The USA Beer Ratings looks to recognize, reward, and help promote beer brands that have successfully been created to identify with and target a specific beer drinker. For any beer brand to earn its place on a retailer’s shelf or a restaurant’s beer list -  and then vitally stay there - they need to be marketable and consumer-driven and not just produced in the general hope it can find enough people willing to sell and buy it.

That is why the USA Beer Ratings is different. It will single out and shine the spotlight on those beer brands that consumers really want to buy and have a clear market value for trade buyers.

A contest that will judge beers in three key areas:

1.  Their quality.

2.  Their value for money.

3.  What they look like.

To be an award winner you will need to have a top-quality beer, that offers both the trade and the consumer great value for money, and you will need to look good and truly stand out on the shelf and on the back bar.

Quality

The USA Beer Ratings is not about recognising beers that achieve the best scores in terms of just quality, but you would struggle to drink more than a glass of. We want to celebrate beers that are both enjoyable and easy to drink. beers that are well balanced, where their acidity, tannins and alcohol levels all work seamlessly together. That’s the quality factor.

Value for money

You don't need to be the cheapest beer on the shelf to offer the best value for money. Far from it. A beer may have a high price tag, but can still offer great value providing it delivers the right quality and taste for a beer at that price point. The USA Beer Ratings will assess each beer for how much value it is offering its customers.

Package and Design

This is arguably the most important part of a beer brand to get right. For, after all, what a beer brand looks like is how every consumer chooses the beer they want to drink. With their eyes first. Up to 65% of consumers will try a new beer just because it looks good and if you can match that with a price and quality of beer that offers great value for money, then you are more than halfway home. The USA Beer Ratings will reward those brands that show they understand their customers, and the price category they are operating in, and have produced a design and package with the right personality to attract and keep their attention. 

Commercially relevant

Crucially all the winners in the USA Beer Ratings will give future trade beer buyers, be they for a supermarket, specialist beer retailer, casual dining or upmarket restaurant, the re-assurance that these are beers that their customers want to buy.

The organizers

The USA Beer Ratings has been created exclusively by the Beverage Trade Network, the US drinks events, services, business and publishing group dedicated to helping drinks producers and brand owners get closer to the buyers, distributors and retailers that can bring their products to market.

It is part of a new wider USA drinks awards initiative that also includes The USA Spirit Ratings & The USA Wine Ratings that looks to reward and highlight market-driven consumer.