Walt Chleva

Colorado, Vereinigte Staaten

Wie sind Sie in die Bierbranche gekommen? Warum ist Bier für Sie wichtig?

I started off in the beer industry by working part time at my local homebrew store and wanted to take my brewing to the next level. I was able to get a position as a part time brewer for the brewery attached to the homebrew store and the rest is history.

Beer matters to me because from such a rich history comes the continued refinement and creation of a beverage that spans the world over. Beer has been enjoyed all around the world for thousands of years and poured into all sorts of vessels with many ingredients. Enjoying beer makes memories and is an experience that I feel blessed to be able to partake in, especially at this time in world history where the beer quality is at its peak.

Warum richten Sie beim World Beer Cup? Was bedeutet das Richten beim World Beer Cup für Sie?

I judge at the World Beer Cup because I have been in the beer industry for over 15 years and have loved seeing the increase in quality over the years. Brewers have been putting more effort into making quality paramount in the more recent years, making this last year’s judging experience the best one yet!

Judging beer at the World Beer Cup puts my skills to the test and allows me to continue my never-ending journey of sensory knowledge as I learn more each time I judge from some of the best in the world at determining the minute compounds created during the mash, the fermentation, or the packaging process.

Andres Quiros

San Jose, Costa Rica

Wie sind Sie in die Bierbranche gekommen? Warum ist Bier für Sie wichtig?

After a long wait, I got to brew my first homebrew batch with friends in China, where I had some incredible beer mentors from Germany and the U.S. That later became an income, we would sell beers with our homebrew club at festivals, and later with our own homebrewery, I later got hired at a Chinese brewpub, which was my first pro job. Experimentation has always been my favorite thing about beer, luckily, when I started brewing professionally the breweries where always open for my experiments, which made me grow as a brewer. I later founded my brewery Experimento Cervecero in Costa Rica, which is now evolving from a small industrial brewery to a largely self-sustainable farmstead brewery.

Beer is about community and that has always inspired me, most times when you meet a brewer you kind of get a new friend, who knows what you’ve been through; and more often than not, the collaboration spirit is on. Sharing a passion and sharing a beer is always a great feeling.

Warum richten Sie beim World Beer Cup? Was bedeutet das Richten beim World Beer Cup für Sie?

It has been a dream come true to judge at the WBC, I would dare say the pinnacle of a judging career. I judge to learn and share knowledge and the WBC is a great avenue for this. The diversity of beer, both in style and origin is incredible, and tasting beer from all over the world is always very rewarding and exciting. The judging panel is the top of the industry worldwide, so meeting the people and sharing stories was a definite treat. Judging at the world beer cup was a clear goal when I started brewing and later on judging, and getting to do it was a great feeling.

Lana Svitankova

Wie sind Sie in die Bierbranche gekommen? Warum ist Bier für Sie wichtig?

Beer is a love story in every sense. I fell down this rabbit hole on my honeymoon in Prague, over a glass of dark Czech lager, and I’ve continued my journey ever since. It started as a hobby, but it became a job, an educational vocation, and so much more. Like any relationship, there have been highs and lows, but the beer industry, the drink itself, and the people involved never cease to amaze me.

It’s more than just a set of flavors—it’s a collection of stories, emotions, memories, and experiences. That’s what makes it so exciting. Not all stories have a happy ending, but we’re here to change that and make the industry better.

Warum richten Sie beim World Beer Cup? Was bedeutet das Richten beim World Beer Cup für Sie?

Judging at the World Beer Cup is a roller coaster of emotions. It’s a huge responsibility to do justice to an overwhelming number of beers. It’s an uplifting feeling to represent your country with pride. It’s an immense joy to meet and learn from the best peers in the beer world, having countless meaningful conversations. It’s a lot of fun, but everyone takes it very seriously. The amount of knowledge and experience in the room is outstanding.

Winning a medal at the WBC means going through rigorous assessment and reaching the podium with flying colors. It’s a reason for every winner to be proud and to celebrate their work and team effort.

Damon Scott

Colorado, Vereinigte Staaten

Wie sind Sie in die Bierbranche gekommen? Warum ist Bier für Sie wichtig?

Ich entdeckte das handwerklich gebraute Bier in einem örtlichen Restaurant, das einem Hobbybrauer gehörte. Während ich mein Chemiestudium beendete (ohne eine Ahnung zu haben, was ich mit diesem Abschluss anfangen würde), stürzte ich mich auf das Heimbrauen. Plötzlich wurde mir klar, dass es etwas Greifbares gab, das ich mit meinem kreativen Geist und meinem analytischen Verstand herstellen konnte. Das Brauen bietet die Möglichkeit, etwas über Landwirtschaft, Pflanzenphysiologie, Strömungsmechanik, Thermodynamik und so vieles mehr zu lernen. Mir wurde schon früh klar, dass man sich in der Brauindustrie nie langweilt!

Bier ist für mich wichtig, weil es mir ermöglicht, etwas zu machen, das andere Menschen mit ihren Sinnen erleben können.

Warum richten Sie beim World Beer Cup? Was bedeutet das Richten beim World Beer Cup für Sie?

Das Jurieren beim World Beer Cup ist wirklich eine Ehre. Ich erlebe es immer wieder, dass ich mit unglaublich erfahrenen und sachkundigen Menschen zusammenarbeite, die gleichzeitig bescheiden und zugänglich sind. Der Jurierungsprozess stellt meine eigenen Annahmen darüber, wie ich die komplexe Matrix Bier wahrnehme, ständig in Frage. Das Beurteilen bietet auch einen Kontext, durch den ich das Bier, das ich herstelle, betrachten und objektiver bewerten kann.

Als Brauer ist man leicht in seiner eigenen kleinen Welt gefangen. Nichts reißt die Scheuklappen so weit herunter wie das Jurieren beim World Beer Cup. Die Verkostung unglaublicher Biere inspiriert mich dazu, besseres Bier zu brauen und meine Annahmen zu hinterfragen. Diese Perspektive ist von unschätzbarem Wert.