Murat Koska
How did you get into the beer industry? Why does beer matter to you?
It all started with a simple question from my wife that changed my life: “Can’t we brew beer at home?” What began as curiosity quickly became a passion and carried me into professional craft brewing. I stayed focused on growth and pursued certifications: first Cicerone Certified Beer Server, then BJCP Certified Beer Judge, and later the Siebel Institute & World Brewing Academy Quality Control program. In those early batches, the house would fill with malt and hop aromas and I’d think, “I can brew beer…what’s your superpower?” So I’ll say it to you, too: fellow brewers, let’s not forget we can brew beer. We’ve got a superpower. To me, beer is making one of humanity’s oldest drinks with my own hands. For tens of thousands of years, archaeological digs have revealed traces of beer and fermentation; this drink has lived alongside people from our earliest stories to today. Being part of that long journey feels incredible. Maybe 10,000 years from now, our own traces will be evidence to someone else “Look, they brewed beer too.” Even imagining that is thrilling.
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 contribute to the global beer community and be part of a judging process that puts quality, fairness, and consistency at the center. Being the first beer judge from Turkey to serve at the World Beer Cup is both a great source of pride for me and a strong responsibility. Sitting at the same table with people from different nations and cultures, speaking the same language the language of beer is incredible; in my view, the World Beer Cup is one of the best places to feel beer’s power to bring people together.
What else would you like the world to know?
We can brew beer yes, we’ve got a “superpower.” We’re keeping alive one of humanity’s earliest drinks, a tradition brewed for tens of thousands of years. As long as the world keeps turning, there will be beer. If anything has the power to bring the world together, I believe that power is in beer.
