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About

The MasterCup China Beer Tournament (hereinafter referred to as "MasterCup") is China's only large-scale national touring beer competition Itwas initiated in 2012 by Gao Yan, author of the book Brew Your Own Beer. Founded, managed and operated by beer enthusiasts, for beer enthusiasts, the MasterCup is a non-profit undertaking that has been held consecutively without interruption since its establishment. Its core mission is to promote the development of craft beer in China. Awards are presented to brewers, not beers — this is the most fundamental difference between the MasterCup China Beer Tournament and other beer competitions worldwide. The MasterCup is always dedicated to discovering China's top brewing masters. The tournament features two divisions: the Homebrew Division and the Professional Division. All participants must compete in national touring preliminary rounds to qualify for the intense Final, where they vie for the titles of Annual Champion and Annual Brewer of the Year. Renowned for its unique and rigorous competition format, the MasterCup has built a professional, comprehensive event process system. Its independently developed beer competition judging system integrates multiple functions including registration, judging, feedback, and event announcements. Meanwhile, the MasterCup maintains China's largest database of judges, participants, and entries. The judging panel is composed of China's most elite judges, including BJCP-certified beer judges, international beer sommeliers, professional brewers, and beer industry media professionals.

Committee Members

Gao Yan
Li Wei
Shen Libin
Xing Chao
Jin Song
Liu Yi
Si Yue
Lu Jun
Dong Geping
Zhou Jingjun
Qiu Kailin
Wang Qi
Wu Di
Shi Yue

About

The MasterCup China Beer Tournament (hereinafter referred to as "MasterCup") is China's only large-scale national touring beer competition Itwas initiated in 2012 by Gao Yan, author of the book Brew Your Own Beer. Founded, managed and operated by beer enthusiasts, for beer enthusiasts, the MasterCup is a non-profit undertaking that has been held consecutively without interruption since its establishment. Its core mission is to promote the development of craft beer in China. Awards are presented to brewers, not beers — this is the most fundamental difference between the MasterCup China Beer Tournament and other beer competitions worldwide. The MasterCup is always dedicated to discovering China's top brewing masters. The tournament features two divisions: the Homebrew Division and the Professional Division. All participants must compete in national touring preliminary rounds to qualify for the intense Final, where they vie for the titles of Annual Champion and Annual Brewer of the Year. Renowned for its unique and rigorous competition format, the MasterCup has built a professional, comprehensive event process system. Its independently developed beer competition judging system integrates multiple functions including registration, judging, feedback, and event announcements. Meanwhile, the MasterCup maintains China's largest database of judges, participants, and entries. The judging panel is composed of China's most elite judges, including BJCP-certified beer judges, international beer sommeliers, professional brewers, and beer industry media professionals.

Committee Members

Gao Yan
Li Wei
Shen Libin
Xing Chao
Jin Song
Liu Yi
Si Yue
Lu Jun
Dong Geping
Zhou Jingjun
Qiu Kailin
Wang Qi
Wu Di
Shi Yue

Data Review

Better Entries

From 2020 to 2025, the MasterCup China Beer Tournament reviewed a total of 8,428 entries over the five-year period, with 799 participating brewers (teams) and 208 judges in total, of which: 2020: 1,225 entries, 268 brewers/teams 2021: 1,272 entries, 298 brewers/teams 2022: 1,574 entries, 267 brewers/teams 2023: 1,028 entries, 190 brewers/teams 2024: 1,658 entries, 273 brewers/teams 2025: 1,654 entries, 266 brewers/teams The number of entries in 2025: 1,035 + 619 = 1,658 entries. The 2025 edition had 266 participating brewers/teams, with 168 judge participations involved in the judging work this year, remaining largely stable compared to the previous year. Three key adjustments were made to the competition this year: 1.Added 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards for each category in the homebrew regional preliminary rounds; 2.Increased the registration fee per entry in the professional division; 3.Restructured the professional division finals awards: replacing the traditional "Best of Category" and "Top 5 in Category" with category-specific 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards, aligning the award structure between the homebrew and professional divisions. These adjustments not only boosted participants' enthusiasm but also maintained the high standard of entries. The average score of all entries in 2025 was 26.86 points, an increase of 0.5 points from the previous year. With 30 points set as the benchmark for outstanding entries, the overall quality of submissions continued to stay at a very high level.

Participation Characteristics of the 14th Homebrew Division

In 2025, MasterCup received a total of 1,035 homebrew entries. Compared with the homebrew participation of the previous year, the entry numbers across its twenty-one style categories remained relatively balanced. 1. Apart from the wheat beer category, light-bodied, low-alcohol and social-friendly beer styles gained remarkable popularity, including Low-strength Lager, Medium-strength Lager, and British & German Medium-to-Low Strength Ale categories. As craft beer culture and consumption scenarios become more mainstream, craft enthusiasts no longer focus solely on rich, extreme flavor profiles. Instead, approachable styles with strong social appeal that fit everyday drinking occasions have been widely recognized and accepted. 2. Belgian and Abbey-style beers continue to be highly favored by participants. Even some less mainstream Belgian styles recorded a large number of entries. This is largely because the brewing techniques for these styles have become more accessible, and Belgian styles are less demanding in terms of homebrew brewing conditions, making them much easier for amateur brewers to replicate. 3. Wild and sour beer categories have rapidly evolved into one of the core entry styles in the MasterCup homebrew competition. Traditionally, wild beer requires complex brewing processes, strict microbial control, and a long time investment. However, with the popularization of craft brewing technology and culture, an increasing number of participants are producing high-quality wild and sour beers. The average score of Belgian Sour Beer reached 27.95, ranking the highest among all twenty-one homebrew categories in the 2025 competition. 4. The wider spread of craft beer culture has made it easier for homebrew participants to acquire professional brewing knowledge and skills — including style perception, ingredient selection, understanding of niche styles, and precise process execution. Consequently, niche styles that were once rare have become far more accessible to modern homebrewers, greatly increasing the possibility of successfully brewing these lesser-known styles. 5. At present, the widespread availability of brewing raw materials on the market also allows more homebrew enthusiasts to easily source ingredients required for niche beer styles.

Participation Characteristics of the 14th MasterCup Professional Division

In 2025, the MasterCup China Beer Tournament received a total of 619 professional entries. Compared with the professional participation of the previous year, the categories involving hop-based and fruit-infused beers saw a particularly significant increase in the number of entries. Looking back over the past decade, the most popular craft beers worldwide have been hop-based and fruit-infused styles, which are also the two categories with the most updates, evolutions and derivatives. Not only have many new beer styles emerged, such as Hazy IPA, Modern West Coast IPA, Fruit Sour Ale, and Fruit Puree Beer, but more importantly, technological progress has led to the birth of many new raw materials and processes to realize these new beer styles. The technological revolution is unstoppable. Thanks to advancing technology, brewers have more raw material options and can implement brewing processes that were previously impossible. With the support of technology, beer will continue to "progress" — a trend that is regarded as inevitable.

Data Review

Better Entries

From 2020 to 2025, the MasterCup China Beer Tournament reviewed a total of 8,428 entries over the five-year period, with 799 participating brewers (teams) and 208 judges in total, of which: 2020: 1,225 entries, 268 brewers/teams 2021: 1,272 entries, 298 brewers/teams 2022: 1,574 entries, 267 brewers/teams 2023: 1,028 entries, 190 brewers/teams 2024: 1,658 entries, 273 brewers/teams 2025: 1,654 entries, 266 brewers/teams The number of entries in 2025: 1,035 + 619 = 1,658 entries. The 2025 edition had 266 participating brewers/teams, with 168 judge participations involved in the judging work this year, remaining largely stable compared to the previous year. Three key adjustments were made to the competition this year: 1.Added 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards for each category in the homebrew regional preliminary rounds; 2.Increased the registration fee per entry in the professional division; 3.Restructured the professional division finals awards: replacing the traditional "Best of Category" and "Top 5 in Category" with category-specific 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards, aligning the award structure between the homebrew and professional divisions. These adjustments not only boosted participants' enthusiasm but also maintained the high standard of entries. The average score of all entries in 2025 was 26.86 points, an increase of 0.5 points from the previous year. With 30 points set as the benchmark for outstanding entries, the overall quality of submissions continued to stay at a very high level.

Participation Characteristics of the 14th Homebrew Division

In 2025, MasterCup received a total of 1,035 homebrew entries. Compared with the homebrew participation of the previous year, the entry numbers across its twenty-one style categories remained relatively balanced. 1. Apart from the wheat beer category, light-bodied, low-alcohol and social-friendly beer styles gained remarkable popularity, including Low-strength Lager, Medium-strength Lager, and British & German Medium-to-Low Strength Ale categories. As craft beer culture and consumption scenarios become more mainstream, craft enthusiasts no longer focus solely on rich, extreme flavor profiles. Instead, approachable styles with strong social appeal that fit everyday drinking occasions have been widely recognized and accepted. 2. Belgian and Abbey-style beers continue to be highly favored by participants. Even some less mainstream Belgian styles recorded a large number of entries. This is largely because the brewing techniques for these styles have become more accessible, and Belgian styles are less demanding in terms of homebrew brewing conditions, making them much easier for amateur brewers to replicate. 3. Wild and sour beer categories have rapidly evolved into one of the core entry styles in the MasterCup homebrew competition. Traditionally, wild beer requires complex brewing processes, strict microbial control, and a long time investment. However, with the popularization of craft brewing technology and culture, an increasing number of participants are producing high-quality wild and sour beers. The average score of Belgian Sour Beer reached 27.95, ranking the highest among all twenty-one homebrew categories in the 2025 competition. 4. The wider spread of craft beer culture has made it easier for homebrew participants to acquire professional brewing knowledge and skills — including style perception, ingredient selection, understanding of niche styles, and precise process execution. Consequently, niche styles that were once rare have become far more accessible to modern homebrewers, greatly increasing the possibility of successfully brewing these lesser-known styles. 5. At present, the widespread availability of brewing raw materials on the market also allows more homebrew enthusiasts to easily source ingredients required for niche beer styles.

Participation Characteristics of the 14th MasterCup Professional Division

In 2025, the MasterCup China Beer Tournament received a total of 619 professional entries. Compared with the professional participation of the previous year, the categories involving hop-based and fruit-infused beers saw a particularly significant increase in the number of entries. Looking back over the past decade, the most popular craft beers worldwide have been hop-based and fruit-infused styles, which are also the two categories with the most updates, evolutions and derivatives. Not only have many new beer styles emerged, such as Hazy IPA, Modern West Coast IPA, Fruit Sour Ale, and Fruit Puree Beer, but more importantly, technological progress has led to the birth of many new raw materials and processes to realize these new beer styles. The technological revolution is unstoppable. Thanks to advancing technology, brewers have more raw material options and can implement brewing processes that were previously impossible. With the support of technology, beer will continue to "progress" — a trend that is regarded as inevitable.

Sponsorship

Talos

Talos is one of the few comprehensive service providers globally with both liquid food packaging design and distribution system R&D capabilities. It operates two core manufacturing plants, a marketing center in Shanghai, and a wholly-owned subsidiary in Los Angeles, USA. Upholding the brand philosophy of "Every world has its masters," it has become a pioneer in breaking industry boundaries and self-developing core technologies, providing high-quality support for a hundred-billion-level global market.

Official Website
MCTO

Shandong Meto has been deeply engaged in the beer equipment manufacturing field for over ten years, integrating R&D, design, production, and engineering services. Relying on its 30,000+ square meter modernized factory and advanced processing equipment, the company guarantees the core manufacturing quality of every piece of equipment, going beyond the hardware itself. Shandong Meto deeply integrates its understanding of brewing processes with customers' personalized needs, continuously iterating technology in the design of mashing, fermentation, and control systems to ensure highly efficient and stable equipment performance.

Official Website
Fermentis

Fermentis, based in northern France and part of the Lesaffre Group, is an international leader in yeast and fermentation solutions. Relying on its strict quality standard system, it collaborates extensively with beer, wine, spirits, and numerous fermented beverage enterprises worldwide. Since its establishment 160 years ago, the group has focused on the development of the fermented beverage industry. It stands unique in the field of yeast application technology, excelling from production safety guarantees to the expression of sensory characteristics.

Official Website
COFCO

The Beer Malt Management Department of COFCO Grains & Cereals is a leading raw material supplier in China. It selects high-quality global barley and adopts world-leading malting techniques to provide high-quality malt products and professional services for beer, distilled spirits, and food and beverage customers. Owning two major brands, COFCO Malt and Puremalt (Zhenmai), it provides customers with personalized, customized, one-stop raw material solutions.

Official Website
BarthHaas

BarthHaas (Beijing) Trading Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary legally established in China by the BarthHaas Group, officially commencing operations in February 2006. Backed by the profound heritage of the BarthHaas brand's nearly 300-year history, the Beijing subsidiary leverages the group's unique product, technology, and service advantages. It continuously and stably supplies the Chinese beer brewing market with comprehensive hop products and derivatives sourced from premium global planting and processing bases across the EU, USA, Australia, and New Zealand, fulfilling the domestic beer market's deep demand for high-quality raw materials.

Official Website

Sponsorship

Talos

Talos is one of the few comprehensive service providers globally with both liquid food packaging design and distribution system R&D capabilities. It operates two core manufacturing plants, a marketing center in Shanghai, and a wholly-owned subsidiary in Los Angeles, USA. Upholding the brand philosophy of "Every world has its masters," it has become a pioneer in breaking industry boundaries and self-developing core technologies, providing high-quality support for a hundred-billion-level global market.

Official Website
MCTO

Shandong Meto has been deeply engaged in the beer equipment manufacturing field for over ten years, integrating R&D, design, production, and engineering services. Relying on its 30,000+ square meter modernized factory and advanced processing equipment, the company guarantees the core manufacturing quality of every piece of equipment, going beyond the hardware itself. Shandong Meto deeply integrates its understanding of brewing processes with customers' personalized needs, continuously iterating technology in the design of mashing, fermentation, and control systems to ensure highly efficient and stable equipment performance.

Official Website
Fermentis

Fermentis, based in northern France and part of the Lesaffre Group, is an international leader in yeast and fermentation solutions. Relying on its strict quality standard system, it collaborates extensively with beer, wine, spirits, and numerous fermented beverage enterprises worldwide. Since its establishment 160 years ago, the group has focused on the development of the fermented beverage industry. It stands unique in the field of yeast application technology, excelling from production safety guarantees to the expression of sensory characteristics.

Official Website
COFCO

The Beer Malt Management Department of COFCO Grains & Cereals is a leading raw material supplier in China. It selects high-quality global barley and adopts world-leading malting techniques to provide high-quality malt products and professional services for beer, distilled spirits, and food and beverage customers. Owning two major brands, COFCO Malt and Puremalt (Zhenmai), it provides customers with personalized, customized, one-stop raw material solutions.

Official Website
BarthHaas

BarthHaas (Beijing) Trading Co., Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary legally established in China by the BarthHaas Group, officially commencing operations in February 2006. Backed by the profound heritage of the BarthHaas brand's nearly 300-year history, the Beijing subsidiary leverages the group's unique product, technology, and service advantages. It continuously and stably supplies the Chinese beer brewing market with comprehensive hop products and derivatives sourced from premium global planting and processing bases across the EU, USA, Australia, and New Zealand, fulfilling the domestic beer market's deep demand for high-quality raw materials.

Official Website

Register

The MasterCup official WeChat Mini Program is the only registration channel. Please download WeChat and complete your registration and submit your entries through the Mini Program.

Mini Program Screenshot
Mini Program Screenshot

Instructions on Real-name Registration Authentication for Foreign Nationals, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents

Foreign nationals as well as residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who wish to participate in the MasterCup shall contact our staff to complete real-name authentication. Unlike other beer competitions, MasterCup presents awards to individual brewers rather than brands. Real-name authentication is designed to ensure personal participation, maintain consistency between brewers and their entries, and create a fair competition environment. All passport information provided by participants is kept strictly confidential, will not be shared with any other systems, and will never be used for commercial purposes. Real-name Authentication Process: Please provide our staff with the WeChat ID authorized to log in to the MasterCup Mini Program, your phone number, as well as a copy or photo of your passport or Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents. Our staff will complete background authorization and authentication for you. Once the authentication is finished, the result will be notified to you accordingly. Contact Phone: 18826499282 Contact Email: committee@mastercupbeer.com

Register

The MasterCup official WeChat Mini Program is the only registration channel. Please download WeChat and complete your registration and submit your entries through the Mini Program.

Mini Program Screenshot

Instructions on Real-name Registration Authentication for Foreign Nationals, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents

Foreign nationals as well as residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who wish to participate in the MasterCup shall contact our staff to complete real-name authentication. Unlike other beer competitions, MasterCup presents awards to individual brewers rather than brands. Real-name authentication is designed to ensure personal participation, maintain consistency between brewers and their entries, and create a fair competition environment. All passport information provided by participants is kept strictly confidential, will not be shared with any other systems, and will never be used for commercial purposes. Real-name Authentication Process: Please provide our staff with the WeChat ID authorized to log in to the MasterCup Mini Program, your phone number, as well as a copy or photo of your passport or Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents. Our staff will complete background authorization and authentication for you. Once the authentication is finished, the result will be notified to you accordingly. Contact Phone: 18826499282 Contact Email: committee@mastercupbeer.com