Calling all Homebrewers!

Have you ever wanted to have your recipe brewed on a professional 5-barrel brewhouse?

Heliotrope is partnering with our good friends at Murphy & Rude Malting to host the Second Annual Shenandoah Homebrew Smackdown!

The BJCP category for this year is the West Coast IPA. Submit 2-12 oz. bottles of your best beer for judging, and we’ll pick a winner, reproduce it on our system, and put it on tap in our taproom!

Please deliver 2 12-oz cans or bottles to Heliotrope by Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Label each bottle with the name of your beer and provide a completed entry form. A link to the form is provided below.  (Judging will be blind.) We are open M & W 4-8, F 4-9, Sat noon-9, and Sun noon-8 for drop off.

On Saturday, September 27, 2025, we’ll host a private party and bottle share for all participants, we’ll reveal the grand prize winner, and hand out additional awards. Bring your homebrew to share! Heliotrope’s house-made brick oven pizza will be provided, and our beer, wine, and cider will be available for purchase.

We pride ourselves at Heliotrope in using local and regional ingredients whenever possible, which is why we put locally-malted grain from Murphy & Rude in every batch of beer we brew. You’re not required to do so for this competition, but if you choose to brew with Murphy & Rude malt, they are offering a generous 25% discount to all participants.

Please note that beers with exotic ingredients or necessary barrel aging may be disqualified from the grand prize based on how feasible it is to reproduce it in our brewery.

All entries will be judged by industry professionals.