> Bill, take a look at who judges these beers. Over half the judges come
> from Colorado and west (Mountain state judges are always the biggest
> group, no real surprise). The East Coast (New England and the mid-Atlantic
> region) puts up about 15% of the judges (really, I have the numbers, I'm
> not guessing). I'm NOT saying that the judges are in a conspiracy, but
> what I am saying is that people gravitate towards liking what they drink
> on a steady basis. Western site for the festival, Western judges drinking
> Western beers (and they do, much more so than we in the East drink solely
> Eastern beers), Western beers win medals. I do not think that it's any
> surprising coincidence that Denver and Boulder together have --over the
> entire history of the GABF -- won more medals than any other city.
> Conspiracy? No, inevitable playing of the odds.
>
*And in that neat summation, Lew has nicely quantified why I pay almost no
attention to the GABF. Ever.

For those that don't know, Lew also wrote an article for American Brewer
Magazine comparing beer festival entry conditions--for example,
festivals/competitions that pay for the beer they pour versus competitions
that make the brewers GIVE them the beer and then still charge them an entry
fee! Very interesting and illuminating article--Lew, maybe you have it
online or want to summarize it for us?

I find it notable that nearly all the "best" brewpubs and small breweries
I've sampled beer from--i.e. places with a chance to win big at GABF--can't
or won't enter the GABF. They either can't afford to (and if they did, what
chances would they have against, say, 102 other "American IPAs" or 54
hefeweizens?) or are really cheesed off at the entry conditions. As one
brewer told me, "I make beer to SELL, not give away at a party where they
charge for it!" Now, certainly, there are exceptions to that "rule" of
non-entry--Flossmoor, New Glarus, Dogfish, and Victory come to mind--but
still, much of the best beer in the nation (Selin's Grove Brewing in Pa.,
anyone?) will never get a GABF medal.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV
Baltimore columnist, Mid-Atlantic Brewing News--next issue on the presses
momentarily........