Earlier this month, the Brewers Association released its 2019 edition of the Beer Style Guidelines, which features over 1,000 edits, revisions, formatting changes and general housekeeping updates, as well as the addition, deletion and combination of several beer style guidelines.
The Beer Style Guidelines serve as a resource for brewers, beer judges, and competition organizers for the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup and are assessed and adjusted annually by the Brewers Association and a panel of global collaborators.
“As brewers continue to innovate and evolve styles, so must the criteria which reflect their passion and their beers in the U.S. and global marketplace,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Brewers Association. “The annual audit of the Brewers Association’s Beer Style Guidelines is a complex undertaking and a truly collaborative process allowing for robust dialogue and a great final product. We’re proud to put forth such an important resource for the global community of brewers, drinkers, and beer lovers.”
Style additions
- Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale
- Contemporary Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic
- Franconian-Style Rotbier
- American-Style India Pale Lager
Style consolidations
- Pale and Dark American-Belgo-Style Ale styles consolidated into one guideline
- Kellerbier or Zwickelbier Ale and Lager styles consolidated into one guideline
- Breslau-Style Pale and Dark Schoeps styles consolidated into one guideline
- American-Style Light and Dark Wheat Beer styles consolidated from four guidelines to one
- Wood-and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber, Dark and Strong into one guideline
Style removals
- American-Style Ice Lager
Author: Kristin Helf
Kristin is a writer and picture-taker in Ocean City, Maryland. She likes puppies, pumpkin ales and watching movies for the Ocean City Film Festival in her spare time.
