Bruna de Oliveira

Sao Paulo, Brazil

¿Cómo entró en la industria cervecera? ¿Por qué le importa la cerveza?

During my chemical engineering degree, I had the opportunity to intern at Grupo Petrópolis, a Brazilian company with 100% national capital. I enjoyed this experience and realized that the beverage industry fascinated me, though I hadn’t yet identified the area I connected with most. After graduating, I had the chance to return to the company, this time as a professional in the quality assurance department, focusing on beverage sensory analysis. It was then that I realized this area was the perfect fit for me, and I’ve continued my career in this sector with a great passion for what I do. Beer is important to me because it has helped me find and develop myself as a professional.

¿Por qué participa como juez en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza? ¿Qué significa para usted ser jurado en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza?

Based on my experience and training in sensory analysis and beer, I naturally set some career goals. One of them was to become an international judge, and in 2024, my opportunity arrived. I had the honor of being part of the sensory panel at the World Beer Cup. I feel fulfilled to have been part of a competition recognized worldwide for its excellence and quality. I learned a great deal during the competition and returned home with immense gratitude.

Chris Hotz

California, Estados Unidos

¿Cómo entró en la industria cervecera? ¿Por qué le importa la cerveza?

Empecé como homebrewer en 2004. Gané un par de medallas en el Concurso Nacional de Homebrew y me involucré más con mi club local de homebrew, QUAFF. En 2013, me matriculé en el programa de certificación de elaboración de cerveza de la Universidad de California en San Diego (UCSD). Al año siguiente me contrataron en Ballast Point Brewing como analista de calidad. Me ascendieron a cervecero de I+D en las instalaciones de I+D de Little Italy. En 2019, impartía los cursos de prácticas de acabado y materias primas para el programa de certificación cervecera de la UCSD. Dejé Ballast Point en 2022 para convertirme en gerente de calidad en Societe Brewing.

La cerveza ha sido una parte importante de mi vida desde que empecé a elaborar cerveza casera. Me encanta la creatividad y el lado analítico de la elaboración de cerveza, así como todos los amigos que he hecho en el sector.

¿Por qué participa como juez en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza? ¿Qué significa para usted ser jurado en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza?

Desde que me convertí en juez del Programa de Certificación de Jueces de Cerveza en 2014, he disfrutado mucho de la comunidad de jueces y de participar en competiciones locales y nacionales. He hecho amigos en la comunidad y he aprendido mucho sobre los entresijos del día a día de una competición. Participar como juez en competiciones me ha convertido en un mejor catador y cervecero.

Nathan Keffer

Quito, Ecuador

¿Cómo entró en la industria cervecera? ¿Por qué le importa la cerveza?

After helping to open a backpackers hostel and bed-and-breakfast in 2012 in Quito, Ecuador, we quickly saw a demand for craft beer. We had guests from all over the world passing through, and many often asked where they could get a good pint. At that time, the only options available were the typical commercial national lagers that small Latin American countries have. Having just graduated from the University of Oregon, we were very familiar with the amazing options local craft beer had to offer, so we started brewing in Ecuador in hopes of serving great beer to our guests and introducing our local friends to the culture of American craft beer.

¿Por qué participa como juez en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza? ¿Qué significa para usted ser jurado en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza?

It’s an honor to judge at the World Beer Cup. Judging there is an opportunity to give back to the brewing community I hold so dear, and it allows me to test my skills against other judges with different levels of experience and diverse backgrounds. There’s always something to learn as a judge, and even more so when you are paired with some of the other great people at WBC.

Andres Quiros

San Jose, Costa Rica

¿Cómo entró en la industria cervecera? ¿Por qué le importa la cerveza?

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.

¿Por qué participa como juez en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza? ¿Qué significa para usted ser jurado en la Copa Mundial de la Cerveza?

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.