Frequently Asked Questions – Full Competition

Dates / Deadlines
  • Registration Opens: Jan 1st 2025
  • Final Day to Edit Entries: Feb 14th 2025
  • Entry Receipt Window: Feb 24th – 28th 2025
  • Competition: Mar 14th – 16th 2025
Participation
  • Q: Who is eligible to compete? – A: Licensed breweries/brewpubs from around the world. Homebrewers and breweries-in-planning are not eligible.
  • Q: We can’t send brewery team members to the event, can we still compete? – A: This is a closed event for judges only. No need to send reps, only beer.
  • Q: Can I ship beer to your competition if I don’t distribute to Oregon? – A: Yes. Beers submitted to the competition are for analysis and not for sale or public consumption.
  • Q: The company I own or work for has multiple locations, each with their own TTB notice. Can each location enter beers? – A: Yes, entries must be unique across locations (breweries may not enter the same beer produced in different locations).
Registration / Payment
  • Q: How many beers, locations, styles etc.?
    – No limit to number of locations per company that can enter. Each location must have a separate brewing license or proof of legal brewing status.
    – Enter as many beers in a particular style/category as you like, BUT each beer may only be entered once.
  • Q: I’d like to register now, but I don’t have some or all of my beer info. – A: Feel free to create “placeholder” entries so you can take advantage of discount pricing, or register what you know and come back later to add more beers.
  • Q: After registration, I realized some beer information needs to be changed. – A: Not a problem. Log in to your account and edit beer info until February 14th.
  • Q: What’s the best way to pay? Do I have to use PayPal? – A: PayPal is how we accept debit/credit cards, but feel free to either send us a check or complete a bank transfer.
  • Q: Why does my PayPal receipt show the name “Original Gravity Events”? – A: Original Gravity Events is our business name we use for tax purposes and the creation of future competitions and festivals.
Samples

Q: Which containers are acceptable?  

A: Capped or cork & cage bottles from 11.2oz/375ml up to 750ml, cans up to 32oz including Crowlers. 32oz growlers are acceptable, but we believe screw-top growlers are risky for your beer’s quality. No 64oz growlers will be accepted for judging.

Q: How much should I send?

A: For all categories

Qty. 8 bottles/cans under 16 oz (473mL) 

or

Qty. 6 bottles/cans/growlers of 16oz (473mL) to 33.8oz (1L) size

Entries received with less than the necessary quantity may not be judged.

Packing and shipping materials sent to the competition cannot be returned, including the primary vessel and any coolers or other packaging.

 

**Final container requirements are determined by entries, any changes will be communicated at close of registration**

Q: When should I send my entries?

A: Beers must arrive in Bend between February 24th and 28th, 2025. Beer arriving later than February 28th may not be judged, at BoCBA’s discretion.

No revisions to entries, tasting notes, or other information will be allowed after February 14th, 2025.

BoCBA is not responsible for any aspect of judging or beer handling for entries which arrive late or with unapproved information changes. If you have any shipping issues, please contact Ryan Sharp at 541-350-0493 or ryan@originalgravityevents.com. All entries must be received by Friday, February 28th – 4pm PST 

If you decide not to ship one or more entries, please notify us at info@originalgravityevents.com.  Missing beer causes delays in receiving and messes with our OCD.

All regulatory and financial burdens associated with submitting samples to the Best of Craft Beer Awards are the sole responsibility of the entering brewery. C.O.D. shipments will not be accepted.

Q: How should I label my entries?

A: We will provide an entry label for you to print which will include the entry info and a QR code for tracking on our end. If you have problems printing or using our labels, please contact us at info@originalgravityevents.com. Labels must be:

– Adhered to the container- firmly attach the label to the bottle or can with clear plastic tape, no rubber bands.
– Legibile- printed labels should be easily readable.
– Moisture resistant- in the event of breakage, labels of the surviving containers should not become damaged or illegible due to moisture

Q: How should I pack my beer for shipment?

A: In our experience, specialized bottle shipping materials (molded foam or pulp, Whale Pods) perform best, but it’s also possible to pack an Armageddon-proof box with sturdy cardboard and on-hand good cushioning material, but please NO PACKING PEANUTS.

Pack based on the worst-case scenario; boxes in transit can encounter tipping, dropping, and the weight of other packages on top of yours. Place all bottles/cans in the same direction and cushion with sufficient packing material between each container and also between containers and the outer wall.

Creating a waterproof barrier around the containers is also advised. Whether it’s a trash bag around an inner carton or each container in its own ziploc bag, we recommend some cheap insurance against one broken/leaking container derailing the whole shipment.

If samples break and replacement samples do not arrive prior to the competition, these beers may not be judged. No entry fees are refunded due to breakage/loss in transit. Additional shipping costs due to breakage in transit are the sole responsibility of the brewery.

Q: Where should I send my entries?

A: For the main event (Spring of each year):

Empire Cold Storage
Attn: BOCBA
62864 NE Oxford Ct
Bend, OR 97701

For Fresh Hop events, please see registration details for delivery address.

**If you are local to the competition and dropping off your beer rather than shipping, please contact info@originalgravityevents.com to make arrangements.

Q: What do you want for tasting notes?

A: Tasting notes should inform judges of any specialty ingredients or processes without setting expectations. In general, references to brands (either your own brewery/beer names or those of ingredients used), geographic locations, or sensory adjectives are inappropriate in a competition setting. We reserve the right to edit tasting notes or withhold them altogether. **Please do not copy/paste the info from your menu.**