Diego Setti

Florida, Vereinigte Staaten

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

Ich habe 2010 in Buenos Aires mit dem Heimbrauen begonnen und wurde 2012 zum Richter des Beer Judge Certification Program ernannt. Zwischen 2012 und 2017 hielt ich viele Vorträge und Schulungen für die Asociación Civil Somos Cerveceros, das argentinische Pendant zur American Homebrewers Association.

Im Jahr 2016, nach einem 6-monatigen Aufenthalt in Deutschland, begann ich mit der Beratung zu Bierstilen. 2017 habe ich meinen IT-Job gekündigt, um mich zu 100 % auf Bier zu konzentrieren. Ich gründete ein Bierausbildungsinstitut namens Zeta Atelier de Cervezas, das eine breite Palette von Schulungen und Kursen für Bierliebhaber und Fachleute anbietet. Während dieser Zeit wurde ich auch zertifizierter Cicerone und Doemens Academie Biersommelier.

All das hat die Aufmerksamkeit vieler Investoren und Unternehmer geweckt, so dass ich Ende 2019 das Angebot annahm, dem Team der Prison Pals Brewing Company beizutreten, und 2020 nach Florida zog, um dieses Projekt zu starten, wo ich das Layout und alle technischen Spezifikationen der Brauerei entwarf. Jetzt bin ich als Braumeister tätig.

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

Der World Beer Cup ist einer der renommiertesten Bierwettbewerbe der Welt und mit Sicherheit der größte von allen. Es kostet viel Mühe, Teil der Verkostungsjury zu werden: Ich habe mich zum ersten Mal 2017 für die Ausgabe 2018 beworben, und aus verschiedenen Gründen habe ich die Ehre, 2023 zum ersten Mal als Juror dabei zu sein. Es ist eine einzigartige Erfahrung, bei der man mit einer hochkarätigen Jury aus allen Teilen der Welt Biere von Weltrang verkostet.

Jesse Brown

Washington, United States

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

I was a bartender in Wyoming who wanted to understand more about the production of beer, whiskey, and all things drink. Around 2006, while studying at the University of Wyoming, my friends and I would drive down to Fort Collins for weekends to visit breweries. New Belgium had a big impact on my early craft beer journey. Fast forward to January 2009—one semester from graduating—the economy had collapsed.

I moved to Lander, Wyoming, to climb and bartend. I convinced the new head brewer at Lander Brewing Co. to give me a job washing kegs. I self-studied all the brewing books I could afford, soaking up as much knowledge as possible. Ten years later, I love making craft beer more than ever in the Seattle area.

Beer matters to me because what I create brings communities together. Anywhere in the world, beer serves as a social conduit. It always brings me joy to see people gathered in the taproom.

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

I deeply care about the sensory aspect of beer, and I judge at the World Beer Cup for many reasons. One reason is my love for the qualitative experience—everything that goes into judging a beer is shaped by personal history and knowledge of styles. I’m constantly challenged by other world-class judges and always return home inspired with new perspectives.

Judging at the World Beer Cup is an honor. It allows me to have deep conversations with some of the best brewers and judges in the world.

Dana Johnson

Colorado, Vereinigte Staaten

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

Like many, I got into the industry after falling in love with home brewing. For my 30th birthday, I was given a homebrewing kit and (of course) Charlie Papazian’s “Complete Joy of Homebrewing” book. This was prior to the internet and my first batch or two had a very steep learning curve, but I was hooked. Five years later, I knew I didn’t want to start my own brewery but saw an opportunity selling cleaning, sanitizing, and process aids to the industry. I’ve been doing it ever since and couldn’t be happier.

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

I’ve been judging at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) since 2015. When the opportunity to judge at the World Beer Cup presented itself a couple of years ago, I jumped at the chance. The World Beer Cup is open to breweries all over the world, not just the US. The WBC is one of the most prestigious beer competitions in the world with some of the best judges in the world. It is interesting to judge with people from across the globe and is very educational. I am extremely honored to be included as a World Beer Cup Judge and to know that we are all very committed to doing our very best, each and every round and awarding medals to the best beers in the entire world.

Noel Sanchez

Stuttgart, Germany

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

I’ve been a beer enthusiast since an early age, mainly because of the close relationship between beer and heavy metal. It has always been my favorite beverage during fun times. Beer and music can bring people together in a curiously special bond. I greatly enjoy being an agent who promotes this wonderful human connection—and making a living from it.

In the mid-2000s, my interest in understanding beer more deeply was sparked when some relatives invited me to brew beer at home. A few years later, while working as a creative director, I participated in a brainstorming session to create the brand for the first microbrewery in Panama. Seeing the boom that craft beers were experiencing, I saw an opportunity to quit advertising and dedicate myself fully to the beer industry.

In 2014, I began my journey as a beer professional, studying and formally training with various organizations. Since then, I have managed to stand out in different fields as an entrepreneur, consultant, and educator. I also became a beer judge at competitions held in more than 20 countries, building a large network of colleagues and opportunities across the globe.

Today, I’m the regional sales director for BrauKon in Germany.

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

For me, having the opportunity to participate as a judge in the largest and most important beer competition in the world, next to internationally respected professionals, is an honor, a privilege, and a great reward for dedication.