OFFICIAL PROFESSIONAL CONTEST RULES & GUIDELINES
Each year, we are honored to draw the best professional beer cheese makers in the country to compete on Main Street to be crowned Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice. With a prize package valued at over $3,000 (including a $1,000 check!) plus bragging rights, it’s no wonder we get the best. Click here for details about prizes.
If you would like to participate in our professional beer cheese competition, please review the official rules below, and click here to complete application and pay deposit.
Requirements for being a professional vendor:
All labeling requirements for commercial beer cheese processors must be observed.
Beer Cheese Festival Guidelines provided by the Clark County Health Department must be observed.
People’s Choice:
As the name suggests, the winner of this prestigious award is chosen by the people. Every festival goer who enters Beer Cheese Boulevard is given one vote to cast for their favorite contestant after taste-testing each product sample. At the end of the day, the votes are tallied and the competitor with the most votes takes home the prize! Learn more.
Pro tip: make your booth fun! People like fun almost as much as they like cheese.
Judge’s Choice:
| 1. The Judge’s Choice competition is determined by a panel of judges through a blind taste test. Entries will be submitted in an approved BCF numbered container provided by the contest organizer. |
| 2. Official BCF numbered containers will be presented to each contestant by 11:00 a.m. on day of contest at their respective booths. Each container will consist of a container with 4 numbered Soufflé Cups inside. Once received, cups and container will be assigned a number, and a master log will be kept by one person, matching the entrant to the sample. This is to ensure blind judging. |
| 3. Official BCF containers will be submitted by each Beer Cheese Contestant to a BCF Contest Rep at City Hall by 12:00 p.m. on contest day. |
| 4. Each Official BCF container shall include the following: 4 individual samples of beer cheese. No other garnishments, or items may be present in the official box. If other items are present the beer cheese will be disqualified. |
| 5. Official judging will begin at 1:00 p.m. on contest day inside City Hall. Judging area will be closed off to public during this time. |
| 6. Judges may not fraternize with teams on turn-in day until conclusion of judging. |
| 7. Judging will be done by a panel of 4 persons. |
| 8. Each judge will score each entry for appearance, smell, texture, and taste before moving on to the next entry. |
| 9. The scoring system is from 25 (Excellent) to 5 (Bad). |
| 10. All whole numbers between five and 25 may be used to score an entry. 10 is the starting point. |
| 11. A score of four (4) is a disqualification and requires approval by a Contest Rep. |
| 12. Judges will only be offered water to cleanse pallet at time of judging. |
| 13. All scoring should start with 10 and then go from there. 10 being average. If the entry is below average it will be scored accordingly, and if it’s better than average, of course a higher number will be assigned. |
| 14. Comment cards will be used and the judges are encouraged to fill them out. |
Grounds for disqualification:
Unapproved garnish, marked turn-in container, foreign object in container, fewer than 4 samples of beer cheese.
Tallying of Votes:
Judging will end by 3 p.m. on contest day
Votes will be tallied after judges have submitted their votes to official BCF Contest Rep.
Announcements & Awards:
The winner of the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice Awards will be announced at 5:00 p.m. on the day of the contest on the courthouse steps.
Official Winners will be able to claim their prizes at this time.
Comment Cards will be available to pick up after the announcement of the winner on the courthouse steps from an official BCF Contest Organizer. Official judging scores will not be available for review.