⭐ Your Step‑by‑Step Entry Roadmap 1. Review the Entry Requirements
Please make sure your beer meets the official guidelines before submitting.
Key requirements include:
- Brewers must be California residents and 21+
- Beers must be brewed at home for personal, non‑commercial use
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Each entry requires three (3) 12oz bottles or cans
- Bottles must be clean and unlabeled, with commercial caps fully blacked out
- Entry forms must be attached to bottles using rubber bands only
2. Prepare Your Packaging Correctly
Correct packaging is essential for unbiased judging and safe handling:
- No commercial labels or identifying marks
- Caps must be completely blacked out
- Only official entry forms attached with rubber bands
This ensures a fair, blind judging process for all entrants.
3. Choose Your Best Entries
When deciding what to submit, consider:
- Beers at peak freshness
- Styles that travel well
- Batches you’ve refined and perfected
- Flavors that best fit the judging guidelines
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Your strongest, cleanest beers give you the best chance to place well.
4. Use Our New Category Placement Guide
We’ve added a new Category Placement Guide to help answer common questions about which category your beer should be entered into.
If you're unsure where your beer fits, this guide may have the answer to help you make the best choice. If your question isn’t covered, just send us an email. We’ll point you in the right direction and add your question to the guide to help other homebrewers.
5. Complete Your Entry & Prepare Documentation
Be sure to:
- Register each entry online
- Print the correct bottle forms
- Double‑check your category selection
- Confirm your club affiliation if competing for Club of the Year
6. Prepare for Drop‑Off or Shipping
- Shipping (Cal Expo, Sacramento)
• April 6–7 - Southern California Drop-Off (Angel City Brewery)
• April 6–15 - Northern California Drop-Off (Cal Expo)
• April 17–19 - Final Entry Deadline
• April 19 — All entries must be received.
Packing Tips:
- Use sturdy boxes with padding
- Ship early in the week
- Protect bottles from heat exposure
7. Judging & Results
Judging takes place April 24–26 (closed to the public).
Results will be announced by May 4.
You’ll receive detailed judges’ notes — one of the most valuable parts of entering.
🎁 Optional: Swag for Judge & Volunteer Raffle
If you’d like, you can include a small swag item (Homebrew and Brewery stickers, coasters, keychains, etc.) with your entries for our judge and volunteer raffle. It’s a simple way to thank the people who help make this competition possible. Last year the homebrew equipment we raffled off was very popular!
🍺 Submit Your Entry Today
We look forward to seeing the creativity and skill California homebrewers bring to the 2026 competition. Best of luck with your entries!
Cheers,
California State Fair Homebrew Competition Team
