The May’s Service Center Homebrew Tent will return to the Ninth Annual Lititz Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023. We will again invite the brewers of the top 10 entries to our Homebrew Competition to pour their beers for three public vote prizes, and three brews will be reproduced in commercial breweries.

Important Dates

  • Entries due Saturday, July 22nd. Drop submissions at Lancaster Homebrew anytime they are open by the end of their operating hours the day of the deadline. Cold storage is available for submissions that require it.
  • Top 10 announced on or by Friday, July 28th
  • Ten finalists pour at Lititz Craft Beer Fest 2023 on Saturday, September 23rd alongside more than 80 commercial breweries in the May’s Service Center Homebrew Tent, where a public vote will determine the winners of three prizes in addition to three Brewer’s Choice prizes.

How to Enter

Drop off beers with this beer ID form attached to each container plus $5 per entry by the deadline.

  • Entries due Saturday, July 22nd.
  • $5 per entry. Limit 6 entries per person. Beers only. No pros. Payment due at drop-off. If paying by check, please make it payable to “Lititz Craft Beer Fest”
  • Two (2) 12 oz. bottles, two (2) 22 oz. bombers, two (2) cans, or one (1) growler per entry. Please provide this beer ID form with your entries. Skip all other labels–entries will be identified by number and style only.
  • Please identify the style of beer you submit on the beer ID form using the 2021 BJCP style guidelines.
  • Drop off your entries at Lancaster Homebrew. Contact us at [email protected] if you need help submitting your entries or alternate drop-off accommodations. Cold storage is available for submissions that require it. All entries will be chilled before judging.
  • The preliminary judging will take place the week following our submission deadline. The ten (10) best beers, as determined by a panel of judges, will be announced on or by Friday, July 28th.
  • This is not a BJCP event. However, our judges will be using the same scoring system.
  • At least five (5) gallons, bottled or kegged, are required for the finalists to pour the day of our festival in our Homebrew Tent. There are nine weeks between the date the finalists are chosen and the festival. (July 22nd to September 23rd is 63 days.) Our competition is popular. Votes are collected for the first two hours or until half the finalists run out, whichever comes first. We count votes and award prizes on stage at the conclusion of the three-hour session. If you make the top 10, you can serve from kegs or bottles at the event, no big deal. We will provide a tent, table, ice, and rinse stations.

No Pros

Homemade beers only. No entry will be accepted from any person that our committee determines, in our sole discretion, is submitted by a person or entity that is a licensed brewer or is in the process of attempting to obtain a license. No entries will be accepted that were brewed in a commercial brewery. Brewery employees are welcome to enter as long as they are not brewing as part of their job.

Prizes

A public vote at the Lititz Craft Beer Fest determines first, second, and third place, and the winners will be announced at the end of the festival. Three brews will be worthy of a nod from local professionals. Cox Brewing Company of Rheems, Pour Man’s Brewing Company of Ephrata, and Big Dog Craft Brewing of Lancaster will each make a homebrewer’s dream come true by offering the opportunity to brew in their commercial breweries, and each collaboration will be served on draft until they’re sold out.

  • Each top 10 finalist will receive:
    • Complimentary ingredients from Lancaster Homebrew (up to $40 total) to be used in the competition. Any finalist who wishes to re-brew after being selected can bring their recipe to Lancaster Homebrew and secure regularly-stocked items at no cost (up to $40 total).
    • Two (2) free tickets to the event. Each finalist brewer will receive free entry to the beer fest and can distribute their complimentary tickets amongst friends and family.
  • Prizes to be awarded at Lititz Craft Beer Fest 2023:
    • Cox Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Cox Brewing Company in Rheems & your beer served on tap until it’s gone
    • Pour Man’s Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Pour Man’s Brewing Company in Ephrata & your beer served on tap until it’s gone
    • Big Dog Craft Brewing Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Big Dog Craft Brewing in Lancaster & your beer served on tap until it’s gone
    • 1st Place Vote: $500 Pre-paid VISA
    • 2nd Place Vote: $250 Gift card to Lancaster Homebrew
    • 3rd Place Vote: $100 Gift card to Lancaster Homebrew

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

History

Here are the top 10 finalists from each of our previous competitions. Lititz Craft Beer Fest began in 2014. There is no significance to the order of these lists after the placeholders.

2022 Finalists

1st Place Public Vote

Michael Blose
Blueberry Limon
Sour

2nd Place Public Vote

Chris Swentner
Coconut Joe
Coconut Coffee Stout

3rd Place Public Vote, Big Dog Craft Brewing Brewer’s Choice

Kyle Trunk
Riptide
Weissbier with pineapple, mango, and peaches

Pour Man’s Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice

Mike Fegely & Alastair Peters
Dark Mild

Cox Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice

Mike Adair
Just a Hare
Belgian style amber with coriander and orange peel

Starview Brews Brewer’s Choice

Josh Turner
Half Day Hazy
Hazy IPA

John Scanlon
Welcome to Earf
IPA

Kiel Fisher
Rom Baro Märzen

Jake Gross, Tom Bavaria, & Andy Lacek
Cream Ale

Jesse Stoner
Blondé Rosé
Belgian blonde ale with strawberry and raspberry

2021 Finalists

1st Place Public Vote, Mad Chef Craft Brewing Brewer’s Choice
Mango Habanero Sour
Tony Morrell
2nd Place Public Vote
Vacay Bay Bay, Apricot Amber Ale
Ed Herbert
3rd Place Public Vote
Chocopolte, Imperial Oatmeal Stout with chocolate and chipotle peppers
Matthew Campbell
Pour Man’s Brewing Brewer’s Choice
Munich Dunkel
Eric Fletcher
Big Dog Craft Brewing Brewer’s Choice
Tripel Crown, Belgian Tripel
Kyle Criste
Cox Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice
Alter the Sound, New England IPA
Josh Shock & Dave Hume
Jules & Vincent, Imperial Stout with coffee
Josh Ford
Route 10 IPA, American IPA
Josh Turner
She Said Somewhere Different, Sour Blonde with Blackberry
Josh Shock & Dave Hume
Every Damn Time!, Blood Orange Hefeweizen
John Shirk, Jerry Zimmerman, & Howard Fryberger

2019 Finalists

1st Place Public Vote, Cox Brewing Company Brewers Choice
Clockwork Oransje, Gose
Matthew Campbell
2nd Place Public Vote
Did It All For Chinookie, American IPA
Steve Palmer
3rd Place Public Vote
Mid-Day Mango, Pale Ale
Bill & Steph Hapenovich
Pour Man’s Brewing Brewers Choice
One Way or Another, American Blonde Ale with Orange Peel
Josh Shock, Dave Hume & Zach Shock
Spring House Brewing Brewers Choice
What’s Wrong With Cloud 8?, Hazy Double IPA
Wayne Swartz & Jason Bartch
Wee Special, Wee Heavy with Coffee aged on Bourbon Oak
Paul Cowan
Rye Altbier
Mike & Amber DeGrace
Tropical Stout
Mike & Amber DeGrace
Cadillac Tire, American Amber Ale
Steve Wakefield
Ascending Arc, New England IPA
Bill Balistreri

2018 Finalists

1st place, Chocolate Chips in My Pancakes
Step Brothers Brewing, Porter
2nd place, Strawberry Not Darryl
Steve Nott, Milkshake IPA
3rd place, It’s 10:33
John Scanlon, American IPA
JoBoy’s Brewpub Brewer’s Choice, WTHelles
Brian Mills, Helles Lager
Cox Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice, New American Slang
Josh Shock, Dave Hume & Zach Shock, American Pale Ale
From Moscow With Love
Josh Shock, Dave Hume & Zach Shock, American Strong Ale
At The Garden’s Edge
Jared Wolfe, Hibiscus Saison
Lime Cucumber Blonde Ale
Dave Timblin & Ryan White, Blonde Ale
Blue Harvest
Brooks Edman, Berliner Weisse
Mango Lassi
Brooks Edman, Berliner Weisse

2017 Finalists

1st place, Creamsicle Blonde Ale
Matthew Campbell, Blonde Ale
2nd place, Breakfast in the Dark
Adam Chamberland, Imperial Stout w/ Maple Syrup
3rd place, Zephyr
Mike Fegely & Alastair Peters, Pale Ale
JoBoy’s Brewpub Brewer’s Choice, Zephyr
Mike Fegely and Alastair Peters, Pale Ale
Second Glances – Head Rush
Nehemiah Talbott, American Amber Ale
High Amplitude
Bill Balistreri, Imperial Stout
Descending Arc
Bill Balistreri, IPA
Raspberry Beret
Kristen Richards, Milkshake IPA
Touch of Rye
Mike Adair, Brett Saison
Easy Come, Easy Gose
Josh Shock, Dave Hume & Zach Shock, Gose
Hazy With a Chance of Hops
Brian Wagner, Imperial IPA

2016 Finalists

1st place: Maple Bacon Coffee RIS
Chris Harvey & Caitlin Miletto
2nd place: Yuzu Session Milkshake IPA
Derek Wolf, Brad Moyer & Dean Pierce
3rd place: Goin’ Broke IPA
Ryan Foltz & Sam Son
Hop! In the Name of Love
Matthew Kupchinsky
Hazy Shade of Summer
Craig Fahnestock & Mike Baer
Red Craic
Brian Wagner
Melon Felony
Tim Myers
Blood Orange Wheat
Mike Adair
Slice of Life/Blood Orange
John Scanlon
Moral Dilemma
Matt Topper

2015 Finalists

1st place: The Gourd, The Bad, The Ugly
Steve Anderson
1st place: Stowaway Stout
Adam Chamberland
2nd place: Solar Terminator
Derek Markel
3rd place: Surfboard Session IPA
Matt Ranauro
Pumpkin Pecan Pie Porter
Travis Markel & Damien Garloff
Double West Coast IPA
John Palmer
Hop Along IPA
Steve Foose
Batch 40 Pale Ale
Andy Good
The Rites of Signage
Shane Pawelczyk
Tropical Implants w/Citra
Derek Markel

2014 Finalists

1st place: Scottish Ale
Kathy Yellets & Kelly Fedin
1st place: Smoked Chipotle Porter
Brian Thomas, Jason Clement & Will Meiser
2nd place: Smashed Wolf
Allen Arslanian
3rd place: Bride of Zombie
Harold Ford
4th place: Pale Ale
Brian Wagner
California Blonde
Craig Fahnstock & Mike Baer
Sour Cherry Berliner
Jon Briggs
Italian Breakfast
Dean Pierce & Steve Buller
Post Ride Pale
Eric Stoffer
Hot Pine IPA
Michael Foster