LONGMONT, CO— At the USA Beer Ratings event, which took place in San Francisco this July, Boat Snack Hazy IPA and Medal AF Mosaic IPA won Gold medals and Insane Rush IPA and Lush Puppy Juicy IPA won Silver medals in the competition.
To receive this distinction, Bootstrap Brewing needed to score highly in three different categories - Quality, Value, and Packaging. All beers were evaluated by a high-profile panel of judges, all of them with commercial buying experience, ensuring that all beers scoring highly in the competition are those with broad commercial appeal.
In contrast to other international beer competitions, which focus on evaluating just a single variable or factor, the USA Beer Ratings uses a three-factor scoring system that takes into account the overall quality of the beer, its relative value compared to other beers in terms of pricing, and the overall branding and presentation of the beer. The goal of the USA Beer Ratings competition is to award and celebrate beers that beer drinkers actually want to drink.
According to Sid Patel, CEO and Founder of event organizer Beverage Trade Network, “this three-factor rating system is central to our mission of finding and awarding the very best beers in the world. We wanted to take a different approach to judge beers that really take into account the factors that consumers and beer drinkers use whenever they are deciding which beer to purchase in a store or order from a menu.”
The judging panel consisted of beer industry experts with extensive commercial buying experience. These judges assessed beers on the basis of three primary factors - Quality, Value, and Packaging. Quality refers to the taste and aroma profile of the beer, Value refers to the relative affordability of a beer vis-a-vis its peers, and Packaging refers to the overall branding and presentation of a beer.
“We were extremely pleased that our beer scored so highly in the USA Beer Ratings competition,” said Steve Kaczeus, Owner/Brewer at Bootstrap Brewing. “It’s further evidence that we are creating the type of beer that consumers want to drink. We take a lot of pride in crafting consumer-friendly, approachable beers that look as good as they taste.”
To win a USA Beer Ratings award, you will need to score highly in all three areas of the judging criteria. You might have an outstanding quality beer, but if the price and packaging are not right, you will not be recognized by the USA Beer Ratings.
Scoring System
USA Beer Ratings’ score is decided on the following judging formula:
Q (Quality Score) + Value Score (V) + Package Score (P) = USA Beer Ratings Score.
A separate weighted score is given for each of the three parts of the judging process. The scores are then calculated to give a final score out of 100 from which individual prizes are awarded.
Quality Score: Marked out of 100
Value Score: Marked out of 100
Package Score: Marked out of 100
Gold: To receive a Gold medal you need to score 90 or over.
Silver: Need to score between 80-89.
Bronze: Need to score between 70-79.
ABOUT BOOTSTRAP BREWING COMPANY
Home to best-selling and award-winning craft beers such as Insane Rush, Lush Puppy, Boat Snack, Medal AF, Stick’s Pale Ale, Chillax, Wreak Havoc, and Pickle Me Up, Bootstrap Brewing is an independent, adventurous brewery in Colorado dedicated to producing a wide range of highly drinkable ales and lagers. More information can be found on our website at bootstrapbrewing.com.
ABOUT USA BEER RATINGS
The 7th Annual USA Beer Ratings competition took place in San Francisco this July. USA Beer Ratings competition represents the perfect opportunity to get in front of influential judges, tastemakers and commercial buyers. An award from the USA Beer Ratings competition is a prestigious mark of approval that is highly valued by consumers when they are making the choice of which beer to buy. The organizer of the event is Beverage Trade Network (BTN), which also hosts industry events around the world and owns media assets and platforms to connect the drinks industry globally.