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2005 Headline sponsors	TrenStar Inc.          Krones AG            JohnsonDiversey
First held	1886 Now popularly known as ‘The Oscars of the Brewing Industry' and, formerly, 'The Burton Beer Competitions’.
2005 event	For the first time in its 119-year history, the judging of this event moved outside the UK and took place from 13-15 September at DRINKTEC 2005, World Fair for Beverage Technology, New Munich Trade Fair Centre, Germany. Recently, these Competitions have taken place in alternate years. The 2005 event represented a change in cycle to the Autumn of odd-numbered years. Organisers have taken this decision to benefit the brewing industry worldwide in timetabling the Competitions away from conflicting events.
Next event - 2010	The Competitions will return to run alongside the second International Brewing Convention 2010 (IBC2010) at Manchester Central, Manchester, UK, enabling brewers to showcase their beers to a global audience.
2005 Award-winners	All 2005 Award winners were announced at the conclusion of judging in Munich, and winning breweries notified.   Results are classified and appear on the Competitions' web site at www.brewingawards.org   The web site also includes details of previous winners back to 1987, the current structure and judging criteria of the Competitions, and a brief history of the event.
Entering beers	Only currently available commercially produced and branded beers are eligible for entry. Entry fee in 2005 was maintained at the 2004 level of £170.00 sterling + UK VAT per beer. Entrants in the Euro zone could pay in euros, at EUR255 per entry. Entry fee for 2010 is still being determined but will competitively priced against the World Beer Cup and Australian Beer Cup.
Entry levels & spread	The 752 entries in 2005 came from breweries in 43 countries – making it, at the time, the mostly widely international beer competition in the world, bar none.
Principal judging criterion	Judges are briefed to use their professional skill to evaluate each entry for its sensory appeal, and to accredit its relevance in its category and its class to the commercial worth of the beer quality.   Every beer can find a place in one of the 9 broad categories.
Judging Panel	To our knowledge, ‘The Beer Competitions’ are unique among such established international events, in being judged entirely by very experienced senior practising brewers – no writers, pundits or celebrities. The results they produce are ‘the brewers’ choice.’   The 2005 Judging Panel comprised 31 expert brewers currently holding senior brewing positions in commercial breweries in - Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, and USA.  (17 countries)   Brewers of previous Champion Beers at this event are often invited to join the panel.
Structure changes in 2005	A new category in a single class was introduced for Non-Alcoholic & Low-Alcohol Beers up to 2.4%ABV.   In the Dark Beers category, the cask & keg classes (1 & 2) remained,  but the single smallpack class was been divided into 2 new classes: 3.  2.5-4.8%ABV 4.  4.9-6.9%ABV   The Brewing Industry International Awards uniquely continues to reflect the current structure of the beer market worldwide.  With this in mind, the 2010 competitions will include a number of new classes.   A copy of the full rules governing the Competitions is published on the Competitions web site.
Structure	Awards in 2005 were made in 9 broad categories -   PACKAGED (smallpack) BEERS Entries 2005 THE INTERNATIONAL LAGER COMPETITION 173 THE INTERNATIONAL ALE COMPETITION 136 DRAUGHT & PACKAGED BEERS – competing together   THE INTERNATIONAL SPECIALITY BEER COMPETITION 60 THE INTERNATIONAL STRONG BEER COMPETITION 57 THE INTERNATIONAL DARK MILD, STOUT& PORTER COMPETITION 90 THE INTERNATIONAL NON-ALCOHOLIC & LOW-ALCOHOL BEER COMPETITION 10 DRAUGHT BEERS   THE INTERNATIONAL DRAUGHT LAGER COMPETITION 41 THE INTERNATIONAL KEG ALE COMPETITION 35 THE INTERNATIONAL CASK CONDITIONED ALE COMPETITION 150 TOTAL ENTRIES 752 Across the 9 categories there were 476 entries in bottles or cans, 101 in keg, and 175 in cask.A more detailed breakdown is available on request.
Classification & Awards	Each of the competitions has between 1 and 4 classes, mostly by alcoholic content. Across the 9 categories in 2005, this totaled 25 classes, each with a Gold, Silver & Bronze Award – total 75.   Judging of each class provides a final shortlist of three – all of which will be Award-winners. They are then ranked in order. The first-ranked beers (i.e. the Gold Award winners) are then judged against each other to produce that competition’s Champion Beer and trophy winner. The entire judging panel take part in this final selection.   No supreme champion is selected across the competitions
Anonymity of beers	With such an expert judging panel, and with the huge prestige of winning an Award, considerable steps are taken to preserve the anonymity of all beers during the judging. All beers have to be entered in plain containers. Any distinguishing features on entries received are obliterated.   Only the Codemaster knows the translation from a beer’s origin and its catalogue number, to its judging number which it carries in competition.   In the first round of judging, the panel is divided into working teams of three, organised so no judge has the possibility of tasting beers from his own brewery, or any other brewery in the same group.
Technical set-up	A further distinction of these competitions is their unrivalled technical integrity, due to the combined expertise of the regular team of industry technical service professionals who ensure all beers are presented in the best possible condition.   Only the best available dispense equipment is employed.   The purpose-built cool ‘cellar’ room, in 2005, was temperature-controlled to maintain draught entries at 12°C ambient.   Another fact which singles out this event is the number of entries presented and judged under a variety of dispense gas mixtures. In 2005 no less than 101 keg lagers, ales and dark beers were judged this way, by means of one of the most complex python ‘cellar’ assemblies in the world.
Sponsorship support in 2005	These Competitions have high visibility throughout the world of beer. The prestige of the Awards is unrivalled among brewers. Increasingly, brand and product managers realise the important commercial advantages that can arise from winning one of these coveted Awards. Many companies and organisations provide equipment, services or support for the promotion, installation and running of this complex event, including the Awards Ceremony.   For 2005, BTS, the organisers of these Competitions, wish to place on record their sincere thanks to our Headline Sponsors :–               JohnsonDiversey, Krones AG and TrenStar Inc.   Also to the following organisations for their diverse contribution of equipment, services and resources to the professional establishment of this event :   Feature Sponsors:-  Lupofresh Ltd, ‘Brewers’ Guardian’ magazine Rastal GmbH & Co KG Principal Technical Sponsors Alumasc Dispense Ltd Codifesa UK Ltd John Guest Ltd Valpar Industrial Ltd Clenaware Systems Ltd Foss GmbH Micro Matic International SA Also to: 'Bebidas' magazine (USA) Cask Marque Darley Labels Ltd Huppmann AG Shepherd Neame Ltd Brandels Ltd Coors Brewing Ltd Thomas Fattorini Ltd Quarmby Ltd Technischen Universität München Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc
The Organisers	Brewing Technology Services Limited (BTS) was founded in 1977. It is solely owned by The Brewing, Food & Beverage Industry Suppliers Association (BFBi).   By working with allied Associations and Institutes within the industry BTS is able to represent expertise in equipment supply and event organisation.
For further information ...	Please contact the marketing@brewingawards.org