2019 European Beer Star Breaks All Previous Records

Juried Tasting | The 16th European Beer Star competition was held at Doemens Academy in Gräfelfing, Germany, from October 10th to 12th 2019. A total of 145 people were invited to evaluate 2,483 beers (+ 6%) in 67 categories from 47 countries and every populated continent. The jury members came from 28 countries and were mostly master brewers, beer sommeliers or beer connoisseurs.

In addition to traditional beer-brewing nations, entries were also submitted from places such as Georgia and Hong Kong. Breweries from the following countries or regions entered beer in the competition: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, Namibia, the Netherlands, Panama, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Of the 2,019 beers in the competition this year, 1,019 were from German breweries. The proportion of beers from outside Germany has steadily increased in recent years and is currently at 59 percent. Of these, the highest number was sent in by Italian breweries (249), followed by the US (195), Austria (137) and Belgium (119).

A total of 271 beers were entered in the competition in 2007. The number had risen to 836 by 2009 and then to 1,512 in 2013. A record was set in 2017 with 2,151 entries.

Medals in 67 categories

For the first time ever in 2019, medals were awarded in 67 categories (beer styles), including, for example, some styles which are seldom encountered in Germany, such as fruit beer or porter.

This year, new-style hefeweizen was added as a new category, while other categories were redefined. The organizers of the competition modify or define the categories more precisely in response to suggestions made by brewers or members of the jury. According to the association of independent brewers, many brewers are becoming more open to experimentation. Therefore, it sometimes becomes necessary to define new beer styles, which fits perfectly with the objectives laid out by the Private Brauereien (an association of independent brewers in Germany).

The European Beer Star has been lauded from the very beginning for its dedication in promoting a diverse range of unique beers to the general public – beers which possess an undeniable character and are brewed using artisanal methods. The beers are tasted in exactly the same way a consumer would experience them and are evaluated exclusively on the basis of sensory criteria such as color, foam, flavor or aroma.

On November 12th 2019, trade fair attendees are invited to sample the beers in each category that have won a gold medal. After the tasting, the votes are tallied to determine the consumers’ favorite.

On November 13th, 2019, the winners of the European Beer Star competition will be announced. At the “night of the winners” gala event, the winners will receive their medals and the beers will be available for tasting.