Frankfurt International Beer Trophy

An international tasting

The Frankfurt International Beer Trophy is a big international competition in Germany. Amateurs, well-known sommeliers and other international experts taste and judge the beers together.

We believe this is exactly what distinguishes the Frankfurt International Beer Trophy and makes it so specific, as this reveals what consumers really think.

With 550 beers tasted in 2025, the Beer Trophy is one of the most important tastings in the branch.

The competition is ISO 9001 certified, so producers can be assured of the highest standards of quality and perfectly organised tastings.

Since its creation, the Frankfurt International Trophy has been able to rely on a variety of strong and renowned partners. Moreover, the competition has strong ties to the restaurant world and, as such, is represented each year by a renowned honorary president (a famous German chef).

For the 2026 edition, Patrick Jenal, chef at the Kunz in St. Wendel, is the Honorary president of the Frankfurt International Trophy.

Together, they promote the international reputation of the competition that takes place in the historical hall of the famous Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten, which dates back to 1870 and is located in the heart of Frankfurt.

The competition is open to beers from all over the world

With 550 beers from all over the world, the competition has established itself in the world of the great European beer competitions.

The Frankfurt International Beer Trophy offers tasting at the highest level at fair prices.

Germany is naturally Europe’s biggest market for beer: for centuries, beer has been part of German culture and gastronomy. Germany is also Europe’s biggest beer producer, with expertise based on long experience in the field.

Highest standards of tasting rules

A qualified jury

The award-winning beers at the Frankfurt competition have even greater value because they go through a rigorous selection process. Both buyers and consumers profit from the high standards of the ISO 9001 certified competition and the ‘consumer opinion’ expressed on each medal-bearing bottle.

An international jury consisting of experts, master brewers, trade journalists and beer sommeliers taste the beers. All beers are blind-tasted and evaluated with the help of a 100-point marking scale. All the specific characteristics of a beer are thus taken into account in its overall score. The qualities observed include aspect and aroma (quality and intensity), texture, taste (quality and intensity) and harmony (overall evaluation).

After the tasting, all participants receive an organoleptic analysis of their sample, to help them better understand the sensorial perceptions of the competition and compare their samples with those of other participants.

Experienced beer lovers are also part of the jury. Each tasting team will include both experts in the field and carefully chosen amateurs. The tasting commissioner personally contacts all those who wish to be on a jury, to verify their aptitude. If necessary, tasting seminars are organised to enhance their expertise.

Frankfurt International Beer Trophy medals are awarded only to authentic, high-quality beers. The competition judges beers in more than 60 categories, so it is open to all the world’s beers and breweries.

To guarantee buyers and consumers of a true selection of the best products, the competition awards medals to no more than a third of the samples presented.

Key strengths

Active communication with buyers

The competition uses its extensive network to communicate results directly to the main decision-makers: buyers, sommeliers, restaurant owners, importers, journalists for the specialised press.

Dynamic communication via social networks and over 3,500 journalists in mainstream printed media get the competition results out as many people as possible.

Reasonable registration rate

Entering a sample in the competition costs €53.7, and medals for winners start at 15 euros per one thousand, making the competition’s prices very competitive.

A COMPETITION WITH CONSUMERS IN MIND

Experienced amateurs and international experts are invited to taste and judge the products registered to the wine and beer competition together. Spirits are tasted and jugded by experts only. This guarantees a selection that represents consumers’ tastes.

Certified competition

The competition is recognised by the Hesse Ministry of Agriculture and ISO 9001-certified. Certification is a guarantee - for both producers and consumers - of rigorous selection.

Strong ties to the restaurant world

The Frankfurt International Trophy is presided over each year by a well-known, Michelin-starred chef, whose responsibility it is to make the competition better known in the restaurant world.

Results 2025

Medal winners

For the 9th edition of the Frankfurt International Trophy on 04-05 April 2025, event organiser brought more than 500 tasters to the historic hall in Frankfurt’s Palmengarten. Wines, beers and spirits were evaluated by a jury composed of experts such as sommeliers and oenologists, and enlightened amateurs representing the tastes of future consumers.

A total of 3500 wines, beers and spirits from 44 countries were examined.

In all, 1143 wines, beers and spirits were awarded a coveted medal. 128 samples received a Great Gold medal (92+ points), 845 samples a Gold Medal (85+ points) and 170 samples a Silver Medal (80+ points).

RESULTS