Remember: styles and category numbers change each year.
The 2020 Competition Categories below are for reference only!
2020 Competition Beer Styles – Detailed PDF
Hybrid/Mixed Beer Styles
- American-Style Wheat Beer
- Subcategory: Light American Wheat Beer without Yeast
- Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Beer without Yeast
- Subcategory: Light American Wheat Beer with Yeast
- Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Beer with Yeast
- American-Style Fruit Beer
- Fruit Wheat Beer
- Field Beer
- Pumpkin/Squash Beer or Pumpkin Spice Beer
- Subcategory: Pumpkin/Squash Beer
- Subcategory: Pumpkin Spice Beer
- Chili Beer
- Herb and Spice Beer
- Chocolate Beer
- Coffee Beer
- Coffee Stout or Porter
- Specialty Beer
- Rye Beer
- Subcategory: Rye Beer
- Subcategory: German-Style Rye Ale
- Honey Beer
- Session Beer or N/A Beer
- Subcategory: Session Beer
- Subcategory: Non-Alcohol Beer
- Session India Pale Ale
- Other Strong Beer
- Subcategory: Other Strong Beer
- Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Porter
- Subcategory: American-Style Wheat Wine Ale
- Subcategory: India Pale Lager
- Subcategory: American-Style Malt Liquor
- Experimental Beer
-
- Subcategory: Experimental Beer
- Subcategory: Fresh Hop Beer
- Subcategory: Ginjo Beer or Sake-Yeast Beer
- Subcategory: Wild Beer
- Subcategory: Aged Beer
-
- Experimental India Pale Ale
- Historical Beer
- Subcategory: Historical Beer
- Subcategory: Grodziskie
- Subcategory: Finnish-Style Sahti
- Subcategory: Adambier
- Subcategory: Dutch-Style Kuyt Beer
- Subcategory: Swedish-Style Gotlandsdricke
- Subcategory: Breslau-Style Schoeps
- Gluten-Free Beer
- American-Belgo-Style Ale
- American-Style Sour Ale
- Fruited American-Style Sour Ale
- Brett Beer
- Mixed-Culture Brett Beer
- Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
- Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber Beer
- Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Dark Beer
- Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
- Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout
- Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
- Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
- Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
- Subcategory: Unfiltered European-Style Ale
- Subcategory: Unfiltered European-Style Lager
- Smoke Beer
- Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Weiss Rauchbier
- Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Helles Rauchbier
- Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Maerzen Rauchbier
- Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Bock Rauchbier
- Subcategory: Smoke Porter
- Subcategory: Other Smoke Beer
Lager Beer Styles
- American Lager
- Subcategory: American-Style Lager
- Subcategory: Contemporary American-Style Lager
- Light Lager
- Subcategory: American-Style Light Lager
- Subcategory: Contemporary American-Style Light Lager
- Subcategory: German-Style Leichtbier
- American Pilsener
- Subcategory: American-Style Pilsener
- Subcategory: Contemporary American-Style Pilsener
- International Pilsener
- Subcategory: International-Style Pilsener
- Subcategory: Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lager
- American-Style Cream Ale
- American Amber Lager
- Subcategory: American-Style Amber Lager
- Subcategory: California Common Beer
- Subcategory: American-Style Maerzen/Oktoberfest
- German-Style Pilsener
- Bohemian-Style Pilsener
- Munich-Style Helles
- Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest
- Subcategory: Dortmunder/European-Style Export
- Subcategory: German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesn
- Vienna-Style Lager
- German-Style Maerzen
- German Dark Lager
- Subcategory: Franconian-Style Rotbier
- Subcategory: Munich-Style Dunkel
- Subcategory: German-Style Schwarzbier
- International Dark Lager
- Subcategory: American-Style Dark Lager
- Subcategory: European-Style Dark Lager
- Subcategory: Baltic-Style Porter
- Bock
- Subcategory: Traditional German-Style Bock
- Subcategory: German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock
- German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock
- Subcategory: German-Style Doppelbock
- Subcategory: German-Style Eisbock
Ale Beer Styles
- Golden or Blonde Ale
- German-Style Koelsch
- English Ale
- Subcategory: English-Style Summer Ale
- Subcategory: Classic English-Style Pale Ale
- Subcategory: English-Style India Pale Ale
- International Pale Ale
- Subcategory: Classic Australian-Style Pale Ale
- Subcategory: Australian-Style Pale Ale
- Subcategory: International-Style Pale Ale
- American-Style Pale Ale
- Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
- American-Style Strong Pale Ale
- Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
- American-Style India Pale Ale
- Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
- Imperial India Pale Ale
- Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale
- American-Style Amber/Red Ale
- Strong Red Ale
- Subcategory: Double Hoppy Red Ale
- Subcategory: Imperial Red Ale
- English Mild or Bitter
- Subcategory: English-Style Pale Mild Ale
- Subcategory: English-Style Dark Mild Ale
- Subcategory: Ordinary Bitter
- Subcategory: Special Bitter or Best Bitter
- Extra Special Bitter
- Subcategory: American-Style Extra Special Bitter
- Subcategory: English-Style Extra Special Bitter
- Scottish-Style Ale
- Subcategory: Scottish-Style Light Ale
- Subcategory: Scottish-Style Heavy Ale
- Subcategory: Scottish-Style Export Ale
- Irish-Style Red Ale
- English-Style Brown Ale
- American-Style Brown Ale
- American-Style Black Ale or American-Style Stout
- Subcategory: American-Style Black Ale
- Subcategory: American-Style Stout
- German-Style Sour Ale
- Subcategory: Leipzig-Style Gose
- Subcategory: Berliner-Style Weisse
- Specialty Berliner-Style Weisse
- Contemporary Gose
- German-Style Altbier
- German-Style Wheat Ale
- Subcategory: South German-Style Hefeweizen
- Subcategory: South German-Style Kristal Weizen
- Subcategory: German-Style Leichtes Weizen
- Subcategory: South German-Style Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen
- Subcategory: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen
- Subcategory: South German-Style Weizenbock
- Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Pale Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
- Subcategory: French-Style Biere de Garde
- Subcategory: Other Belgian- and French-Style Ale
- Belgian-Style Witbier
- Classic Saison
- Specialty Saison
- Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Lambic
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic
- Subcategory: Contemporary Belgian-Style Spontaneous Fermented Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale
- Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Sour Ale
- Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Quadrupel
- Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale
- Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Dubbel
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Tripel
- Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
- Belgian-Style Specialty Ale
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Fruit Beer
- Subcategory: Belgian-Style Table Beer
- Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Specialty Ale
- Brown Porter
- Robust Porter
- Stout
- Subcategory: Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout
- Subcategory: Export Stout
- Sweet Stout or Cream Stout
- Oatmeal Stout
- Imperial Stout
- Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Stout
- Subcategory: British-Style Imperial Stout
- Scotch Ale
- Subcategory: Unpeated Scotch Ale
- Subcategory: Peated Scotch Ale
- Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine-Style Ale
- Subcategory: Old Ale
- Subcategory: Strong Ale
- Subcategory: American-Style Barley Wine Ale
- Subcategory: British-Style Barley Wine Ale
- Fresh Hop Beer