"Kevin" > wrote:
> Here is the other thing to think about, and this of course
> does not apply to a brewpub, which serves their beer
> on premise. A lot of the beers made in this country
> quickly leaves the control of the brewer, and is at the
> mercy of the distributor and retail merchant. They are
> the ones who are responsible for making sure that the
> beer you buy has been handled properly and is
> delivered to your hands in the best possible condition.
> Having a competition where beers are bought off the
> shelf and judged, would be more a competition to see
> who is the best beer distributor or retail merchant.

This would merely be something that my type of a beer contest would
naturally take into consideration and work to insure a level playing field.
The contest evaluating the beer distributors and retail stores. Secretly
purchasing bottles from what's considered the best distributors and retail
stores. Clearly publicly stating what standards these distributors and
stores would have to have for the contest to purchase beer from them. On
the bright side, this might improve beer distribution and retail
presentation if the contest were to give it's stamp of approval and allow
the stores to advertise this. "This retail store and its distributors are
approved by the International Honest Beer Contest. Beer bought from this
store is beer considered to be properly handled by its beer distributors and
the store itself. Because of this, beer sold in this store might be
secretly purchased and judged for IHBC." For beer connoisseurs, this could
be the thing that would make them buy their beer from one local store rather
than another.

For the judging, I would hope the contest would let the public know where
and when the winning beers were bought. For the brewers, this information
would be given to them so they know the where and when ... regardless if
they won or not.

> I watched the GABF special, and can relate to those
> brewmasters that hand-bottled and took some extra care
> to make sure the beer arrived to the judging in the best
> possible condition. The judging is about the beer, not how
> others may mistreat the beer before the consumer can get
> his hands (or taste buds) on it.

No, if we saw the same special, it clearly showed that some of the
brewmasters were making special batches (taking at least extra special care
when they're brewed) for the contest.

> So, all of these beers at the GABF should be available for
> the consumer somewhere in the country, it is just a question
> if has been treated well before you bought it.

I'd disagree. From watching the special, it has more to do with you being
luck enough to have beer from the same specially-brewed batch of beer that
was tapped for the contest. Not that the beer they normally make is the
same beer that the judges taste.

Now if there's common seasonal beers, I'd hope my type of a contest would
then be done again at these times so these seasonal beers are tasted at the
time they'd be tasted by the public. Handing out maybe something like
Winter Beers awards.

Unfortunately, as no one has brought up a contest structured as what I'm
seeking, I guess it just doesn't exist. Too bad. If I had money to throw
around, I'd start it up but I don't.

Scott Jensen
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