World Class Judges

Maria Sol Cravello

Buenos Aires, Argentina

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

While studying at university, I worked in a microbiology lab. I was fascinated by microorganisms and wanted to learn more about them. After earning my degree in food science, I was determined to find a job that combined microorganisms and food. How bacteria and yeast transform flavors and aromas was—and still is—impressive to me. Fortunately, I discovered the fantastic world of beer.

My first job after graduation was as sensory lead at the largest brewery in Argentina. Today, 12 years later, I still dedicate my career to educating and spreading beer knowledge and appreciation at every opportunity.

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

Judging at the World Beer Cup has been a dream of mine since I started my career. I remember attending Craft Brewers Conferences and WBC awards ceremonies, thinking, “Wow, will I ever be part of this huge event?” The day I received the invitation to judge in Las Vegas in 2024 was one of the best days of my beer career. I was so excited telling everyone about it that I almost forgot to reply to the email and nearly missed out on the competition!

The news was so big in my country that I was interviewed by the most important local newspapers about my experience as a judge representing Argentina. That’s how significant being a WBC judge is to me. 🙂

Wolfgang Lindell

Sor-Trondelag, Norway

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

Having German roots, it’s fair to say that we always celebrated the culture of beer! My main hangout in college was at a brewpub in the nineties and it really inspired me to see the brewer at work with the craft. I also became interested in how technology can obscure reality, to which I sought out disciplines that kept me grounded to the world around us. I interned at a Maltster, graduated in the natural sciences, and eventually continued to work in the industry and attended brew school, becoming a master brewer in 2006. Beer and brewing matter to me in that they’re both an art and a science, a direct connection to the natural world, to agricultural raw materials, to culture and history, and to people.

We all need daily sustenance with food and drink so it’s great to be a part of the communal human journey.

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

After working 20 years in the industry, it’s great to be able to give something back. The community of beer is alive and strong, and we need to take care of our own and recognize and foster excellence. It’s also great to be with other inspired colleagues, which allows good discussion and illumination into the current state of affairs of our industry.

Kathia Zanatta

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

After finishing my food engineering degree in Brazil, I followed my love for beer. I landed an internship at Paulaner Brewery in Germany in 2005, where I delved into the world of brewing and embraced the country’s diverse beer culture. Upon my return, I transitioned into a role at a brewery in Brazil, where I honed my skills over a five-year period in areas such as quality control, research and development, and laboratory analysis. In 2008, I embarked on a journey to Germany for the Beer Sommelier course, marking my entry into Brazil’s burgeoning craft beer scene.

Equipped with this expertise, I began organizing beer events. By 2010, I co-founded Instituto da Cerveja, an educational institution dedicated to the art of beer, and since then I have been fully committed to studying (including a brewmaster course in 2011), impactful teaching, hosting beer and food events, and consulting.

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

I have been participating as a judge in beer competitions since 2009, consistently enjoying the opportunity to expand my knowledge of beer, sensory analysis, and the market. It’s not only a chance to connect with new colleagues, but also an opportunity to support breweries by engaging in discussions about their beers and providing valuable feedback.

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!

Rick Kempen

Noord Holland, Netherlands

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

For well over thirty years, my life has been all about beer. Flunking out of university because of my side job as a waiter in De Pilsener Club turned out to be one of the best things to happen to me. In 1998, I joined Bier&cO, one of Europe’s leading beer import and distribution companies, dedicated to bringing craft beer from all over the globe to the people.

Having held various positions within Bier&cO, I eventually shaped its export department by representing a handful of American craft breweries. Together with a handful of others we pioneered the European market which helped start a European ‘beer revolution.’

Today, I am beer ambassador at Bier&cO, traveling around the globe, promoting and educating about a portfolio of special, exciting, and one-of-a-kind craft beers. I am a certified beer sommelier (Doemens Diplom-Biersommelier) and co-founded Dutch Beer Week as well as the Dutch Beer Challenge, a competition for Dutch beers. I like to see myself as a professional beer connoisseur who has had the pleasure of making a hobby out of his work. Beer, consequently, means everything to me!

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

Judging at World Beer Cup means you get to learn from fellow judges from all over the world, all bringing their specific expertise. Talking with your peers is a rare opportunity to better yourself in beer. Also, it gives you the opportunity to taste beers from breweries who take their business and craftmanship seriously. They dare to have their beers evaluated by professionals, using their feedback to improve their creations. Contributing to that, and doing that by tasting some of the best beers in the world without knowing what they are, is a huge honor, privilege, and pleasure.

What else would you like the world to know?

Participating as a brewery, you not only compete for awards, but you get valuable feedback from a professional and skilled group of tasters. Do it!

Fal Allen

California, United States

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

I started as a homebrewer in 1985. I was working at a waterfront bar in Seattle and one day, while I was checking in a couple of cases of Redhook, I had an epiphany: I thought, “Wait a minute, someone gets paid to make Red Hook beer. Maybe I could get paid to make Redhook beer!” So I started visiting the Redhook brewery in the Fremont district and sharing my homebrew with the brewer. I would stop in a couple of times a week and ask him to try the beers with me. Finally, he hired me with the provision that I not bring him any more of my homebrew. For a few years I worked at the brewery during the days and tended bar at night. Rick the brewer was kind to me and rotated me through most of the positions in the brewery. I learned a lot about beer. In 1989, I got a job as a full time brewer at Pike Place Brewery. Then, in 1999, I moved to Anderson Valley Brewing in California, where I am today.

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

I judge the World Beer Cup for a couple of reasons. One, for the opportunity to judge with other people that have a different take on beer than I do. To learn and discuss beer and brewing with these folks and make new friends and partnerships in the brewing world. Second, I like to keep up to date on what is going on in the wide wide world of beer. Being selected to judge the most prestigious beer competition in the world is a great honor. I feel very lucky to be in such esteemed company of great brewers and beer industry people.

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.

Ai Tani

Osaka-shi Kitaku Oyodonaka, Japan

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

“Almost 30 years ago, small-scale brewing began in Japan. At that time, imported German and Belgian beers were occasionally available in Japan. Small-scale brewing had begun, but there were few high-quality beers and few good brewers. I decided that I would grow as a professional and spread the word about the existence of high-quality beer in Japan. This is why I entered this industry.

Twelve years ago, I decided just acting as a judge was not enough to advance quality standards, so I started running my own bottle shop and beer pub, selecting good quality beer, and providing it to consumers while maintaining quality. Since five years ago, I have also owned a brewery, and while deepening my awareness of beer, I also improve brewing, sipping and serving skills, and support the management of breweries and restaurants.

Beer has a long history and has recently evolved from technological developments and scientific advances. From the current situation, where Japanese historical food and liquor culture is evolving through beer, we believe that we can find an opportunity to build a new beer culture in Japan.

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

Being able to judge at the World Beer Cup, the world’s premier competition, is a source of pride. It is a good opportunity to measure my judging skills.

It was also a great experience how the judges are organized at the World Beer Cup. I believe it is the best competition in the world. The fact that many Japanese have won awards has become a guideline for quality improvement for Japanese brewers. It is also a great place where you can exchange information with beer judges from all over the world.

I was able to talk about my role as a judge and my thinking about evaluation at a high level. I would like to take it back to Japan and use it to educate beer judges and give advice on the growth of the market.

What else would you like the world to know?

If you ever come to Osaka, Japan, please visit our brewery, Craft Beer Base.

Brian Watson

Hamilton, New Zealand

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

In 1990 I saw a job for a trainee brewer with Heineken in the newspaper. I was lucky enough to get the job and never looked back. I have been in craft since 1996 in the U.K. and just love the industry, the people in it and what craft sands for.

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

I judge to give back to the industry, catch up with people from different countries and cultures, learn from people, and experience the wider world of craft beer. I am passionate about craft beer and love the industry and those in it. Every time I travel I learn something, and hope to never stop learning.

Gad Deviri

Tel Aviv, Israel

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

It all started for me with homebrewing, which fed my soul. I started to import brewing supplies to the very young and small Israeli craft and homebrew market. I enrolled in courses at the Siebel Institute in Chicago and started teaching homebrewing and beer sensory.

Beer is a very interesting drink. It can be very ‘down to earth’ or a very complicated drink. It has so many shapes and shades. It’s never boring.

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

Judging in the prestigious competition in the word is a milestone in my professional life. It is an honor to be part of the team. Judging at this International competition gives me a broad perspective of the world of beer styles and tastes and is a rare opportunity to meet others from the industry.

Greig McGill

Hamilton, New Zealand

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

I was a dedicated consumer beer advocate. I had developed a serious respect and passion for beer, had gone down the rabbit hole, utterly fascinated by the history and nuance of this complex yet simple social beverage. I ended up co-founding a consumer organization in New Zealand—the Society of Beer Advocates (SOBA) in 2006, and also pursuing homebrewing to learn all I could. I traveled to the U.K. and Europe in search of the roots of beer as well as the U.S. to investigate the modern variants produced by the cutting edge of the U.S. brewing scene. I stopped fighting destiny in 2011 and opened Brewaucracy, a brewery in Hamilton, New Zealand. I continue to enjoy beer in (almost) all its forms, and the connections and friendships I have made in the never ending quest for more and more beery knowledge!

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

Judging at the World Beer Cup is hard to describe. There is, of course, always that sense of imposter syndrome that can be hard to shake when you’re sitting around a table with people you have idolized: authors, brewers, history makers. However, there’s also something extremely powerful about “locking in” as all our senses together elevate some great beers at the table to among the ranks of the best beers in the world. The camaraderie, the warmth, the humor, and even the “tales from the trenches” as we await a flight of beers; the efficiency and skill of the stewards, as they work tirelessly to get beers in front of us in the best condition possible; the sense of fatigue, but also of a job well done at the end of each judging session—all of this forms an experience that is unique in my experience of judging. There’s playing guitar in a local bar band, and then there’s jamming onstage with Hendrix. The World Beer Cup is the latter, and I am proud to be considered worthy.

Alejandro Ancona

Quintana Roo, Mexico

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

I was always attracted by the science behind food, drinks and flavors. My journey began when I discovered wine, but I soon found out my personality has much more in common with the beer world. Living in a place with scarce beer culture, being a homebrewer and my passion for education, eventually got me to open a beer school in 2017, where today we train beer professionals around Mexico and Latin America. (@beerschoolmx)

Beer matters to me because it’s the perfect blend of ingredients provided by the earth and the passion of the human hand, to create a beverage that has been making people happy for over 10,000 years. That’s just amazing.

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

Judging beer professionally is one of the things in life I enjoy the most, and the World Beer Cup is the biggest competition in the planet. Being a part of such a global and amazing panel of brewers, judges and beer professionals is of course a great learning opportunity, but most importantly a great source of lifetime beer friends from many different countries.