“If a beer has a medal, does that mean I’ll like it?”
This is the question I’m asked whenever I mention judging at beer competitions. The simple answer is “No.” While an award indicates the beer in question is of high quality and has technical merit, and represents the style well, shiny decorations don’t mean a beer has the magic power to please every drinker. Our taste preferences vary wildly, just as flavors in beer do.
There are lots of conversations to be had about the value of beer competitions, and why it’s worth it for breweries to submit entries. Critics tend to question the integrity of the judging, or who gets to decide which beer is the best. I was confronted once with the question: “Do you judge beer professionally?” “No, it’s an expensive hobby,” I joked—though it’s not really a joke, since, in most cases, you don’t get paid for it.
I thought of that question again in the grand hall of the Palm Garden, where my fellow judges and I recently gathered for the Frankfurt International Trophy. Many judges were railroad engineers, HR professionals, and bankers by day, but after hours they became homebrewers, certified sommeliers, and beer writers. We all took this work seriously: We know beer, we love beer, and we’re eager to do everything possible to make it better with relevant and meaningful feedback. But just loving beer doesn’t mean you get to judge it—you need to know your stuff.
So that beer with the medal on the label? It probably won’t disappoint, given what it’s had to go through to earn that award. But liking it is up to you.
Words + Photo by Lana Svitankova