Tomoko Sonoda

Chiba, Japan

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

One of the plans for new business development was a brewpub, and I thought it would be fun to brew beer, so I applied for the position and was hired in 1996. The brewery opened in 2000, and I have been working as the brewmaster ever since. I believe that both drinking and brewing beer are magical experiences that enrich my life.

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

One goal is to deepen my knowledge of beer. By judging alongside people involved in the beer industry from around the world, I can learn to perceive things I might not otherwise notice, discover global trends, and, most importantly, train my sensitivity by putting myself in challenging situations. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in this world-class judging competition, where accuracy in sensory evaluation and a serious sense of responsibility and judgment are required.

Tony Barron

Aberdeen, United Kingdom

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

My parents initially. They were massive beer and real ale fans as I grew up and I even learned to walk in a pub. From there it was kind of inevitable I would fall in love with the drink and start pursuing a career in an industry I wanted to be in the thick of. I started learning the craft of homebrewing, cellarmanship and tasted lots of beers in my spare time. When confident enough I applied to a craft beer bar, which then escalated with my previous experience into a career in a brewery. That was 13 years ago and the rest is history. Except carrying on my learning journey through Cicerone, BJCP and just reading everything I can.

Beer isn’t just a beverage. It’s a passion. A talking point. A social lubricant. A way of expressing yourself. People who love beer can love so many different things in different ways and that opens a passion and a talking point. Gone are the days of drinking beer as a social norm. People genuinely care what goes into their glass and thousands of people around the world care what they put into it.

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 as it is the most prestigious beer competition in the world. Entrants put their heart and soul into the beer they make for this competition. It’s not just the hours planning and brewing the right beer, dwelling on ingredient quality, hop selection, or yeast strains. It’s the hours and care they follow it up with when choosing the category, the care in shipping, and the excitement of winning. Then there’s the rest of the judges. To be in a room with some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people from the industry at large and listen to their thoughts and opinions, share ideas, and continue to learn from the way everyone speaks and enjoys their beer is such a privilege.

Judging at the WBC is an honor to me, and I treat it as such. To be selected and included with some of the most famous names in beer at the most prestigious competition in the world will never not be humbling and a privilege to me and I take it very seriously.

What else would you like the world to know?

I’m known as The Beer Barron to some of my friends and I credit that to one of my closest friends who coined it long before I was even in the industry. He clearly knew it was in my future.

Julia Herz

Colorado, United States

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

When I was little, I had a soap and perfume collection. My dad traveled for work, and he’d bring back soaps, while my mom would bring perfume samples. I would smell them, feel the texture, and consider the shapes, colors, and ingredients. I also paid attention to my dad’s imported beers in the fridge and the food my mom was cooking. Based on aroma, I’d try to guess what was for dinner while I was upstairs in my bedroom. That was all the stage I needed to become a judge.

When I moved to Colorado, I had been homebrewing and started to become interested in what judges were doing. The bottom line is that I followed my interests and worked to learn sensory techniques about hedonics and beer styles. To me, beer is the most incredible beverage to judge because it is limitless in ingredient possibilities. Judges are instruments for what we perceive, and our job is to tap into what we sense, relay that back to the entrant, and share where it meets or misses the style guidelines—kind of like a lawyer interpreting the law. ?

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

Working to the level of being accepted and invited back to judge the World Beer Cup is a career highlight. Every time I judge, I learn and grow, and the WBC is unique because it has the most robust collection of international beer judges of any competition I can point to. Judging with peers from the same country is different from judging with judges from around the world. We help each other shed more “style bias” when judging from different cultural lenses. Hands down, the WBC is *the* judge invitation to snag. I like to tell new judges the only way to get invited is to put in the work, study, taste, brew, and apply.

Natalia Urzúa

Santiago, Chile

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

In 2026, I will celebrate 10 years in the beer industry. I started in 2016 after studying chemistry at university. As a student, I worked as a waitress while finishing my degree, and I learned a lot about beer during that time. Gradually, I became more and more interested and decided to train to become a BJCP judge. Eventually, I graduated and started looking for work. My first job was in sales at a brewery. Over time, I specialized more and more in service; I was part of the first group of Certified Cicerones and Doemens Biersommeliers in Chile. That opened many doors for me. To this day, I continue studying and improving, traveling as a judge to different competitions, teaching classes, and creating content. I never thought I would make a career out of beer, especially since it came into my life in a very casual way.

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

At the beginning of my career, international competitions seemed unattainable. I set my sights on one day being part of them, so I worked to achieve it. I’ve always admired all the judges attending World Beer Cup. And when the invitation arrived, I was extremely happy and full of joy. Participating in World Beer Cup is a way of honoring the memory of the person I was, who dreamed of attending some day, and I owe it to her to live that dream!