World Class Judges
World Beer Cup judges possess the best palates and style expertise on the planet.
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Judges from 37 Countries
Meet Our World Class Judges
Meet a small sample of our incredible past beer judges.
Marion Weinberger
Steinbach am Attersee, Austria
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
It all started in 2013 when I joined Heineken Brau Union Austria as a brand manager looking after three big beer brands in Austria. One year later the brewery sent me to get an education as a beer sommelier and it triggered my passion for beer. Beer is the most versatile drink in the world and I am still curious about it.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
It is a very special contest to judge as one of a few of the Europeans and it’s a great honor to be part of it.
What else would you like the world to know?
I am the first Austrian female to be invited to judge in the World Beer Cup. š
Diego Setti
Florida, United States
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
I started homebrwing in 2010 in Buenos Aires, and became a Beer Judge Certification Program judge in 2012. Between 2012 and 2017, I gave many talks and trainings for the AsociaciĆ³n Civil Somos Cerveceros, which is the Argentine equivalent of the American Homebrewers Association.
In 2016, after a 6 months stay in Germany, I started doing some beer styles consultancies. In 2017, I quit my IT job to focus 100% on beer. I started a beer education institute called Zeta Atelier de Cervezas, offering a wide range of trainings and courses for beer enthusiasts and professionals. During that time I also became a Certified Cicerone and a Doemens Academie Biersommelier.
All that called the attention of many investors and entrepreneurs, so I accepted an offer to join the team of Prison Pals Brewing Company at the end of 2019 and I moved to Florida in 2020 to start that project, where I designed the layout and all the technical specs of the brewery. Now I’m working as brewmaster.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
The World Beer Cup is one of the most prestigious beer competitions around the world and for sure is the biggest of all of them. It takes a lot of effort to become a part of the tasting panel: I applied for the first time in 2017 for the 2018 edition and for different reasons I’ve been able to have the honor of judging here for the first time in 2023. It’s a unique experience, where you taste world-class beers with a top notch tasting panel from every corner of the world.
Lana Svitankova
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
My beer journey started with an exclamation on my honeymoon in Prague: “Oh, beer can be like this?!” That morphed into a passion that drives my travels, education, work, and free time alike. Beer is an enjoyment for the senses, varied and exciting, social and inspiring. And besides pure hedonistic experience, it is always a discovery of new: new ingredients, new techniques, new places, and last but not least, amazing people.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging at the WBC is a great honor and privilege. Helping to find and highlight the best beers in their respective categories together with seasoned experts is a joy like no other. Watching the eyes of the winners light up, tears of happiness flowing, and banners and flags proudly displayed at the awards ceremony delights me to no end. Their merriment is so deserved since every time it’s only three awards, no more. The weight of making the choice and decision is always looming over each judge, but it’s a satisfying effort. Sharing knowledge, learning from the best, and representing your country in this ābeer olympicsā is an invaluable experience, as well as the sheer enjoyment of meeting all the amazing people: judges, organizers, and volunteers, who make this celebration of beer real.
Alejandro Ancona
Quintana Roo, Mexico
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
I was always attracted by the science behind food, drinks and flavors. My journey began when I discovered wine, but I soon found out my personality has much more in common with the beer world. Living in a place with scarce beer culture, being a homebrewer and my passion for education, eventually got me to open a beer school in 2017, where today we train beer professionals around Mexico and Latin America. (@beerschoolmx)
Beer matters to me because itās the perfect blend of ingredients provided by the earth and the passion of the human hand, to create a beverage that has been making people happy for over 10,000 years. Thatās just amazing.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging beer professionally is one of the things in life I enjoy the most, and the World Beer Cup is the biggest competition in the planet. Being a part of such a global and amazing panel of brewers, judges and beer professionals is of course a great learning opportunity, but most importantly a great source of lifetime beer friends from many different countries.
Juan Camilo Riveros
Bogota, Colombia
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
Got a revelation on my first pint of Guinness and being from a country with only industrial lager for beer decided to start brewing my own. I studied culinary arts in Argentina and there also learned the basics of brew ing. After that the books of Palmer, Papazian, Talley, Daniels, Hieronymus, Bouckaert and Cantwell, and Michael Jackson were my sources. A lot of homebrewing came after that. Humanity and beer have a very close relationship most of the different cultures in the planet have beer whenever they are celebrating or mourning. It is comfort for a friend or just joy of being somewhere or with someone. Good beer brings us together and gladness our spirits.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging at WBC means a lot of different things for me. In a way is a validation of all my reading, tasting, and hard work in general. It is also an important way of learning from people more knowledgeable than me or from beer cultures that I am not so familiar with. In a more personal level there is a moment that comes from time to time when a table of judges just sync perfectly and complement each other, where knowledge is shared and we are able to do a great job. That moment is very satisfying. Last but not least, when I am judging beer I feel that each beer tells me a different story and sometimes you find exceptional ones that innovate and change the way that you look at beer as a whole.
Craig Thomas
California, United States
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
My first brewing job was meant to be a stepping stone into distilling. However, as I pursued my masterās in brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University, I began appreciating beer more and more. To me, it felt like a more experimental, exciting, and forward-thinking craft. The diversity of ingredients, techniques, and historical traditions delivered a broader, more compelling story of flavor and experience than distilled spirits did. There is so much to learn, and each moment of learning is aided or reinforced by sensory experiences that have created very impactful memories for me.
Since graduating in 2014, Iāve done my best to shape my career path by putting myself in situations where I can absorb knowledge from people with different types of expertise. Iāve had the privilege of traveling the world tasting beer while working with Bill Simpson and AROXA. Iāve brewed with some of the best at Firestone Walker Brewing Company, tested my practical and theoretical sensory knowledge as part of the ASBC Sensory Subcommittee, and explored beer dispense in order to earn Master Cicerone. Now, at Abstrax Hops, Iām reevaluating everything I thought I knew about beer. New frontiers never end!
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
There is no other place where so many diverse, knowledgeable, and experienced people gather to taste and talk about beers and beer styles. What better spot to challenge preconceptions, discuss new techniques, and discover new trends? Furthermore, the competition brings in a plethora of world-class examples across so many styles. It is the only place where one can repeatedly experience technical precision and artistic expression in equal measureāsometimes at the same time. Competitions like the World Beer Cup are outlets where a brewer’s intent can be fully grasped and appreciated, as these beers are labors of love, often produced fresh and free from the constraints of distributor deals, consumer preferences, cost-of-goods quandaries, and dispense dilemmas.
Fal Allen
California, United States
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
I started as a homebrewer in 1985. I was working at a waterfront bar in Seattle and one day, while I was checking in a couple of cases of Redhook, I had an epiphany: I thought, āWait a minute, someone gets paid to make Red Hook beer. Maybe I could get paid to make Redhook beer!ā So I started visiting the Redhook brewery in the Fremont district and sharing my homebrew with the brewer. I would stop in a couple of times a week and ask him to try the beers with me. Finally, he hired me with the provision that I not bring him any more of my homebrew. For a few years I worked at the brewery during the days and tended bar at night. Rick the brewer was kind to me and rotated me through most of the positions in the brewery. I learned a lot about beer. In 1989, I got a job as a full time brewer at Pike Place Brewery. Then, in 1999, I moved to Anderson Valley Brewing in California, where I am today.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
I judge the World Beer Cup for a couple of reasons. One, for the opportunity to judge with other people that have a different take on beer than I do. To learn and discuss beer and brewing with these folks and make new friends and partnerships in the brewing world. Second, I like to keep up to date on what is going on in the wide wide world of beer. Being selected to judge the most prestigious beer competition in the world is a great honor. I feel very lucky to be in such esteemed company of great brewers and beer industry people.
Rick Kempen
Noord Holland, Netherlands
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
For well over thirty years, my life has been all about beer. Flunking out of university because of my side job as a waiter in De Pilsener Club turned out to be one of the best things to happen to me. In 1998, I joined Bier&cO, one of Europeās leading beer import and distribution companies, dedicated to bringing craft beer from all over the globe to the people.
Having held various positions within Bier&cO, I eventually shaped its export department by representing a handful of American craft breweries. Together with a handful of others we pioneered the European market which helped start a European ābeer revolution.ā
Today, I am beer ambassador at Bier&cO, traveling around the globe, promoting and educating about a portfolio of special, exciting, and one-of-a-kind craft beers. I am a certified beer sommelier (Doemens Diplom-Biersommelier) and co-founded Dutch Beer Week as well as the Dutch Beer Challenge, a competition for Dutch beers. I like to see myself as a professional beer connoisseur who has had the pleasure of making a hobby out of his work. Beer, consequently, means everything to me!
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging at World Beer Cup means you get to learn from fellow judges from all over the world, all bringing their specific expertise. Talking with your peers is a rare opportunity to better yourself in beer. Also, it gives you the opportunity to taste beers from breweries who take their business and craftmanship seriously. They dare to have their beers evaluated by professionals, using their feedback to improve their creations. Contributing to that, and doing that by tasting some of the best beers in the world without knowing what they are, is a huge honor, privilege, and pleasure.
What else would you like the world to know?
Participating as a brewery, you not only compete for awards, but you get valuable feedback from a professional and skilled group of tasters. Do it!
Vasilios Gletsos
Vermont, United States
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
I was a puppeteer, touring around performing and started discovering classic beer styles from around the world. Also, I was really DIY oriented and fell in love with making beer at home. I got really into it after leaving Vermont and moving to Oregon, where I soon made the crossover into commercial brewing. Beer is deeply woven into the fabric of human social, cultural, scientific, and agricultural life. I love that about it and also how it stimulates my mind body and heart.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
I really love the opportunity to meet new people who care as much as I do about this profession, and to reconnect with old friends. I enjoy testing my perceptions of beer and gaining new perspectives from other judges, as well as from the beers we judge. I also love the honor of tasting the best efforts of hard-working brewers.
Lana Svitankova
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
Beer is a love story in every sense. I fell down this rabbit hole on my honeymoon in Prague, over a glass of dark Czech lager, and Iāve continued my journey ever since. It started as a hobby, but it became a job, an educational vocation, and so much more. Like any relationship, there have been highs and lows, but the beer industry, the drink itself, and the people involved never cease to amaze me.
Itās more than just a set of flavorsāitās a collection of stories, emotions, memories, and experiences. Thatās what makes it so exciting. Not all stories have a happy ending, but weāre here to change that and make the industry better.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging at the World Beer Cup is a roller coaster of emotions. Itās a huge responsibility to do justice to an overwhelming number of beers. Itās an uplifting feeling to represent your country with pride. Itās an immense joy to meet and learn from the best peers in the beer world, having countless meaningful conversations. Itās a lot of fun, but everyone takes it very seriously. The amount of knowledge and experience in the room is outstanding.
Winning a medal at the WBC means going through rigorous assessment and reaching the podium with flying colors. Itās a reason for every winner to be proud and to celebrate their work and team effort.
Carl Kins
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
My interest in beer started at an early age. In Belgium you are allowed to drink beer at 16, and I did so, visiting my first brewery at age 17. I always had an interest in all aspects of beerāthe history, ingredients, production, styles, etc. My knowledge is built on reading a lot about beer and on visiting hundreds of breweries around the world. I started writing about all this a few decades ago for various international magazines. Next to that, the demise/takeover of a lot of small breweries in the 1970s and 1980s incited me to get involved in consumer action groups in order to fight for diversity, fair taxation, etc., both on national and European level.
Beer matters because it is the best social lubricant there is. It is affordable and has the largest taste universe of any alcoholic beverage.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
The World Beer Cup can be considered the Olympic Beer Games. Not only the participants but also the judges have international backgrounds, and this helps and continues to improve my knowledge of the beer world greatly, through tasting, talking and discussing.
Sylvia Kopp
Berlin, Germany
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
As an author, speaker, and teacher on beer culture, beer styles, beer tasting, and the sensory evaluation of hops, I have been a recognized advocate of genuine innovation for 20 years. I am convinced that true creativity, which arises from a connection with oneās core values, will always drive developmentāunlike fear-driven reactions to economic demands that lead to boredom and stagnation.
I have been a trainer at the BarthHaas Hops Academy since 2019. I founded and directed the Berlin Beer Academy and worked for several years as an ambassador for American craft beer for the Brewers Association across Europe. Throughout my career, I have published numerous books and articles, and I recently co-founded Women4Beverages, a network for women in the industry, at BrauBeviale in Nuremberg. My latest project, a series of video interviews and text portraits, highlights female role models in the beverage industry.
Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?
Judging has been the key to my entry into the world of beer culture. Iām proud to be a long-term judge at both the World Beer Cup and European Beer Star, which I joined when they were the only two major competitions in Europe and America. Itās an honor to be invited back each time. Nowhere else have I learned as much about beer flavors, styles, and global beer cultures as I have at the judging tables of the World Beer Cup. I truly appreciate the discussions and exchanges with international brewers and fellow beer professionals. I always return home with fresh inspiration and new stories to publish in our magazines.
