Balneário Camboriú, known for its gorgeous beaches and vibrant nightlife, recently played host to a different kind of celebration: the CBC BRASIL – Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas® (Brazil Beer Competition). This annual event, a highlight for brewers and beer enthusiasts alike, transformed the coastal city into a hub of hoppy innovation.
For those unfamiliar, the CBC BRASIL is one of the best known and most significant beer competitions in Brazil and I believe the largest independent competition in the world, attracting entries from craft breweries across the nation. It’s a platform where innovation is recognized, quality is celebrated, and the diverse flavors of Brazilian beer culture take center stage. Winning a medal at the CBC BRASIL is a mark of excellence, highly regarded within the brewing community and a point of pride for the winning breweries.
I was honored to be invited to judge at the 13th edition in March 2025. Prior editions were held in the German-founded town of Blumenau in the state of Santa Catarina. This year for the first time, the coastal city of Balneário Camboriú in Santa Catarina was chosen as the site for both the competition and the 4-day beer festival held during same week. A total of 100 judges from 27 countries tasted over 3600 beers during 3 days, a seemingly monumental task! Judges, experts in the field, meticulously evaluated each beer, considering factors like aroma, flavor, appearance, and overall impression.
The bus picked us up at 8 am every morning and we started tasting beers around 9 am until the end of the afternoon. It was my first time using BAP (Beer Awards Platform) software instead of pen and paper to record the scores and the feedback to the brewers. I also had never judged with plastic hard cups before, which I think are the standard also in North American competitions. During my first beer flight I noticed quite a few beers had off-flavors such as diacetyl and oxidation. I came to understand during the competition that storage and transport are some of the most difficult challenges for Brazilian brewers. Temperatures can be very high in summer and distances can be huge, resulting in deterioration of the beer such as oxidation, especially if not transported under cool conditions.
Almost 30 tables, with a minimum of three judges per table, worked for three full days to evaluate all beers and award medals. The seating changed everyday, allowing for new interactions and the opportunity to learn from different experienced table captains. Discussions are inevitable, even encouraged, but always constructive and with respect. You may think that the lager styles would be the easiest to judge, because it is harder to mask off-flavors and quality issues due to their clean and less estery or expressive profiles. In reality, I found that exactly those characters make it the hardest beers to evaluate as they are often so similar and differences can be minute, making it harder to stand out.
The beers entered were a testament to the incredible diversity and quality of Brazilian beer. From crisp lagers perfect for the tropical climate to complex, barrel-aged stouts, the range of styles on display was truly impressive. I will long remember that I was invited to judge the Best of Show of the competition, the only woman in a team of 11! We learned at the medal ceremony two days later that the winning beer was Catharina Sour Caju Pytang by Cervejaria UNIKA. The cherry on the cake came on the fourth day, when a smaller judges group selected the best of the best of South America in the South Beer Cup. Two memorable highlights!
On the fifth day after the start of the competition, it was time to celebrate the finest achievements in Brazilian brewing. During the day we had a wonderful tour to a cachaçeria, which included a fun and very special tasting of different types of cachaças, including barrel aged ones. Cachaça is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented fresh sugarcane juice and the main ingredient for Brazilian caipirinha. In the evening we attended the award ceremony, eager to find out whom we had given medals to! The medal presentation also lauded Brazilian beers who won medals in the past year at other international competitions, such as Brussels Beer Challenge and European Beer Star. The 2 hour show was quite spectacular and the emotions and happiness displayed by the medal winners was very contagious (and moving)!
It was really a unique and wonderful experience. Thanks to the Ablutec organisation, and in particular Doug Merlo, for inviting me. I hope to come back next year!
All photos were taken by Tina Rogers, except the feature photo.
