World Class Judges

Lotte Peplow

Greater London, United Kingdom

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

I’ve been in the beer industry all my career but initially on the periphery, and I came to it through the PR and marketing route. As the craft beer world grew so did my interest and passion for the subject. I was lucky enough to begin my long relationship with the Brewers Association back in 2006 and I gradually took on more responsibility. My role widened until in 2019 when I was appointed American craft beer ambassador for Europe. It’s an honor and a privilege to work for the Brewers Association and I’m incredibly proud to represent them either when traveling overseas or at home in the UK.

For me, beer is not just a career but a way of life. I love the wide variety of flavors and aromas found in beer. It’s super versatile and makes the perfect food accompaniment. I love the beer community and the people who make this industry special. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and united in a shared appreciation of this beautiful beverage. It’s a uniquely collaborative space and I count myself very lucky to be associated with some of the most talented brewing minds in the industry.

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

Judging in the World Beer Cup is the pinnacle of my beer journey and the gold standard in beer judging. It’s like competing at the Olympics! The quality of the competition is second to none — from the world class quality of the entries to the high standards of the judges and the professional, smooth-running organization behind the scenes. Of all the competitions I’ve judged around the world, the World Beer Cup is the biggest, most prestigious, most international, best-organized and most professional of them all — in my humble opinion, of course!

Being selected as a judge for the World Beer Cup is a huge honor and fills me with pride. I love judging because it focuses my mind on everything I’ve learned about beer and brewing. Much like an Olympic athlete, I have to be at the very top of my game and that’s an exciting and thrilling prospect.

I have only judged one World Beer Cup so far (2023 in Nashville) but was completely blown away by the standard of entries, quality of the judges, and organization of the competition. It was an enormously rich and rewarding personal experience and one I hope to repeat again soon.

What else would you like the world to know?

I play hockey (that’s field hockey to my American friends!) for a Club in southwest London and have done for many years. It’s great fun, a chance to run around and blow away the cobwebs before a beer in the bar afterwards. Last season we were undefeated and won promotion to a higher league. This season may be different! I’m married with three grown up children and one very lively dog.

Matt Johnson

South Dakota, United States

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

After homebrewing for a few years, I decided to become a professional brewer in 1997. I quit my job and went to brew school. I got a job as a brewer right out of school and never looked back. I was lucky enough to brew through the meteoric rise of craft beer, and I’ve enjoyed it the entire way. I worked my way up from brewing at a few brewpubs to being the brewmaster of brewery operations at a mid-sized brewery in San Diego, producing 85,000 barrels a year at our peak. Along the way, I built eight small breweries and have been a member of the Hop Quality Group, a voting member of the Hop Research Council, a member of the MBAA National Technical Committee, and the BA Brewpub Committee.

This industry is very big yet very small and collaborative, and I’ve enjoyed being a part of it. I will continue to be part of this great group of brewers and collaborators.

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

I became a judge for the simple reason that I wanted to learn more about beer styles and what it takes to brew them. Being able to taste and give opinions on beers for the World Beer Cup is a great learning experience. It also helps create friendships within our industry. Judging the WBC, one of the best beer competitions in the world, is an honor and a privilege for anyone. It’s a way to share my industry knowledge with other brewers and judges. I love it because it also allows me to continuously learn more about our industry and the trends happening within it.

Ken Smith

Colorado, United States

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

I sold wine for 10 years before joining the Boston Beer Company in 1995. I was looking for a change and the beer industry was becoming (and has continued to become) more interesting. My early days were spent in sales, transitioning to sales training in the early 2000s. I currently teach classes on everything beer and that environment continues to evolve. I believe that beer and its history, culture, and science will continue, as it has for millennia, to be a part of humanity way into the future.

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

Meeting others of like mind from around the world and being able to taste the best brewers have to offer is a thrilling experience. Friends are made and new beer styles are experienced! How cool is that?

Carolina Perez

Caba, Argentina

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

I have been working with beer since 1996. For me, it is a matter of constant research and knowledge. I enjoy beer in many aspects.

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

Being a World Beer Cup judge gives me a lot of experience, sharing knowledge with judges from other countries and tasting beers from different parts of the world in a professional context.

Steve Luke

Washington, United States

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

In the summer of 2005, I found myself packing boxes and sweeping floors at a local brewery — and I was hooked!

The beauty of beer and brewing is that it can be as complicated or as simple you make it out to be, and finding that happy medium is up to each and every brewer. There are endless wormholes to seek knowledge and solutions, and continuously evolving techniques, equipment and ingredients. But at the same time, the brewing process is still timeless and logical. Good beer is good beer, no matter how you get there!

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 allows you to meet people with different backgrounds in the beer industry from all over the world. It’s engaging, exciting, and often challenging. And it gives you an unrivaled snapshot of the current state of beer — from a quality standpoint, to trends and experimentation, to observing and developing beer style parameters.

Geoff Deman

Kansas, United States

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

My interest in brewing began in college when I took a semester off and stayed with friends in the Bay Area, one of whom had taken up homebrewing. I helped him with a few batches and then dove into the deep end when I returned to school at the University of Kansas, where a homebrew supply shop had just opened in Lawrence. Many batches later, with a bachelor’s degree in art history in hand, I moved to Seattle hoping to land a brewing job. That first job paid me $6 an hour. Needless to say, I wasn’t into beer for the money—I was into it for the people, the community, the creativity, and the camaraderie.

I was fortunate to have amazing mentors, peers, and colleagues during my time brewing at Pike Brewing Company in Seattle, and later at Free State Brewing when I returned to Lawrence. Beer matters to me—or I should say, good beer matters to me. To borrow the words of Brother Epp of Capuchin Monastery in Munjor, Kansas, written in 1906 during Prohibition: “Because, without beer, things do not seem to go as well.”

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

Every time I judge the World Beer Cup, I learn something new and gain perspective from a diverse group of judges who may not speak the same language I do on a daily basis, but certainly speak the language of beer. It’s great to judge with German judges in German beer categories or Belgians in Belgian beer categories and get their perspective on the nuances of a classic style originating from their home country. It’s equally interesting to hear the perspective of an Argentinian or Japanese judge on these styles and learn more about the growing beer culture in their countries.

I’ve made new friends that I look forward to visiting in their home countries someday and seeing when they visit us during the World Beer Cup. Good beer brings good people together.

Sylvia Kopp

Berlin, Germany

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

As an author, speaker, and teacher on beer culture, beer styles, beer tasting, and the sensory evaluation of hops, I have been a recognized advocate of genuine innovation for 20 years. I am convinced that true creativity, which arises from a connection with one’s core values, will always drive development—unlike fear-driven reactions to economic demands that lead to boredom and stagnation.

I have been a trainer at the BarthHaas Hops Academy since 2019. I founded and directed the Berlin Beer Academy and worked for several years as an ambassador for American craft beer for the Brewers Association across Europe. Throughout my career, I have published numerous books and articles, and I recently co-founded Women4Beverages, a network for women in the industry, at BrauBeviale in Nuremberg. My latest project, a series of video interviews and text portraits, highlights female role models in the beverage industry.

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

Judging has been the key to my entry into the world of beer culture. I’m proud to be a long-term judge at both the World Beer Cup and European Beer Star, which I joined when they were the only two major competitions in Europe and America. It’s an honor to be invited back each time. Nowhere else have I learned as much about beer flavors, styles, and global beer cultures as I have at the judging tables of the World Beer Cup. I truly appreciate the discussions and exchanges with international brewers and fellow beer professionals. I always return home with fresh inspiration and new stories to publish in our magazines.

Werner Glossner

Bavaria, Germany

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

I was born into a brewing family and had no chance of avoiding beer, but fate has been damn good to me.

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

It is the international encounters — around a table, over evenings and days with tasters from all over the world, that is the World Beer Cup.

Fernanda Meybom

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

I have always liked beer and my grandmother was a homebrewer.As a chemical engineer,I became more familiar with the fermentation process and the beer industry. After my graduation and a sommelier course, I decided to learn more about sensory analysis. I got involved with beer competitions and local homebrewers associations, including organizing competitions and conferences.I’m a master’s candidate in food engineering and beer science. I recently co-authored a chapter about pairing beer and food in Guia da Sommelieira de Cervejas (Beer Sommelier Guide), and co-authored a chapter about probiotic beer in Protocols in Technology of Probiotic Foods and Beverages for Springer Protocols. I’m also the technical advisor at the Regional Council of Engineering and Agronomy of Santa Catarina in Brazil. I am an active BJCP Certified judge and for the last 10 years I have judged in international beer competitions in Chile, Spain, Mexico, South Africa, Belgium, Argentina, and Uruguay. I’m the co-founder of Passaporte Cervejeiro, a company that organizes beer travel groups to Belgium. I have taught several courses in Brazil. Writing and cooking are my passions, and after five years as a columnist for Revista da Cerveja (Magazine of Beer), I now share recipes at my own website.

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

The World Beer Cup is one of the largest and most prestigious competitions in the world, and winning a medal there is celebrated as a significant competitive achievement. Being selected for the judging team is therefore a great honor and an achievement for beer professionals, as well as a great responsibility to select the worthiest beers from among the entries. Being part of the World Beer Cup is a great validation of my hard work, study, and preparation in the beer industry, and a wonderful way to use my beer evaluation skills.

Amaey Mundkur

Connecticut, United States

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

I fell backwards into beer. I ran out of money while living in Australia and starting home brewing so I could continue to enjoy beer as a 21-year-old. I made a lot of bad alcoholic ginger beer before I learned to brew proper beer. People started buying my homebrew that I made out of my dorm room on the 11th floor of Howitt Hall at Monash University.

After I graduated, I didn’t want to move to Christmas Island in the South Pacific to study predatory ants that feasted on the migrating red crabs.So I picked beer.

Beer matters because it is art and love. It is an expression that is worthy of sharing. It matters to me because it engages with the very core of me, the scientist, the pedant, and the creative. Beer is about community — and as an immigrant from India (and the only Indian World Beer Cup beer judge — yes, out of almost two billion humans) who loves personal expression, it is where I belong.

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

I judge beer for a couple of reasons. It’s extremely important to positively impact beer quality. I have been in this industry for almost twenty years and have made beer on four continents. In that time, beer has grown, changed, and become what it is today. It is important to give positive feedback to all those brewers who aspire to be great, and I hope I can be part of that journey.

Judging at the World Beer Cup literally means the world to me. It is an affirmation of my achievements in the industry, as recognized by my peers who have kindly allowed me to judge with them, and to be part of an esteemed group of people that I can learn from. Hoarding information is selfish, while sharing it is selfless. And I hope to learn more.

What else would you like the world to know?

Besides beer, I love all the time I can spend with my wife and dog. I like hitting a little white ball around a large field (golf) and into a tiny hole. I love cooking and my family!

Abram Goldman-Armstrong

Sandefjord, Norway

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

I was a big fan of Oregon microbrews growing up in the 1990s and began homebrewing at age 17 when I moved to Minnesota for college and missed the beers from home. While studying at University College Cork in Ireland during my junior year abroad in 1997-98, my local Rumplestiltskins had a great selection of German and Belgian beers. I broadened my knowledge of European beer styles while traveling in Scotland, England, Belgium and the Netherlands with my trusty copy of Michael Jackson’s Pocket Guide to beer. When I returned to Portland after college I joined the Oregon Brew Crew and passed the BJCP exam at the national level. From there I went on to work as a beer writer, festival organizer, bottle shop beer buyer and brewer. I operated my own cidery in Portland from 2013-2019 and moved to Norway in 2020 to launch a cider brand for Fjordfolk Mikrobryggeri where I also became the assistant brewer and took over as head brewer in January 2022. Enjoying the diversity of beer flavours has always been an important part of travel for me, and I enjoy trying beers from around the world.

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 an important way to connect with other brewers, judges, and writers from around the globe. I always learn something from judging, and it makes me a better brewer, as I taste and assess beers with other highly knowledgeable beer people.

What else would you like the world to know?

My favorite category to judge is Historical Beer. I enjoy learning about beer traditions from entrants notes and tasting different interpretations of historical beers from diverse brewing traditions.

Shane McNamara

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

My journey into the beer industry began with homebrewing in Brisbane, Australia, over a decade ago. This led me to undertake a course in brewing science at Ballarat University, and eventually complete a master’s in brewing science at Nottingham University. My passion for beer and brewing education has driven my career path, leading me to also become the first Australian Master Cicerone. This journey from homebrewing to professional brewing, has taken me all over the world and eventually to my current role as global director for beer passion and beyond-beer innovation at AB InBev.

Beer matters to me because it represents a perfect blend of art and science. It’s a product that brings people together, fostering a sense of community and shared experiences. Through my education and career, I’ve come to appreciate the intricacies of brewing and the cultural significance of beer. It’s not just a beverage; it’s a way to connect with history, traditions, and people from around the world. The continuous evolution and innovation within the beer industry keep it exciting and inspiring for me.

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 allows me to contribute to the global beer community by recognizing and celebrating excellence in brewing. It’s an opportunity to support the industry by providing valuable feedback to brewers, helping them improve and innovate. Judging also keeps my sensory skills sharp and broadens my understanding of different beer styles and brewing techniques. It’s a privilege to be part of such a prestigious event and to witness firsthand the diversity and creativity that brewers bring to the table.

Being involved in World Beer Cup is an honor and a responsibility. It means being part of a global community dedicated to the highest standards of brewing excellence. It’s a chance to taste and evaluate beers from around the world, learning from each one and contributing to the continuous improvement of the industry. For me, it’s not just about awarding medals; it’s about celebrating the passion, craftsmanship, and innovation that go into every beer.