2026 GABF Competition Entry Shipping Information

Registration is open for shipping your entry beers to the 2026 GABF competition. The Guild has secured the services of a dedicated reefer truck that will ensure safe, secure, refrigerated shipping to the GABF staging location in Louisville, CO.

Pricing to participate this year is $30 per entry. Please multiply your entries by $30 and pay for your entries at this link >>

Please read below for the shipping details, but be sure to keep reading for Packaging Requirements, First Time Shipper information, and more information about the drop-off location. We do have updated packaging requirements that all entries must comply with. Please read that section carefully.

Here are the shipping details:

• We will have a refrigerated truck that will ensure your entries stay cold between 35-40 degrees

• There is one pick-up location – Sun King Brewing at 135 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46202

• Entries must be paid for via credit card on the Guild’s website. Please be sure to register the right number of beers and check with your colleagues to make sure you do not register your entries twice with the Guild. Refunds will not be provided if you double-register.

• The beers are scheduled to arrive in Colorado on or before September 11th.

Sun King Brewing will accept entries from August 24th-August 28th, between the hours of 9a and 5p ET.

All beer must arrive at Sun King by 5p on Friday, August 28. 

Additional Information

Quantities to send

The number of bottles/cans to send for the competition depends on the bottle/can size. Please send no less than the stated amount listed on the GABF website, based on the bottle size you’re sending.

Breweries sending less than the required amount for judging will not have their entries judged, nor will you be issued a credit/refund for your competition entries.

Packaging Requirements

Please see our packing and drop-off requirements for your GABF competition entries below:

• Please be sure to send the appropriate amount of beer for judging; some categories have a larger number of competing entries and will undergo more rounds of judging which will require more samples. Check the quantity to send on the GABF website.
• All entries must be packaged and labeled before you arrive at Sun King Brewing. Sun King will be able to accommodate packaging and labeling activities to be done in their facilities. To label beer, use the labels emailed to you by the Brewers Association and put your 4-digit GABF Brewery ID number on your boxes(s). More info can be found on the GABF website.
• Packaging entries for shipment – use the labels emailed to you by the Brewers Association and attach one label to each shipping box. Remember to hand write the total number of boxes being shipped on each shipping label (i.e. Box #1 of 3, Box #2 of 3, Box #3 of 3, etc.) More info about packaging can be found on the GABF website.
• If you are sending 12 oz. or 16 oz. cans, you must fill a case flat (even if you need to add extra beers to fill the flat) and tape another case flat on top (i.e. tape all the way around the bottom and top case flat to hold the packaging together). Sun King Brewing will not be able to provide these case flats to you, so please plan ahead. Your labeling should go on top of the case flat covering the top of your cans.
• For other size packaging, please use a case box appropriate to the packaging format of your beer. Your entries will be placed on a pallet with all the other entries from your drop-off location. Putting your entries in a case box makes it much easier for palletizing. Only sending one entry? Put it in a case box and add non-entry beer to the rest of the box. The BA folks unloading the shipment in Colorado would appreciate the bonus and your beer will be safer in shipment since stacking with standard sized boxes adds stability.
• If you are sending 32 oz. crowlers, please ensure that the box you use is sealed, level, and full so when added to the pallet it is structurally sound and doesn’t collapse in transit or when offloaded at the BA warehouse. If you end up with a partial box, please throw in some extra crowlers for the GABF volunteers to protect against the risk of the box collapsing.

Unfortunately, if your beers are not properly labeled and packaged, Sun King Brewing may not be able to accept your entries. Please be considerate and consider how your packaging can be easily loaded on a pallet and shipped.Be sure to visit the GABF website to learn more about quantities to send, labeling, and other important competition information.