Bluegrass Cup in Lexington, Kentucky.
Another upcoming competition in the Midwest is the IBU Open in Des Moines – after a few years of serving as lead organizer, Zack Rice is handing the reins over KC McKinney for the Iowa Brewer’s Union club. Next up is the Drunk Monk competition, the largest regional competition in the Chicago-area, organized by the Urban Knaves of Grain homebrew club and led by recently promoted National judge Dan Acheson. At the end of April, the Bruce Street Brewfest Homebrew Competition will be held in Sevierville, Tennessee, before another Chicago-area competition in June – Wortapalooza, organized by Club Wort and Jim Silverstein.
Three National Homebrew Competition first rounds are being held in the Midwest – Indianapolis on March 27, Chicago on April 11, and Kansas City on April 18. Please support the NHC by volunteering to judge at these first round sites.
Last November saw the inaugural Bottle Cap Brewoff competition in Chicago suburban Northwest Indiana, organized by the crew at the Illiana Beer Rackers Union, including organizer Art Kim, judging director Aaron Pigors, and cellarmaster Bob Mann. It was a great start and many of us look forward to adding this to our annual calendar of competitions!
One of the most respected competitions in the Midwest, the Happy Holidays competition in St. Louis, was also held in December. Two years ago, the organizers of Happy Holidays, Jeff Muse and Mike Walters, spun off the mead and cider categories into a wholly separate competition in September, Mead Me in St. Louis. That innovation has been remarkably successful for both beer and mead/cider communities.
In the Midwest region, there are three tasting exams scheduled in the coming months. In April, Thomas Watson is administering an exam in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In June, Jim Silversterin will hold an exam in the northern suburbs of Chicago, and also in June, Jason McLaughlin will admin an exam in Lincoln, Nebraska. Check the BJCP exam calendar for more details.
To Jim’s excellent summary, Associate Exam Director, Jeff Muse, in St. Louis adds –
Besides what Jim mentioned, we had a few other events going on. We wrapped up a prep class for the tasting exam last fall. Mike Walters and Keith Reding each administered an exam in October. Also in October, area judges supported a charitable fundraiser/beer festival, Brew in the Lou, with a competition. At the same time, we started a series of zoom calls focused on preparing for the written exam. STL was a site for the recent quarterly exam.
And to the Tennessee news, John Lawless, notes –
The Bluff City Brewers (Memphis) Extravaganza! is on Feb 28th
I hope all Midwest judges are able to get out and support local Homebrew competitions and keep their judging skills fresh!
South
Sal Mortillaro II
No updates at this time
Latin America
Johann Renner Rouliez
Hello fellow judges from LatAm and beyond!
We’re back in action after the annual break, and the judging season in LatAm is already gaining momentum. Several competitions have kicked off the year by recognizing outstanding entries from both commercial breweries and homebrewers—and this is just the beginning.
What excites me most for 2026 is the continued growth and evolution of our competition landscape. We’re seeing newer competitions becoming more established, more events welcoming homebrewers, and an expanded focus that now includes mead, cider, and other fermented beverages. This diversification is a fantastic opportunity for all of us to grow as judges—broadening our certifications and deepening our sensory libraries by evaluating a wider range of fermented products, from meads and ciders to emerging beverages like kombucha.
This year will offer multiple beer exams across the region, along with mead and cider exams—and I expect even more to be announced soon. If you’re interested in organizing an exam and need support navigating the process, I’m here to help. And if you’re eager to take an exam but don’t see one scheduled near you, let’s talk and make it happen.
I’m also pleased to share that the 2025 BJCP Cider Guidelines are now available in Spanish—many thanks to everyone who contributed their time and expertise to this important effort. Be sure to download your copy here.
I’d like to extend my congratulations to all BJCP judges from LatAm who will be judging at the World Beer Cup this year. Your participation represents our region with excellence and professionalism.
Finally, please join me in celebrating the judges who have advanced in rank to National+ since September 2025:
New National Judges:
Noel Sánchez (PA), Francisco “Chichito” Montanaro (PY), Carlos Carollo (BR), Mateus Dias Ferreira (BR), Victoria Pons (AR), César Moro (AR), Kevin Estrada (MX), Alejandro Mejía (MX), Andrés Torres Marroquín (MX), Miguel Aguirre (MX)
New Grand Master II:
Thomaz Pupo (BR)
Congratulations to each of you for your dedication and hard work.
Let’s make this a rewarding judging year for LatAm!
Mountain/Northwest
Brad Darnell
The Rocky Mountains are experiencing quite the warm winter and we are well into our busy competition season. This is typical during the first few months each year as people clear their calendars for outdoor activities later in the spring and summer. This fall and early winter, I have had the fortune to judge with and / or talk with many of you, and I hope to visit and meet more of you soon. Multiple regional NHC First Round judging sites are upcoming in the Mountain/Northwest region. I encourage you all to participate as an entrant, judge, or steward. I will again be judging the Montana Beer Awards in Helena late March, at the NHC Longmont regional in April and then heading to the Craft Brewers Conference later that month. It’s getting busy for me, and I hope to connect with you there, including at NHC in Asheville, NC this June.
I also want to congratulate all who have become newly credentialed judges or leveled up. I know our region has experienced many new judges and rank improvements these past few months, and I look forward to additional rank improvements as we have an over-full written exam scheduled later this year in Colorado. The calendar shows no exams in our region until July 2026, when there are 2 scheduled (Boise, ID and Timnath, CO). If you are interested in a nearby exam, reach out and I will help schedule one. Remember that we also have quarterly written exams which require only one examinee per site plus an exam administrator.
Note that I am keeping a list of people interested in taking exams (beer judging, beer written, cider, & mead) across our region. Please email me ([email protected]) to be added to the list as we work to schedule more exams throughout the region.
Please reach out if you have additional feedback or information you would like to see in our reports. I hope to run into many of you throughout my travels.
Cheers,
Brad