The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is the most influential and respected spirits competition in the world. Celebrating its 10th year, the 2010 Competition was the biggest in its history. 30 judges gathered at the Hotel Nikko in downtown San Francisco on March 13 and 14 to reward spirits excellence by evaluating 1024 different spirits from 57 countries. These judging panels were comprised of spirits experts from noted restaurants and hotels, well-known spirits journalists from major national media, spirits buyers for large purveyors, and spirits consultants. Judging was based on a blind, consensual procedure, ensuring competitive integrity as it remains the most recognized competition in the spirits industry.