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Community Corner

URBAN HOPS HOSTS FIRST ANNUAL HOMEBREW COMPETITION

The teams at The Urban Grape and Berkley Beer Company are excited to announce their first annual Homebrewing Competition.  Massachusetts’s home brewers are invited to drop off their home brews to either Urban Grape location (Chestnut Hill and the South End) between April 1st – August 29th during store hours.

Beer Manager and Cicerone Certified Beer Server, Ben Bouton along with his fellow judges will then painstakingly taste through each of the submissions, narrowing the beer bounty down to five finalists, to be announced on September 10th. On Wednesday, September 17th, the finalists along with the beer loving public are invited to the Homebrewing Finals.  The winning beer and 2014 Homebrew Master will win the Grand Prize: Berkley Beer Company will produce a commercial size batch of the winning homebrew, which will be sold this fall at both Urban Grape locations.

WHERE:
Bottles to be dropped off at and winning beer sold at:
Urban Grape – South End       Urban Grape – Chestnut Hill
303 Columbus Ave                  7 Boylston St
Boston, MA                             Chestnut Hill, MA 

WHEN:
Drop off homebrews: April 1st –August 29th 
Finalists Announced: Wednesday, September 10th 
Winners Announced at Homebrewing Finals: Wednesday, September 17th 

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RULES:
1. No judges or employees of The Urban Grape or Berkley Beer Company may enter this competition.
2. All beers must be brewed at home. No commercial or brewed on-site beers may be submitted.
3. Beer must be brewed by the person entering it. Team beers are acceptable; all entrants must have been an active participant in the brewing process. All team members must be at least 21 years of age.
4. This competition is recommended for ales, with lagers also allowed; ciders and meads may not be submitted.
5. Up to four (4) separate submissions may be entered per person.
6. A $10 entrance fee must be provided for each submission. 
7. Bottles must be dropped off at either Urban Grape location between April 1st and August 29th during store hours. Late submissions will not be accepted. 
8. All submitted beers must be commercially viable. This means no extended aging or souring processes may be used for this competition. While lagers will be accepted, ales are encouraged as mentioned in Rule 4.
9. Upon entrant’s request, written feedback will be provided for beers submitted.
10. The homebrewer will retain rights to all beers and their recipes that are submitted to competition. Beers will not be reproduced without written consent.

BOTTLE REQUIREMENTS:
1. Entrant must submit three (3) bottles of each beer being entered in the competition. 
2. All submission bottles must be between 10oz and 22oz.
3. Bottles must not have a label or any distinguishing writing. Any writing on bottle caps must be blacked out with permanent marker.
4. Brown bottles are recommended for submission.
5. Crowned, swing top, and corked & caged bottles will be accepted.
6. Every bottle submitted must have a bottle identification label attached using a rubber band. Bottle identification labels are included below and should be filled out before dropping off at The Urban Grape.

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