A toast to canadian excellence

After a highly successful debut in 2022, the highly anticipated second edition of the Canada Beer Cup is just around the corner. Organized by Canadian Craft Brewers Association (CCBA), this year's event promises some new features. One notable addition is the introduction of the "Canadian Grain-Forward Beer" category, aimed at showcasing the finest ingredients produced within the country.

In the previous edition, over 1,000 samples were evaluated by the panel of international judges. Anticipations are high that this year's competition will surpass that number. Breweries participating in this edition will have the chance to vie for gold, silver, and bronze awards across an 67 beer styles in 11 categories

Four months away from the event and amidst the preparations for the competition, our team talked with Stephen Beaumont, the head judge of the CBC, and Christine Comeau, the Executive Director of the CCBA. Check out the outcome of this conversation below:

BAP: The Canada Beer Cup is entering its second edition. What were the highlights of 2022's edition, and what are the expectations for this year?

Canadá Beer Cup: In the first year of the Canada Beer Cup, we were proud and honoured to be the first major beer competition in the country to bring in accomplished international judges, and in so doing, we feel that we elevated the quality of the judging to a very high degree. We are again counting on pan-Canadian and international judges this year and aim to always increase the level of feedback breweries receive on their entries.

BAP: What's new for this edition? Can you tell us about any special or standout category in this year's competition?

CBC: For 2023, we have added a new feature category, Canadian Grain-Forward Beer, with the intent of shining a light on the quality of the barley, wheat, rye, and other grains grown in Canada. We have also adjusted other categories to avoid ‘style creep’ and added some styles we found were missing from last year.

BAP: We reaffirm our support to the competition, being the official platform of the event. With the organizers' experience in the beer industry, what are the main advantages of adopting BAP in the different stages of the competition? And how can it enhance the overall experience for competitors, judges, and organizers?

CBC: The BAP platform provides a user-friendly interface for entrants, organizers and judges, contributing to the smooth flow of sorting, pouring and judging. The platform’s easy-to-read dashboard provides organizers real time tracking of order entries and the judging flow. Having experience judging international beer competitions, we have nothing but good to say about the platform.

The judging session will take place between October 2nd and 5th. As for the award ceremony, it is scheduled for October 25th at the Ontario Craft Brewers Conference in Niagara Falls. The winner of the highly coveted "Best in Show" category will not only be honored with the CBC trophy but will also secure a spot in the 2024 World Beer Cup® competition.