Lew Bryson wrote:
>
> 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.

There's also a home field advantage in that the beers are shipped
crosstown rather than cross country. That beer is perishable stuff.

Cheers,

Steve