A charity-fundraising craft beer festival in Lititz, Pennsylvania
Lititz Craft Beer Fest 2021 is Happening! @ TAIT, 401 W Lincoln Ave. Lititz, PATwo Sessions on Saturday, September 25th11:30am - 2:30pm4:30pm - 7:30pmOne Session on Sunday, September 26th2:00pm - 5:00pm Includes Homebrew Competition
A charity-fundraising craft beer festival in Lititz, Pennsylvania
Lititz Craft Beer Fest 2021 is Happening! @ TAIT, 401 W Lincoln Ave. Lititz, PATwo Sessions on Saturday, September 25th11:30am - 2:30pm4:30pm - 7:30pmOne Session on Sunday, September 26th2:00pm - 5:00pm Includes Homebrew Competition
The May’s Service Center Homebrew Tent will return to the Seventh Annual Lititz Craft Beer Festival during the Sunday session on September 26th, 2021. 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 Monday, August 2nd. 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 Thursday, August 5th
Ten finalists pour at Lititz Craft Beer Fest 2021 on Sunday, September 26th alongside more than 60 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 Monday, August 2nd.
$5 per entry. Limit 3 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.
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 Thursday, August 5th.
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 seven weeks between the date the finalists are chosen and the festival. (August 5th to September 26th is 52 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
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, is in the process of attempting to obtain a license, or is employed by or directly affiliated with any licensed brewer. No entries will be accepted that were brewed in a commercial brewery.
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. Two brews will be worthy of a nod from local professionals. Cox Brewing Company of Elizabethtown, 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 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.
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 2021:
Cox Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Cox Brewing Company & your beer served on tap until it’s gone
Pour Man’s Brewing Company Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Pour Man’s Brewing Company & your beer served on tap until it’s gone
Big Dog Craft Brewing Brewer’s Choice: Brew at Big Dog Craft Brewing & 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
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.
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
