Ricardo Aftyka

Buenos Aires, Argentina

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

I started my beer career very early, at 19 years old, as a brewer. After more than 15 years in which I participated in the founding of the Argentine Brewers Association, wrote articles, made video tutorials and wrote a book, I decided to found my own brewery, Juguetes Perdidos. I have been an International Judge for more than 15 years and thanks to beer I have traveled all over the world and met wonderful people. Today I am 45 years old and my life is completely filled with beer, so much so that my children learned to say “aftertaste” before “dad.” If I had to define in one word what beer means to me, I would say it is “passion.”

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

I trained for many years to be able to enter the World Beer Cup as a judge. It is the highest level we can aspire to as international judges.

Judging at the World Beer Cup is a unique opportunity to learn from other judges, share time and experiences, represent my country, Argentina, and be part of the most important competition in the world of beer.

What else would you like the world to know?

Juguetes Perdidos, my brewery, was the first one to get a Gold award for Argentina at the World Beer Cup!

Leigh Maberry Hostetler

Texas, United States

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

I entered the beer industry through an internship opportunity for QA and lab work. This was shortly after my first ever craft beer: a classic American pale ale, that completely blew me away with the complexity and delicious flavor craft beer could offer. As a microbiologist and anthropologist, my skill set seemed perfectly matched for the brewing industry. The love for the sensory sciences was a natural progression during my tenure in the industry because at the end of the day, beer is intended to taste cohesively good, which is something analytical data can’t always demonstrate. Beer has been a collaborative effort for millennia and I am excited by the contributions I can offer to encourage growth throughout the industry.

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 to expand my knowledge and palate for international classifications and flavors. I judge to meet fellow judges and learn from their wide range of occupations, experiences, and sensory backgrounds. The World Beer cup judging opportunity allows cultural divides and geo-political barriers to be loosened allowing for equal trade of beer enthusiasm and expertise. Bonus: Critically evaluating beer and diving deep into what four simple ingredients can provide and honoring our industry peers creativity is simply fun and rewarding!

What else would you like the world to know?

On average, 75% of the beers we taste throughout judging are good beers. Just because you don’t win an award doesn’t mean you aren’t making great beer. Keep up the good work brew crews and let’s craft beer thriving!

Flavio Boero

Genoa, Italy

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

When I was young I was fascinated by the fermentation of wine by following my father in his small production. In 1973 I had the opportunity to work for an Italian brewery named Poretti Industries. I started in the lab, and part of my job was collaborating with the lab manager in researching off-flavor in beer. At that time we were the only brewery in Italy that used gas chromatography to do basic research on the brewery sector. I also worked for this brewery when it was acquired by Carlsberg, but my passion for beer increased when I became interested in craft beer production in Italy.

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

I think the renaissance of beer started in the U.S. Right now, the World Beer Cup best represents the evolution of beer, and leads the beer movement around the world.

Lance Chavez

Idaho, United States

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

I got into the beer industry after I graduated college and decided that instead of pursuing a career with my degree I wanted to find a trade that I enjoyed. I was lucky that my friend Josh King who is the brewmaster at Sockeye Brewing needed some help and the job just fit me.

Beer matters to me because I take pride in my work and enjoy producing beers that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of beer lovers. Just like any craftsman who has high expectations for themselves, I hold my beers to a high standard which I believe ends up in a quality product that I am proud to put in a glass.

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

It is a privilege to be invited to participate in the World Beer Cup judging panel. I am both humbled and honored to be able to help seek out the best beers in the competition. It is also a privilege to be able to judge alongside the panel of beer experts that the Brewers Association assembles. My beer knowledge and appreciation for the many unique beer styles we are able to sample always grows after each judging experience.

What else would you like the world to know?

The people behind the scenes of the World Beer Cup deserve a huge amount of respect and credit. There are so many people who volunteer their time to help sort entries, steward tables for the judges, coordinate the competition, feed the crew, and so much more. Most of these people don’t get paid but donate their time all for the love of beer. Cheers to all of those unsung heroes.