2009 US Beer Championships Winners Announced July 4

Atlanta -- Breweries and home brewers worldwide have another reason to say "cheers!" with the establishment of the first annual U.S. Open Beer Championships, the first competition to include professional brewers and award winning home brewers.

Open to more than 1,000 breweries from 30 countries, and the 29 National Homebrewing Champions from the United States and Canada.

"There is a strong interest from beer drinkers and home brewers to see a beer competition that includes all beers, including the best of those crafted at megabreweries, microbreweries, brewpubs, as well as homebrews. The best homebrew beers as recognized by the National Home Brewers' Association and the Canadian Homebrewer Associations, will receive a special invitation to compete against the big boys," said Dow Scoggins, Director of the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

Call for Entries Period will begin June 1

The call for entries for the US Open Beer Championships will begin on June 1, with the entry deadline set for June 14. Winners will be announced July 4th. Each brewery may enter a maximum of 10 beers. In order to help small brewers in these tough economic times, each brewery will be allowed to enter 2 beers with no entry fee. If a brewery wishes to enter more than 2 beers, there will be a $50 entry fee per beer. A brewery must submit a minimum of 5 beers to be considered one of the Top Ten Breweries. Entry Forms and Rules can found on the competitions web-site at: www.usopenbeer.com

Over 50 categories will be judged. Winners will receive a medal in the shape of a beer stein for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place. Beers placing in the top 10 of each category and top 10 breweries overall will be featured in America's Best and Top 10 as well as BeerInfo.com. Along with the medals awarded, A Grand National Champion will be awarded based on a point system for beers(5 minimum) entered in the competition.

The U.S. Beer Open is sponsored by BeerInfo.com, a top rated beer information Web site, America's Best and Top 10, Sweetwater Brewing, Summits Taverns(Summits Taverns serves more than 100 craft beers in draft at its locations) and Piedmont Springs.

Directors of the US Open Beer Championship include Scoggins; Jon Downing, from Ontario, Canada, a Brewmaster, International Brew judge who has installed more than 100 breweries and earned multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Championships; Rick Roberts, from Atlanta, Ga., a marketer and developer of craft beers. The judges of the US Open will be selection of local and international beer judges, brewers and beer journalists.