Agus Blanco
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
My entry into the beer world didn’t start with beer, but with whisky and hospitality. While studying psychology, I worked as a waitress and later behind the bar. Serving drinks, listening to people, and observing how flavors, rituals, and conversations shaped experiences sparked my curiosity. Whisky was my first deep dive: understanding production, aroma, and storytelling through the glass. From there, bartending became a classroom. That curiosity eventually led me to beer: first through brewing and technical training, then through professional tasting and judging. Over time, I realized that what truly connected all these stages wasn’t production alone, but interpretation. Psychology gave me tools to understand perception; tasting sharpened my sensory language; brewing taught me respect for process. Writing became the place where everything met. Today, my work is increasingly focused on writing and education. I write to translate technical knowledge into human stories, to explain why beer tastes the way it does, and to document the people and decisions behind it. Beer matters to me because it sits at the intersection of craft, science, culture, and emotion and writing is how I make sense of that intersection, and share it with others.
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 highest standard of responsibility in beer evaluation. It’s not just about scoring beers, it’s about honoring the work behind them. Every sample reflects months or years of decisions: agricultural choices, fermentation management, recipe design, and intent. Judging at this level requires respect, focus, and humility. For me, the World Beer Cup is where global diversity truly shows up in the glass. You taste precision, tradition, innovation, and risk, often side by side, within the same flight. That forces you to stay sharp, to separate personal preference from stylistic accuracy, and to judge beers for what they are meant to be, not what you wish them to be. Judging here also means contributing to something larger than myself. The feedback matters. Medals matter. Careers, exports, and confidence can change based on these results. That weight is something I take seriously. On a personal level, the World Beer Cup keeps me grounded. It reminds me that beer is both craft and discipline, creativity and rigor. Being trusted to judge at this level is an honor and a constant reminder to keep learning, tasting, and listening.
