Flavio Boero

Genoa, Italy

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

When I was young I was fascinated by the fermentation of wine by following my father in his small production. In 1973 I had the opportunity to work for an Italian brewery named Poretti Industries. I started in the lab, and part of my job was collaborating with the lab manager in researching off-flavor in beer. At that time we were the only brewery in Italy that used gas chromatography to do basic research on the brewery sector. I also worked for this brewery when it was acquired by Carlsberg, but my passion for beer increased when I became interested in craft beer production in Italy.

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

I think the renaissance of beer started in the U.S. Right now, the World Beer Cup best represents the evolution of beer, and leads the beer movement around the world.

Leonardo Sewald Cunha

Colorado, United States

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

I started as a homebrewer in south Brazil around 25 years ago. I created a homebrew club with some friends, and was getting close to a few fellow Brazilian breweries, who were very friendly towards homebrewers. Eventually, I decided to take it to the next level and earned a brewing degree at Siebel Institute in Chicago. That not only helped me get the brewing and entrepreneurial knowledge I needed but also exposed me to the values of American brewing: fun, camaraderie, creativity, and a serious commitment to quality.

Brazil didn’t have many breweries by the late 2000s, and none of the existing ones were focused on American styles of beer. With that in mind, the decision to start a brewery inspired by American beers in Brazil was an easy one. And it paid off: To this day, Seasons is viewed by consumers as one of the pioneer breweries in Brazil, something I’m really proud of because, to me, beer is so much more than just a beverage. Beer is history, science, culture, and entertainment. There’s a unique social aesthetic to beer, something that brings people together and makes them feel at home with each other. It’s just great!

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

So many things. There’s the learning aspect: I’ve been judging beers for almost 20 years but I’m always learning something new. Meeting fellow judges from around the world is also really cool. From a more personal point of view, being a judge at the World Beer Cup is a privilege; since I started in the brewing business and then became a beer judge, it has always been a dream of mine to be a part of this event.

Competitions like this help shape the world of beer. With so many different beer trends and beer scenes around the world, having a competition like the World Beer Cup raises the bar for everyone: high-level contests draw attention to brewers large and small. Their goals might be getting feedback or having a shot at an award, but what happens, in the end, is a celebration of quality. Each and every year we see higher quality beers on the table. As judges, we see the work of choosing the best beers getting harder and harder every year. And that’s great because that means there’s better beer out there for everyone. Competitions like the World Beer Cup play a big role in that.

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.

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!