Rules & FAQ

Here are the simple rules for the Beer Bagger Challenge (BBC)

Members only

• you have to be a member to play
• join here (It's only $10 for the year!)

Size matters

• for your beer to count, you must drink 350 ml (12 oz)
• flights and sips and splitsies are great, but they don't qualify

No sandbagging

• you have five (5) days to log your beers in order for them to count
• log your beer here

Prove you drank the beer

• share your photos, videos and other forms of proof here

During the month

• If it is to count, you have until 23:59 on the last day of the month to drink the beer

Here are some Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Beer Bagger Challenge (BBC)

Q: What is the BBC?

It's a way for craft beer lovers to play with one another and meet new beers.

Q: Can anyone participate?

Anyone of legal drinking age is eligible for membership. At this time, membership is by invitation only. Current members in good standing may invite new members... and earn points for it!

Q: How do I join?

There are 2 steps:

• Step 1 - Complete the application for membership
  • Applications must be invited by a current member.
• Step 2 - Pay your annual membership dues (currently only $10)

Q: What's the Leaderboard?

The Leaderboard is the official scorekeeper of baggings. It showcases:

• Current Month. The number of beers bagged in the current month by bagger
• Golden Hops. Golden hops by month by bagger
• Points. Points earned by month by bagger
• Baggings. The details and comments for every beer bagged by a bagger
• Hops. Annual summary of bags by bagger each month
• Golden Hops 2017. Annual summary of Golden Hops by month

Check out the Leaderboard

Q: What are the benefits of being a member?

The benefits are endless, but they include:

• twelve (12) monthly lists of beers to bag (drink)
• a secret members-only Facebook page where you can share photos, videos and stories about the beers you drink
• the opportunity to win prizes
• the opportunity to meet interesting new people
• a way to visit interesting breweries and pubs
• special events at select breweries and pubs

Q: What's a Golden Hop award?

The Golden Hop is awarded to members who drink all ten (10) qualifying beers in a given month.

Q: What's a Beer Bagger Meister?

A BeerBagger Meister is about as close to royalty as a member of the BeerBagger Challenge can aspire to be. By earning twelve (12) Golden Hop awards, these select individuals have earned the privilege of selecting the monthly beers, debate the rules, administer hazings and other key management tasks.

Q: What is a BMOM?

"BMOM" stands for "BeerBagger Meister of the Month". This is the person who selects the beer for your bagging pleasure in a given month. Only BeerBagger Meisters are allowed to determine the monthly picks.

Q: What is a BTOM?

"BTOM" stands for "Bitch TO the Meister". This is the person who wins the most point in a month and thereby qualifies to assist the BMOM with beer selection. Despite the name, it is a position of great honor and responsibility. The BTOM is widely considered to be an apprentice BMOM.

Q: Which breweries are eligible to participate in the Beer Bagger Challenge?

At this time, the universe of craft breweries eligible for selection is limited to the lower mainland area of British Columbia. Shadow brands (businesses that market beer they don't brew) have been excluded because they are not true craft breweries and generally don't have tasting rooms. Please see the Breweries for the current list of eligible breweries.

Note: If you are the first to contact us with the name of an eligible brewery that is not on the list, you win a community participation point! Similarly, contact us with the name of a craft brewery that's on the list, but has changed names, merged or gone out of business, you also win a community participation point.

Q: How are the monthly picks selected?

Each month, the BMOM selects nine (9) beers for your tasting pleasure. You select the 10th as your widcard. All beers must be selected from the master list of eligible craft breweries.

In order to be representative of the full range of beers available, the monthly selection should roughly include:

• 2 pale ale
• 2 IPA
• 1 stout
• 1 lager
• 1 pilsner
• 1 saison
• 1 zinger (something a bit different, such as a sour)

Q: What are the guidelines of the challenge?

• keep it simple
• keep it fun
• play nice
• respect and appreciate the beer
• don't drink and drive

Q: How do I win?

• everyone who drinks craft beer wins!

Q: What are the levels of competition?

The Lifetime Competition

The lifetime competition is focused on earning Golden Hops with the aim of becoming a Beer Bagger Meister

• earn twelve (12) Golden Hops
• can be in any order at any time (e.g does not have to be 12 in a row)

The reward:

• you are welcomed into the inner circle as a Beer Bagger Meister

The Monthly Competition

The monthly competition is focused on winning the Golden Hop with the most points in a given month.

• earn the Golden Hop by drinking the nine (9) designated monthly beers and one (1) wildcard
• points are awarded based on how, where and community
• Where?
  • drink at the brewery (3 points)
  • drink at the pub (2 points)
  • drink at home (1 point)
• How?
  • drink with others in the BBC (3 points)
  • drink with others (2 points)
  • drink alone (1 point)
• Community
  • recommend a new brewery or point out one that is dead ("New Brew" - 1 point bonus)
  • recommend a new member ("Pollinator" - 1 point bonus)
  • contribute in a substantial way to the challenge (1 point bonus)

The reward:

• the person with the most points in a given month wins a free beer and BTOM status (Note: Must have earned a Golden Hop to qualify)

Q: How does the "New Brew" point work?

• alert BBC management to the change in status of breweries in the region. Is there a new brewery? Has a brewery on the list gone out of business or changed names?
• in order to earn the point:
  • the update must be submitted formally (e.g. from the contact form on this website)
  • first come, first served based on date of submission
  • the submission has to change to the master list of eligible breweries. (e.g. if the brewery is already on the list as "coming soon", no point)
• disputes will be settled by by Beer Bagger Meisters

Q: How does the "Pollinator" point work?

• introduce friends who you feel would enjoy the Beer Bagger Challenge and fit in well with the culture
• you introduce them to the Challenge with a photo of them and $10 (in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, loonies, twoonies, full or partial paper currency)
• you assign them their "game name" (Sure, they can guide you.)
• you alert a Beer BaggerMeister, so your friend will get added to the Lagger Logger
• your friend completes the new member application and pays their membership fee ( www.beerbagger.com/join )
• for each person you sign up, you get one (1) point during the month that they join
• Note: in order to earn the pollinator point the new member has to be on the leaderboard within 3 days. If not, one must either buy the offended party a beer or forfeit the point!

Q: What's the maximum number of "Pollinator" points I can earn in a month?

• twenty (20). This cap because otherwise, someone could hypothetically win the monthly Point Series without drinking a single beer
• Baggers who sign-up their hockey teams and extended families are eligible for a special "Pollinator" award when they refer more than 20

Q: Can you recommend any resources that might help with my beer bagging?

• http://vancitygrowler.ca/ - find out what's on tap in the lower mainland of BC

Q: What if a brew on the monthly chit list is not available to bag?

• Replace with a similar brew that is available. (“Trump” the named brew.)

Q: How do I "Trump"?

Current Status.

• Check the Announcement at the top of the BBC Facebook group. If the named brew has been trumped, drink the replacement.

Not Available Anywhere?

• Make sure the brew is truly not available. For example, the draft tap at the brewery may have run dry, but there may be some in kegs at a pub or in cans or bottles in a store. Best to confirm with someone at the brewery.

Post?

• Post the sad news about the named beer not being available in the Facebook group. Note: If you claim that a named brew is not available, you will need proof. Be sure your post includes the brewery person's name/telephone, as if you cry wolf, you will have to pay a penalty!

Trump

• Select another brew from the same brewery to replace the one that is no longer available. It should be similar to the original (e.g. trump a pils with a pils, if possible) and it will ideally be available for the rest of the current month. Announce on the Facebook group as a comment on the Announcements page where the monthly picks are showcased. That way, other baggers can quickly find the beer that is in play.

Claim the new brew

• The Lager Logger will always list the BMOMs monthly pick. If that brew has been trumped, claim the monthly pick, but note in the comments which beer you actually consumed.

Q: What are some "Gotchas"?

The named brew has been bagged

• If even one (1) BBC member drank the named brew during the current month, that brew is considered to be in play. If it runs out, boo hoo for you... you can't win a Golden Hop. See "Faint Hope Clause" under penalties.

Not available on draft anymore?

• Boo hoo for you. You can't earn 3 points!

Q: What are Penalties and When do they Apply?

BMOM Carelessness

• If a BMOM picks a beer that was not available on the 1st day of a month, they must be penalized. BMOM must buy a beer for the first bagger to report the error on the BBC Facebook page.

Brewery Error

• If a BMOM picks a beer that the brewery confirmed would be available for the month, and the beer runs out, you can't blame the BMOM. Similarly, you can't blame a brewer for making popular brews or nature for a heat wave. Trump with no penalty.

Crying Wolf

• If you claim that the brew is not available and another bagger proves otherwise, you must be penalized. Buy the other bagger a beer!

Faint Hope Clause

• If you’re aiming to earn a Golden Hop and a brew you need to drink has been drunk, but is no longer available, you are out of luck. You are being penalized because the brew was available, but you were not quick enough to drink it before it ran out. By performing a community service, however, you may still have the opportunity to earn a Golden Hop. The community service is to bring three (3) new members to the BBC. (Registered, paid and completely onboarded within current month.) Other proposals submitted on the contact page will be considered by the BaggerMeister Council, but consider that will take about a week to get a judgement.

Have a question not answered here? Please contact us!