2026 Beer & Cider Categories
Please find the 2026 Beer & Cidercategories listed below. Category definitions have been provided to help you select the right place for your product to be entered.
To enter, click on the category that is the best fit for your product and you will be taken to the online entry form. You will be able to enter multiple categories within one entry.
Entries close at midnight on Friday 4 September 2026
Our discounted Small Producer rate is available for all companies with a turnover less than £2 million and fewer than 10 staff
Small producer Discount Code
Our discounted Medium Producer rate is available for all companies with a turnover more than £2 million and under £5 million, and fewer than 50
Medium Producer Discoutn Code
Ales
Beer styles produced using ale fermentation. Includes pale ales, amber ales, IPA, session ales and speciality or craft ales. Products may be bottled, canned or kegged and intended for retail sale.
Lager
Bottom-fermented beers including pale lager, pilsner, helles and speciality lagers. Products may be mainstream or craft and sold in bottles or cans.
Craft & Speciality Beers
Beers produced in small batches or using innovative brewing techniques, styles or ingredients beyond standard ale, lager, porter or stout categories. Includes craft, experimental, seasonal, barrel-aged, sour, mixed-fermentation and speciality beers.
Seasonal, Barrel-Aged and Experimental Beers
Beers produced using seasonal recipes, barrel ageing or innovative brewing techniques, ingredients or flavour profiles. Includes limited edition, collaborative, wood-aged and experimental beers intended for retail sale across a wide range of styles and strengths.
Cider
Alcoholic beverages produced from fermented apples or pears. Includes still, sparkling, flavoured and craft ciders.
Porters and Stouts
Dark beers including porters, dry stouts, milk stouts and flavoured stout styles.
Sour, Wild and Mixed Fermentation Beer
Beers produced using souring, wild yeast or mixed fermentation techniques. Includes sour ales, lambic-style beers, gose, Berliner Weisse, farmhouse styles and other beers where acidity, funk or mixed culture fermentation are central to the product style.