OFFICIAL PROFESSIONAL / COMMERCIAL BEER CHEESE CONTEST RULES & GUIDELINES
Click Here for Commercial / Pro Application to participate in the 2024 Beer Cheese Festival
Click here to learn about important changes: introducing Beer Cheese Bucks!
🏆 The Ultimate Beer Cheese Showdown Awaits! 🧀🔥
Every year, Downtown Winchester becomes the battleground for the nation’s top professional beer cheese makers, all competing for the prestigious Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice titles. With a $1,000 grand prize and ultimate bragging rights on the line, it’s no surprise that the best of the best step up to the challenge!
Think you have what it takes? Review the official rules below and join the competition! 🍻🎉
apply here with a $150 fully refundable deposit.
🧀 Calling All Professional Vendors! 🍻
To sell your delicious beer cheese at the festival, you must meet the official requirements:
✅ State-approved labeling – All commercial beer cheese processors must follow proper labeling guidelines.
✅ Sales approval – You can only sell your product if you have official state approval and a certified label.
Ready to showcase your beer cheese to the world? Make sure you’re approved and join the competition! 🎉🔥
Beer Cheese Festival Guidelines provided by the Clark County Health Department must be observed.
Below are the Contestants in the 2025 Beer Cheese Professional / Commercial Contest!
People’s Choice:
🏆 The People’s Champion – Chosen by YOU! 🧀🎉
As the name suggests, this prestigious award is decided by the fans! Every festival-goer who samples beer cheese on Beer Cheese Boulevard gets to cast their vote for their favorite.
At the end of the day, the votes are counted, and the competitor with the most love from the crowd takes home the coveted title! Will your favorite claim the top spot? Taste, vote, and be part of the excitement! 🍻🔥
🧀 Get Ready to Wow the Crowd! 🎉
To make the most of the festival, come prepared with 75-80 pounds of beer cheese for sampling and 200 pounds for selling to eager fans—both new and returning!
🚀 Pro Tip: Make your booth unforgettable! People love fun almost as much as they love cheese. 🎊 Get creative with:
✨ Eye-catching decorations
🎟️ A raffle or giveaway
🔔 Ringing a bell when you get a vote
🎁 Fun promotional items
The sky’s the limit! Make your booth stand out and keep festival-goers coming back for more! 🍻🏆
Judge’s Choice:
- The Judge’s Choice competition is determined by a panel of judges through a blind taste test.
- All entries will be submitted in an approved numbered container provided by the contest organizer.
- Official containers will be presented to each contestant by 9:30 a.m. on the day of the contest at their respective booths. Each container will consist of four 3-ounce souffle cups inside.
- Do not alter the appearance of the official containers or cups.
- Contestants will be responsible for filling the four cups with beer cheese samples. NO other garnishments or items are allowed. If other items are present, the beer cheese will be disqualified.
- If contestants have multiple beer cheese entries (i.e. hot and mild), you must have multiple containers. Each container must have four samples of the same beer cheese entry.
- Once filled and ready for submission, the contestant will be responsible for bringing the container to the beer cheese judging area located in front of city hall no later than 10:30 a.m. on the day of the contest.
- Once received, the entry will be assigned a number and a master log will be kept, matching the entrant to the sample. This is to ensure blind judging.
- Official judging will begin at 11 a.m. on the contest day inside City Hall. The judging area will be closed off to the public during this time.
- Judges may not fraternize with contestants until the conclusion of the judging process.
- Each judge will score each entry for appearance, smell, texture and taste before moving on to the next entry.
- Winners will be announced at 5 p.m. on the Courthouse steps on the day of the event.
Ground for disqualification: Unapproved garnish, altered containers, foreign object in container or fewer than four samples of beer cheese.
**Official judging scores will NOT be available for review **