{"id":45049,"date":"2024-05-16T11:33:37","date_gmt":"2024-05-16T15:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/?p=45049"},"modified":"2026-08-02T13:45:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T17:45:51","slug":"are-beer-competitions-a-true-contribution-to-the-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/are-beer-competitions-a-true-contribution-to-the-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Medals Without Quality guarantee: How Much do Beer Competitions Really Contribute?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"thebe-2712974279\" class=\"thebe-antes-del-contenido-3 thebe-entity-placement\">\n            <div \n                class=\"elfsight-widget-popup elfsight-widget\" \n                data-elfsight-popup-options=\"%7B%22blocks%22%3A%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%22babc7e96-e195-4da3-a8c5-7072d42f2f5c%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22imageFile%22%3A%7B%22type%22%3A%22uploaded%22%2C%22data%22%3A%7B%22name%22%3A%2261d71zGp0%2BL._SL1500_%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.thebeertimes.com%5C%2Fwp-content%5C%2Fuploads%5C%2F2026%5C%2F02%5C%2F61d71zGp0L._SL1500_.jpg%22%2C%22size%22%3A45654%2C%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22extension%22%3A%22jpeg%22%2C%22width%22%3A940%2C%22height%22%3A1500%2C%22ext%22%3A%22jpeg%22%7D%7D%2C%22imageScale%22%3A60%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%226689e0da-ab1d-42a0-ac83-457ff13f91dd%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22button%22%2C%22buttonText%22%3A%22Buy%20on%20AMAZON%22%2C%22buttonAction%22%3A%22redirect%22%2C%22buttonStyle%22%3A%22filled%22%2C%22buttonShape%22%3A%22rectangle%22%2C%22buttonColor%22%3A%22rgb%28255%2C%2038%2C%2067%29%22%2C%22buttonFontSize%22%3A16%2C%22label%22%3A%22Button%22%2C%22buttonUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%5C%2F%5C%2Fwww.amazon.com%5C%2Fdp%5C%2FB0GDGJJWD2%22%7D%5D%2C%22layout%22%3A%22modal%22%2C%22width%22%3A500%2C%22popupBlocksAlignment%22%3A%22center%22%2C%22popupShape%22%3A%22rounded%22%2C%22popupBackgroundColor%22%3A%22rgb%28255%2C%20255%2C%20255%29%22%2C%22popupBackgroundImage%22%3Anull%2C%22popupBackgroundImageOverlayColor%22%3A%22%22%2C%22overlayVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22overlayClose%22%3Atrue%2C%22overlayBackgroundColor%22%3A%22rgba%2817%2C%2017%2C%2017%2C%200.7%29%22%2C%22overlayBackgroundImage%22%3Anull%2C%22overlayBackgroundImageOverlayColor%22%3A%22%22%2C%22closeButtonVisible%22%3Atrue%2C%22closeButtonColor%22%3A%22rgba%2817%2C%2017%2C%2017%2C%200.7%29%22%2C%22triggerPageLoadEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerTimeOnPageEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerTimeOnPageDuration%22%3A30%2C%22triggerScrollEnabled%22%3Atrue%2C%22triggerScrollPosition%22%3A25%2C%22triggerScrollToElementEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerScrollToElementId%22%3Anull%2C%22triggerClickEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22triggerClickElementId%22%3Anull%2C%22triggerExitIntentEnabled%22%3Afalse%2C%22displayFrequency%22%3A%22everytime%22%2C%22displayPages%22%3A%22allPages%22%2C%22displayExcludedPages%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22displaySpecificPages%22%3A%5B%5D%2C%22displayDevices%22%3A%5B%22desktop%22%2C%22tablet%22%2C%22mobile%22%5D%2C%22widgetId%22%3A%224%22%7D\" \n                data-elfsight-popup-version=\"1.0.0\"\n                data-elfsight-widget-id=\"elfsight-popup-4\">\n            <\/div>\n            <\/div><div id=\"thebe-2307247809\" class=\"thebe-fuente-preferida-2 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=thebeertimes.com\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"A\u00f1adir como fuente preferida en google\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg\" alt=\"\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1.jpg 638w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Anadir-como-fuente-preferida-en-google-1-300x60.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" width=\"175\" height=\"127\"  style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/a><\/div><p>In the world of beer in general and particularly in the craft industry, the increasingly abundant competitions seek to play a crucial role in defining quality standards and consumption trends.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_27433\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-27433\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-27433\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Copas-y-competencias-de-cerveza.jpg\" alt=\"Beer glasses and competitions\" width=\"600\" height=\"315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Copas-y-competencias-de-cerveza.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Copas-y-competencias-de-cerveza-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Copas-y-competencias-de-cerveza-114x60.jpg 114w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-27433\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beer glasses and competitions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>However, these events are not necessarily seen by the market as a showcase of innovation and quality, but rather often as a mirror that mainly reflects the industry&#8217;s limitations.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we analyze the gap between the theory and practice of these competitions, exploring their structural challenges and their real impact on consumers\u2014a phenomenon that has evolved with more difficulties than it appears.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-1598206566\" style=\"margin-bottom: 30px;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"8775458773\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2>How Are Beers Awarded in a Competition?<\/h2>\n<p>In beer competitions, the medal system does not necessarily reward the best beer in absolute terms, but rather recognizes technical merit and the fidelity with which a beer represents the style it claims to belong to.<\/p>\n<p>Evaluations are based on recognized style guidelines heavily influenced by the American standard (BJCP or Brewers Association), which unilaterally define the ideal parameters for each category.<\/p>\n<p>Based on these guidelines, judges rate key aspects such as appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall balance.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, a medal functions as an indicator of technical capability and consistency within a predefined framework, beyond a declaration of absolute superiority.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Gold medal<\/h3>\n<p>Awarded to an exceptional beer, considered a paradigmatic example of its style, where attributes such as appearance, aroma, flavor, and balance are technically flawless and perfectly aligned with the guidelines.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Silver medal<\/h3>\n<p>Awards an excellent beer that very closely meets the parameters of its style. It may have slight deviations that separate it from absolute excellence, but its quality is undeniable and it represents an outstanding example.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Bronze medal<\/h3>\n<p>Recognizes a very good beer that, despite having more noticeable deviations or minor defects, still stands as a worthy and well-achieved representative of its style. It is a solid and enjoyable product.<\/p>\n<h2>The Theoretical Promise of Competitions<\/h2>\n<p>Organizers argue that the main objective is to encourage raising quality standards, recognize technical excellence, and give visibility to breweries.<\/p>\n<p>In theory, these competitions generate benefits for producers and consumers, although their real impact is a subject of growing debate.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Quality and innovation<\/h3>\n<p>The central argument holds that competitions encourage continuous improvement. By evaluating under standardized guidelines, they offer producers a technical reference to identify strengths, correct deviations, and perfect their brewing processes.<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, they seek to be spaces where tradition and experimentation are recognized, promoting knowledge exchange.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Recognition and visibility<\/h3>\n<p>Winning a medal increases a brewery&#8217;s visibility and strengthens its reputation with consumers, distributors, and specialized media. For emerging brands, this recognition represents an opportunity to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.<\/p>\n<p>However, commercial impact depends largely on each brewery&#8217;s ability to leverage that recognition through effective marketing actions. Medals attempt to function as a quality signal that facilitates purchasing decisions in the face of a wide offering.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Consumer education<\/h3>\n<p>Competitions seek to play an educational role through parallel events, where consumers have the opportunity to appreciate the complexity and variety of styles by interacting directly with producers.<\/p>\n<h2>The Structural Challenges of a Competition<\/h2>\n<p>Beyond theoretical benefits, beer competitions face structural criticisms that question their fairness and representativeness, affecting both participants and the credibility of the process.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Costs and economic barriers<\/h3>\n<p>This dynamic creates the illusion that one beer is superior simply because its producer has been able to finance its frequent participation in these competitions, obtaining recognitions to display.<\/p>\n<p>Participating in a competition is far from accessible. The costs, which include registration fees, sample shipping, logistics, and often personal contacts, represent a significant economic barrier, particularly for small or emerging craft breweries.<\/p><div id=\"thebe-2508763912\" class=\"thebe-libros-amazon thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background-color: #ffffff; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; max-width: 320px; margin: 20px auto; text-align: center; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-43340 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Gu\u00eda Pr\u00e1ctica Catar Cerveza Amazon\" width=\"200\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza-370x370.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Catar-cerveza.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #0000ff; font-weight: bold; margin: 8px 0; line-height: 1.2;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"font-size: 11pt;\">Gu\u00eda pr\u00e1ctica para catar cerveza: C\u00f3mo apreciar correctamente todas las cervezas del mundo<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-medium fasc-type-flat fasc-rounded-medium fasc-ico-before dashicons-cart\" style=\"background-color: #ff9900; color: #000000;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3LddZmQ\">Comprar en Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This generates a biased visibility cycle where it is not necessarily the &#8220;best&#8221; beer that is rewarded, but rather often the one that can afford a constant presence in the competitive circuit.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the high ticket prices for associated events tend to exclude new consumers, perpetuating a closed ecosystem where the same audience celebrates the same group of breweries.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Subjectivity in evaluation<\/h3>\n<p>Despite established criteria, evaluation is inherently subjective and imprecise, given that there is no single standard on how to execute it.<\/p>\n<p>As Jeff Alworth, writer, judge, and creator of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beervanablog.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beervanablog.com<\/a>, points out:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Beer judges are excellent at sorting beers into tiers, but in terms of identifying the &#8220;best,&#8221; they are probably more random than organizers would like to admit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>What one judge considers a &#8220;minor deviation,&#8221; another may see as an unforgivable flaw. This establishes inconsistent decisions based on vague arguments that discourage brewers who feel their creations are misunderstood or unfairly judged by standards that are too subjective.<\/p>\n<h2>Questionable Aspects of the Model<\/h2>\n<p>Fundamental questions arise about the real influence of these competitions, raising dilemmas that affect both the industry and beer culture as a whole.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Real impact on innovation?<\/h3>\n<p>While competitions claim to encourage innovation, in practice they generate an excessive focus on adapting products to win awards, prioritizing the trophy over final consumer satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>This results in the homogenization of flavors and styles, since obtaining new recognition takes precedence over creative risk, diversity, and genuine innovation.<\/p>\n<p>True innovation, often disruptive and outside established parameters, tends to fall off the radar. This raises the question of whether these events actually manage to shape trends or whether, on the contrary, they contract market diversity.<\/p>\n<div id=\"thebe-122799798\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1179889612\" \ndata-ad-layout=\"in-article\"\ndata-ad-format=\"fluid\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<h3>2. Disappointed consumers<\/h3>\n<p>The promise of quality symbolized by the medal does not always materialize in everyday experience. A common practice, though rarely discussed openly, is the production of &#8220;competition batches&#8221;: versions produced with premium ingredients and exhaustive control that are not replicated in regular mass production.<\/p>\n<p>This disconnect creates a serious expectation gap. The consumer, attracted by the recognition, purchases the commercial version and finds a product that does not represent the quality it champions, generating disillusionment and skepticism.<\/p>\n<p>A system designed to signal excellence ends up eroding consumer trust and distorting their judgment, making the trophy weigh more than the actual sensory experience.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Meritocracy as a myth<\/h3>\n<p>Behind the veil of impartiality, factors unrelated to quality influence results. Judges&#8217; familiarity with certain brands, styles, or personal preferences creates biases, conscious or not, toward the same participants.<\/p>\n<p>This dynamic raises the question of whether we are facing a truly meritocratic system or whether a &#8220;closed circuit&#8221; is being consolidated where relationships, prior reputation, and adaptation to the predictable tastes of a recurring panel play a determining role.<\/p>\n<h2>Final Reflections<\/h2>\n<p>The current model of beer competitions faces a crisis of legitimacy by turning sensory evaluation into a commercial product subject to economic barriers and in-group biases; these competitions have lost their ability to function as true quality indicators.<\/p>\n<p>The medal has become a marketing asset disconnected from market reality, where the symbolic and sometimes manipulated value of the award outweighs the value of the beer as a real commercial product.<\/p>\n<p>The craft industry, in particular, now faces a dangerous paradox: it seeks to differentiate itself through tools designed to standardize.<\/p>\n<p>As long as breweries continue to measure their success by the number of accumulated awards rather than by the loyalty of their consumers linked to the real quality of their products, competitions will remain a mirage of prestige.<\/p>\n<p>The real risk is not that these competitions exist, but that beer culture uncritically accepts their verdicts as absolute truths, renouncing complexity and creative risk in favor of predictable, purchasable technical perfection.<\/p>\n<h2>We Recommend<\/h2><div id=\"thebe-4099970704\" class=\"thebe-adsterra-300-x-250 thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 15px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-9395258998211551\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9395258998211551\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1930811761\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/ccu-pone-en-marcha-la-primera-planta-recicladora-de-botellas-plasticas-de-chile\/\">CCU launches Chile&#8217;s first plastic bottle recycling plant<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/es\/introduccion-al-brettanomyces-en-la-cerveza-origen-aromas-y-sabores-caracteristicos\/\">Introduction to Brettanomyces in beer: Origin, aromas, and characteristic flavors<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"thebe-2443648986\" class=\"thebe-adskeeper-fin-articulo thebe-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1705281\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite their popularity among brewers, these events are not always perceived by the market as a showcase of innovation and quality, but rather as a mirror that mainly reflects the industry&#8217;s limitations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21139],"tags":[21562,21133,21374,21380,21204],"class_list":["post-45049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-opinion-en","tag-beer-cups","tag-beer-styles","tag-eventos-en","tag-events","tag-opinion-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45049"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48417,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45049\/revisions\/48417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebeertimes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}