CAMRA Holds the First Beer of the Year Competition

In the summer of 1978, the Campaign for Real Ale held its first Beer of the Year competition at the second Great British Beer Festival, staged at Alexandra Palace in London. The competition assessed British cask beers and selected an overall winner, creating a national award through which a consumer organization publicly recognized brewing quality. The competition later became known as Champion Beer of Britain. Its judging system developed into a multistage process involving nominations from CAMRA members and tasting panels, regional and style-category rounds, and blind final judging. The award helped make organized sensory evaluation and style-based competition an important part of Britain’s modern beer culture.