Thank you for your interest in the DC Homebrewers Cherry Blossom Competition organized by DC Homebrewers Club, DC Brau Brewing Company, Washington, DC.

You only need to register your information once and can return to this site to enter more brews or edit the brews you've entered. You can even pay your entry fees online if you wish.

Thanks and Good Luck To All Who Entered the DC Homebrewers Cherry Blossom Competition!

There are 311 registered entries and 308 registered participants, judges, and stewards.

As of 2:16 PM, EDT, there are 0 received and processed entries (this number will update as entries are picked up from drop-off locations and organized for judging).

Rules

This competition is AHA-sanctioned and open to any amateur homebrewer age 21 or older.

All mailed entries must received at the mailing location by the entry deadline - please allow for shipping time.

All entries will be picked up from drop-off locations on the day of the entry deadline.

All entries must be handcrafted products, containing ingredients available to the general public, and made using private equipment by hobbyist brewers (i.e., no use of commercial facilities or Brew on Premises operations, supplies, etc.).

The competition organizers are not responsible for miscategorized entries, mailed entries that are not received by the entry deadline, or entries that arrived damaged.

The competition organizers reserve the right to combine styles for judging and to restructure awards as needed depending upon the quantity and quality of entries.

Qualified judging of all entries is the primary goal of our event. Judges will evaluate and score each entry. The average of the scores will rank each entry in its category. Each flight will have at least one BJCP judge.

Brewers are not limited to one entry in each category but may only enter each subcategory once.

The competition committee reserves the right to combine categories based on number of entries. All possible effort will be made to combine similar styles. All brews in combined categories will be judged according to the style they were originally entered in.

The Best of Show judging will be determined by a Best of Show panel based on a second judging of the top winners.

Bottles will not be returned to entrants.

***Competition Ban on Cannabis-Infused Entries.***

All and any cannabis-infused, or ingredient derivative of, beers are strictly prohibited. Any entrant found in violation of this rule will be banned from the competition and subject to additional penalties. 

Judging Sessions

First Session
Thursday, March 26, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT

Second Session
Friday, March 27, 2026 5:00 PM, EDT

Saturday Morning
Saturday, March 28, 2026 9:00 AM, EDT

Saturday Afternoon
Saturday, March 28, 2026 1:00 PM, EDT

Competition Officials

You can send an email to any of the following individuals via Contact.

• Cole Christian — Competition Organizer
• Volunteer Contact — Volunteer
• Bob Rouse — Registrar

Sponsors

DC Homebrewers Club is proud to have the following sponsors for the DC Homebrewers Cherry Blossom Competition.

DC Brau

3178-B Bladensburg Rd NE, Washington, DC 20018

DC Brau has been a core supporter of the Cherry Blossom Homebrew Competition, both as a host and drop off point. You can ship or drop off your entries for our competition and, if entered also, Spirit of Free Beer to save yourself a trip or on shipping. ***Homebrewers get 10% off their check, so go show Brau some love!***

Port City Brewing Co.

3950 Wheeler Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304

You may know Port City from such beers as seemingly-always-winning Optimal Wit. Competitions require organizing entries, which means a lot of case boxes. Port City still bottles some of their tasty beers and donated case boxes to the competition. Swing by for a pint or 5 as a token of appreciation.

RahrBSG

 

RahrBSG is a huge supporter of the homebrew hobby and homebrew competitions. You can find their and their suppliers' products at our local homebrew shops, like Maryland Homebrew, Jay's Brewing, and The Flying Barrel. Local breweries like DC Brau source from them as well. Thanks, RahrBSG!

Maryland Homebrew

9017 Mendenhall Ct Suite C, Columbia, MD 21045

Fantastic DMV homebrew shop and a great partner for competition drop-offs. They are nestled between a fair number of great breweries, so take a trip for your next brew day needs and grab a local pint!

Jay's Brewing

9790 Center St, Manassas, VA 20110

A fantastic homebrew shop serving Northern Virginia out of Manassas, Jay's Brewing is supporting Cherry Blossom by being a sponsor and a drop-off location. Give them a visit if you are in the area and grab a pint at their neighbor, Brightworks Brewing.

The Flying Barrel

1781 N Market St, Frederick, MD 21701

We are excited to have The Flying Barrel become a drop-off location so Frederick-area entrants can have an easy spot to take their entries (and get some supplies along the way). They also serve as a Spirit of Free Beer Competition drop-off, so you can drop both entries at once if desired.

City Brew Tours - DC

 

City Brew Tours – DC's Signature Brewery Tour is an all-inclusive craft beer experience featuring visits to six top DC breweries, guided tastings, behind-the-scenes insights, snacks, and round-trip transportation. Whether you live in the DMV or are visiting our nation's capital, City Brew Tours – DC is a great way to explore the District’s beer scene.