Jorge Ramos

San Juan, Puerto Rico

How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?

I got into beer out of curiosity that slowly turned into passion. What started as drinking beer in Puerto Rico became homebrewing, then studying styles, ingredients and the stories behind them.

Beer matters to me because I see it as an art form, a form of expression. Every beer is a message. It’s what the brewer is trying to say through liquid, about a place, a moment, or an idea. When you’re with a beer, you’re using all your senses: sight, smell, taste, mouthfeel, even sound and memory. It asks you to slow down and pay attention.

Beer gave me a way to represent where I come from while connecting with people everywhere.

Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?

I judge at the World Beer Cup because I want to honor the brewers’ story and effort. Every beer is a message and my job is to listen carefully, taste deeply and give feedback that respects what they were trying to express.

Judging is about focus, fairness, and respect, it’s never about personal preference. It’s about understanding the beer, the intent and how well it comes through in the glass.

For me, it’s more than an honor to judge at the World Beer Cup. It’s also about connection, being able to represent Puerto Rico on this international stage is incredibly meaningful. It’s a way to celebrate creativity, passion and how beer brings people together from all over the world.

What else would you like the world to know?

Beer teaches us to slow down, engage our senses and connect with people and cultures around the world. It’s a way to celebrate creativity, spark conversation and bring people together, one glass at a time. Salud!

Lucía Carrillo

Mexico City, Mexico

How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?

I came to the brewing industry by accident. My path was much more focused on enology, but throughout my path through university I always found beer — I feel that beer chose me. I achieved a lot in a short time and I decided to embrace beer, understand it. Now I am passionate about everything about beer.

Beer is an ancient drink that still has a lot of potential to teach us. It is such a generous drink that you can add almost any ingredient to it and the result will always come back to you with something surprisingly delicious, unique, and refreshing. Let’s not forget the wonderful scientific world that we have behind this beautiful drink.

Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?

For me, judging in this competition means being able to share my experiences and skills with all the judges, and in the same way, I hope to learn from the other judges to enrich the world’s brewing industry.

It’s a great achievement, being able to sit with the great judges. It motivates me to continue growing and being able to share all these experiences with the other Mexican judges who want to follow our path.

Samuel D’Imperio

How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?

I entered the world of craft beer in 2013 by opening Malta’s first craft brewery. The beauty of making craft beer is that you can experiment with many styles, and we do, using as many local ingredients as possible. In 2016, we brewed the world’s first Gose using caper flowers as dry hopping and sea salt from local cliffs. We also invite the world’s leading breweries to Malta, combining ingredients from their countries with our local ones.

The philosophy of my brewery is to use the best machinery available on the market to ensure consistency while still producing unpasteurized beers. I believe it is impossible to achieve this goal without technology.

Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?

Being a judge at the World Beer Cup is a great thrill and a point of pride to be on the panel with the best judges from around the world. Ever since I founded the brewery, the World Beer Cup has always been a milestone. It is the most prestigious beer competition in the world, and representing Malta for the first time in this competition is a great privilege and honor for me.

Domingo Otero

How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?

I got into the brewing industry because, from a young age—around 15 or 16—I started looking at food and drink as something inseparable. I became really interested in how food pairs with different beverages, and that curiosity naturally led me to explore beer. At first, I was tasting the beers that were available in my country, mostly German and American imports, though they didn’t always arrive in the freshest condition. In 2004, I traveled to California to study and work, and that’s where everything really clicked. I was exposed to a wide range of breweries and beer styles, and I completely fell in love with American IPAs and dark beers. That experience opened my eyes to what beer could really be. Beer is important to me because it’s a millennia-old beverage. It represents work, community, family, and friendship. Wherever we go, when we gather and raise a glass, it’s often a beer we’re sharing. Every ingredient has labor and history behind it. Every hop is fascinating—how it can completely change sensory profiles depending on where it’s grown. At the end of the day, beer is family, friends, and hard work. It’s an industry to protect, support, and help grow stronger.

Why do you judge at the World Beer Cup? What does judging at the World Beer Cup mean to you?

I judge at the World Beer Cup because it represents the very best of what our industry can be. It’s the place where passion, technique, tradition, and innovation all meet on a global stage. Being invited to judge means sitting alongside some of the most respected brewers and sensory professionals in the world, and that alone is incredibly motivating. Judging at the World Beer Cup means a lot to me personally. It’s a reminder of why I fell in love with beer in the first place. Every beer on the table represents years of learning, risk-taking, hard work, and pride from a brewer somewhere in the world. Having the responsibility to evaluate that beer with fairness, focus, and respect is both humbling and energizing. For me, it’s also about giving back. Being part of that process allows me to support brewers, celebrate excellence, and contribute to the growth of a global beer community that truly feels like family. At the end of the day, judging at the World Beer Cup isn’t just about medals—it’s about honoring the craft, the people behind it, and the shared love of great beer.

What else would you like the world to know?

I would love for the world to know more about Panamanian beer and everything we’re building in my country. Panama may be a small country, but we have a strong and diverse craft beer culture. We brew all kinds of beers—everything from Belgian-style ales to Polish-inspired beers, American styles, European classics, and clean German lagers. What truly excites me is the opportunity to keep representing my country on a global stage whenever I’m invited to events like this. Competitions of this level allow me to continue spreading the language of beer, building culture, and helping place our industry where it deserves to be. I also believe strongly in supporting the people behind the beer. This industry is about brewers, teams, and community, and it’s important that we continue fighting for this movement—so that instead of declining, it grows again and regains the strength and momentum it once had. My goal is to help push Panamanian craft beer as high as possible and to keep that momentum moving forward.