Pacific Brewers Cup
The Pacific Brewers Cup is one of Southern California’s premier BJCP-sanctioned homebrew competitions — and it was born right here in the Strand Brewers Club. What started as our own club competition has grown into an annual event that draws hundreds of entries from homebrewers across the region, with certified BJCP judges evaluating every beer, mead, and cider against world-class style guidelines.
Today, the Pacific Brewers Cup is organized in partnership with two other respected South Bay homebrew clubs: Pacific Gravity and the Long Beach Homebrewers. The three clubs rotate hosting duties, with each club taking the lead once every three years. It is a collaboration built on decades of shared passion for great homebrew and fair competition.
How It Started
The Strand Brewers Club founded the Pacific Brewers Cup in the late 1990s as a way to give local homebrewers a legitimate, well-organized competition close to home. The first competitions were run entirely by Strand Brewers members — organizing entries, recruiting judges, securing venues, and handling the mountain of logistics that goes into a sanctioned homebrew competition.
As the PBC grew in reputation and size, the workload grew with it. By the time the competition was drawing hundreds of entries across dozens of BJCP categories, it was clear that one club could not sustain it alone year after year. The decision was made to bring in two partner clubs — Pacific Gravity and the Long Beach Homebrewers — and rotate hosting duties on a three-year cycle.
That partnership has proven to be one of the best things to happen to the competition. Each club brings its own energy, volunteer base, and connections to the table. The rotation keeps the event fresh while giving each organizing club time to plan properly. The PBC has been running for nearly three decades now, and the three-club model is a big part of why.
Key figures in the PBC’s history include Jeff Sanders, who served as Chief Organizer and logistics coordinator for the 2009 and 2012 competitions, and Rives Borland, who organized the 2015 PBC — one of the largest in the competition’s history. The late Steve Fafard coordinated awards distribution for years. These members, and many others who volunteered as judges, stewards, and organizers, built the PBC into what it is today.
Competition Format
The Pacific Brewers Cup follows the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) competition format — the gold standard for amateur brewing competitions worldwide. Every entry is evaluated blind by at least two certified judges who score it against the official BJCP style guidelines.
Categories. The PBC accepts entries across 34+ beer style categories, plus cider, perry, and mead divisions. Whether you brew a classic German Pilsner, an experimental wild ale, or a traditional English bitter, there is a category for your beer.
Entry process. Registration and entry submission typically open in the summer, with bottle drop-off deadlines in August or early September. Entries are managed through the BCOEM (Brewing Competition Online Entry & Management) system hosted on the Strand Brewers Club website.
Judging. Preliminary judging sessions narrow the field over several days, followed by a main judging day where category winners are determined. The best entries from each category advance to the Best of Show round, where a panel of experienced judges selects the overall winner.
Annual schedule. The PBC is held every fall, typically in September. The hosting club rotates on a three-year cycle:
- Strand Brewers Club — most recently hosted in 2025; next hosting year is 2028
- Pacific Gravity
- Long Beach Homebrewers
Regardless of which club is hosting in a given year, the competition is managed through the Strand Brewers Club website and all three clubs contribute volunteers, judges, and stewards.
Past Competition Results
The Pacific Brewers Cup has been running since the late 1990s. Here are highlights from recent Strand-hosted years and the most recent competition.
2025 Pacific Brewers Cup
337 entries judged • 140 registered participants, judges, and stewards
| Place | Brewer | Entry | Style | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st BOS | Joe St. John | Limbo | American Pale Ale | Yeastside Brewers |
| 2nd BOS | Kyle Hufford | Saison For Binky | Gueuze | Santa Barbara Brewing Society |
| 3rd BOS | William Vigil | Muttertag | German Pils | Ace Brewing Society |
| HM | Jeff Zwetsch & Don Frakes | Isolated Facts | American Stout | Ace Brewing Society |
2015 Pacific Brewers Cup (Strand-Hosted)
Organized by Rives Borland with support from Jill Updyke and a large team of volunteers, the 2015 PBC was one of the largest in the competition’s history. Judging took place in the South Bay, with awards coordinated by Steve Fafard. The competition included a Pro-Am component connecting winning homebrewers with sponsor breweries. View full results in the BCOEM archive.
2012 Pacific Brewers Cup (16th Annual)
~340 entries judged • 72 BJCP judges
Held September 22 at Four Points Sheraton LAX. The 2012 PBC was the 6th time Strand Brewers ran the competition — the largest to date, with entries up roughly 100 from three years prior. Jim Wilson served as Head Judge and Jeff Sanders as PBC Director. Jay Ankeney earned 1st runner-up Best of Show with a Peach and Buckwheat Honey Melomel, and Jim Hilbing won Category 6 with his Kolsch.
2010 Pacific Brewers Cup (14th Annual)
Held September 25 at Rock Bottom Brewery in Long Beach. Strand Brewers members had a strong showing:
- Jim Hilbing — 1st Place Strong Ale, 1st BOS Runner-Up, 3rd Kolsch, 3rd Russian Imperial Stout
- Ray Panek — 1st Place Dusseldorf Altbier, 3rd Wood-Aged Beer
- Rob Proffitt — 2nd Place Northern English Brown
- Jeff Sanders — 2nd Place Fruit Beer
- Scott Hooper — Honorable Mention Metheglin (Mead)
Full competition results for recent years are available through the Pacific Brewers Cup BCOEM system, which archives results from 2015, 2022, and 2025.
Enter, Judge, or Volunteer
The Pacific Brewers Cup depends on homebrewers, judges, and volunteers from across Southern California. Here is how you can be part of it.
Enter your beer. Registration typically opens in the summer through the BCOEM entry system. You do not need to be a member of any of the three partner clubs to enter — the competition is open to all homebrewers. Review the BJCP style guidelines before entering to make sure your beer lands in the right category.
Judge or steward. BJCP-certified judges are always needed, and the PBC is a great way to get judging experience if you are working toward your certification. Stewards — who assist judges during flights — do not need BJCP certification and are an essential part of making the competition run smoothly. Volunteering is one of the best ways to learn what makes a winning beer.
Help organize. When it is Strand’s turn to host, we need all hands on deck — from bottle sorting and entry check-in to day-of logistics and awards coordination. If you want to see how a major homebrew competition comes together from the inside, this is your chance.