And the winner is...

Above: Judges study the appearance of beer entries.

Anyone who thinks that a beer competition is just an excuse for drunken debauchery is sorely mistaken.

For Elevator Brewing Company’s Procrastinators Homebrew Competition, held Jan. 14-15, certified beer judges traveled from locales as far as Indianapolis to participate in an event officially sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association and the Beer Judge Certification Program. Some judges don’t even swallow the beer that they are critiquing, for fear that the alcohol will cloud their focus and objectivity; most take tiny sips for taste, bury a nose deep in the sampling glass to inhale the aroma, and study the appearance of the beer in the light. Loaves of bread and glasses of water await, allowing the judges to cleanse their palettes between beers.

It’s like wine tasting minus the snobbery. And as an aside, beer judge? Greatest job ever.

Each beer is entered into a stylistic category, such as American pale ale or robust porter. Then, the judges determine how well the beer matches its classification based on aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and overall impression. Judges follow guidelines laid out in a 48-page booklet.

And these judges aren’t simply drunks that have been dragged away from the bar. They earn varying levels of certification based on the number of events they have judged. The Procrastinators Homebrew Competition featured 10 judges ranging from apprentices to brewers to certified and nationally recognized.

Not bad for a competition in only its second year of existence.

“We’re growing and adding more credibility,” said Dick Stevens, Elevator owner. “This is a sanctioned contest, and we had strong judges this year.”

Mark Beery, Elevator brewer, shook his head with wonder as he thought back to last year’s competition.

“We had one judge, and ended up pulling people off the bar to be judges,” he said. “This year, we had a judge drive in from Indianapolis who has been on the beer competition circuit at state fairs.” Most of the judges contacted Beery through Zymurgy, a beer trade magazine, and through the Beer Judge Certification Program.

There were 60 entries this year, roughly three times as many as in 2009. Beers ranged from light lagers to stouts. The strangest entry? A wheat extract and lemon creation that “smelled like Dawn dish detergent,” Beery said.

The 60 entries, labeled by number, were whittled down to nine finalists. The judges reached a consensus and selected the top three. Emerson Nunez-Moran placed third with his Golden Brew, in the Light Lager/Dartmunder Export category. Scott Shives placed second with his Twisted Stout, a Russian Imperial/Stout.

Doug McCrackin was the victor with McCrackin’s Dunkel, a Dark Lager/Munich Dunkel. His beer will be featured on Elevator taps in July as a specialty beer in the Professor of Hearty Drinking (PHD) program. As an added boon, McCrackin will be invited to brew the batch with Beery at the Elevator Restaurant.

Above: The judges sample the nine finalists.