Updated: Oct. 17, 2021
Congratulations to all the medal winners!
Full results for this year’s competition can be found here!
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The Sower’s Cup Homebrew Competition
October 15 & 16, 2021
Hosted by the
Lincoln Lagers Homebrew Club
Lincoln, Nebraska
Sanctioned by the
American Homebrewers Association
A BJCP Registered Competition • Accepting entries in all categories, including mead and cider • Open to any U.S. residents 21 years of age or older
The Sower’s Cup is a participating event in the following awards circuits for 2021:
High Plains Brewer of the Year
Midwest Homebrewer of the Year
Thank you for your interest in the Sower’s Cup. Our volunteer staff is working around the clock to update our competition information. Additional information can be found here to get labels and pay your fees! We had a cap of 308 and passed the 250 mark at the deadline of Sept. 24, 2021.
Important Dates & Schedule of Judging Sessions
Entry Registration Opens: Sunday, Aug. 11, 2021
Entry Registration Deadline: Monday, Sept. 24, 2021
- … or once entry limit is reached.
- All entries must be received by Sept. 24, 2021.
Pre-event Judging Sessions: Tuesday, Oct. 12; Wednesday, Oct. 13 and Thursday, Oct. 14
- Detailed information will be published at the beginning of October.
- Depending on our entry count and table sizes, early judging rounds will take place at these times.
Evening Judging Session: Friday, Oct. 15, 2021
- Tentative check-in time by 5:30 p.m. Dinner provided!
Morning Judging Session: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021
- Tentative check-in time is 7:30 a.m. Breakfast provided!
Afternoon Judging Session: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021
- Tentative check-in time 12:30 p.m. Lunch provided!
Sower’s Cup Winners Announced: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021…
- Online awards announcement TBA. Keep your eye here and on Facebook for the latest updates!
All dates and times are always subject to change. As we get closer to the competition dates, we will have a better idea on our entry numbers, categories and judges. In the meantime, we will do our best to keep the most current and up-to-date information posted here on this web page and at lincolnlagers.com/cup/.
Regarding COVID-19…
Like the rest of the country, our club is made up of brewers in all shapes and sizes, all religions and political beliefs, IPA lovers and IPA haters. The hardest decision we’ve faced since starting the Sower’s Cup many years ago came in recent weeks: Due to the rise in cases in our community, do we sit out 2021 again, or do we give it a go? While moving forward and planning the event, we had to weigh out a lot of variables, most importantly how they hit close to home with current health issues of loved ones of a few key volunteers.
While we know that the COVID-19 vaccine can’t give us 100% guarantees, making it a requirement for all our volunteers became the only way to give this year a thumbs up. We are truly sorry if this leaves anyone out from helping us make the event a success, and we hope that you will consider being part of the Sower’s Cup again in the future.
To everyone who is fully vaccinated and can make it, please plan on a fun, while a little different than normal, Sower’s Cup. Please be sure to bring your mask or feel free to grab one from the volunteer check-in station upon entering the facility.
Check the other pages on our website for additional info on the following:
- Entry Limits
- Scale-up Contests
- Sign up for Judges and Stewards
- Sign up for Volunteers
- Banquet Dinner & Awards Ceremony
- Judging & Event Location
- List of Sponsors and Contributors
If you have beers to register, please click here to access the Registration Site.
21+ Only – ID REQUIRED!
Our Safe Alcohol Consumption Policy:
My participation in this judging is entirely voluntary. I know that participation in this judging involves consumption of alcoholic beverages and that this consumption may affect my perceptions and reactions.By checking this box, I am effectively signing a legal document wherein I accept responsibility for my conduct, behavior and actions and completely absolve the competition and its organizers, individually or collectively, of responsibility for my conduct, behavior and actions.
We care about our volunteers’ safety! Drink responsibly!
The information below is archived from earlier Sower’s Cup comps.
Updates for 2021 are a work in progress!
Check for the dates at the top of the pages for the most recent information.
Thank you for your patience! Cheers!
The Zipline Brewing Co. Best of Show in Beer Award:
Celebrating the best of the best of the best! The best entry from each judging table will advance to Best Of Show, and will be sampled by our esteemed panel of expert beer tasters – After evaluating every table’s selection, they will determine which beer reigns supreme and wins the 2019 Sower’s Cup beer trophy!
The overall winning beer entry will receive a custom Best Of Show trophy, in addition to a prize package!
Thanks to our friends at Zipline Brewing Co. for sponsoring the 2019 Best Of Show-Beer award!
The Saro Cider Best of Show in Cider Award: 
Celebrating the best in class cider in the best way possible! The best entry from each judging table will advance to Best Of Show, and will be sampled by our esteemed panel of expert cider tasters – After evaluating every table’s selection, they will determine which cider reigns supreme and wins the 2019 Sower’s Cup cider trophy!
The overall winning cider entry will receive a custom Best Of Show trophy, in addition to a prize package!
Thanks to our friends at Saro Cider for sponsoring the 2019 Best Of Show-Cider award!
The Happy Raven Best of Show in Mead Award:
Celebrating on the best of mead, 
the best entry from each judging table will advance to Best Of Show, and will be sampled by our esteemed panel of expert mead tasters – After evaluating every table’s selection, they will determine which beer reigns supreme and wins the 2019 Sower’s Cup mead trophy!
The overall winning mead entry will receive a custom Best Of Show trophy, in addition to a prize package!
Thanks to our friends at The Happy Raven for sponsoring the 2019 Best Of Show-Mead award!
The Patriot Homebrew Supply “Water, Water Everywhere, Not a Drop to Drink” Specialty Beer Contest
This special contest changes each year based on input from our club members. The 2019 special style category is “Water, Water Everywhere, Not a Drop to Drink” – Session Beers brewed under 4.5% ABV! Please be sure to specify a base beer style when entering your beverage so judges can properly evaluate your entry.
The Water, Water Everywhere category is not eligible for the overall Best Of Show contest, but the winning beverage in this category will receive a special award commemorating their achievement.
Entries may be submitted in regular beer categories and in the Water, Water Everywhere contest, but you must register these entries separately, paying both entry fees and shipping separate pairs of bottles for us to evaluate.
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