World Cup Beer Sommeliers 2022

The seventh World Champion Beer Sommelier hails from Switzerland

It was a head-to-head race, the top-class jury had to deliberate under considerable pressure for over half an hour. But then they agreed unanimously: Giuliano Genoni from Switzerland was crowned the seventh World Champion of Beer Sommeliers on 11 September 2022 in the run-up to drinktec at the Munich exhibition centre with an outstanding stage presence, but also through his theoretical and sensory assessment skills.

The World Beer Sommelier Championship has been held every two years since 2009 and has developed into a renowned, prestigious and worldwide event. Taking mindful steps towards the internationalisation of beer sommelier training, the Doemens Academy has managed, together with its partners, to train more than 7000 beer sommeliers so far, who add value to the cultural asset of beer all over the globe.

For the World Championship 2022, 82 participants from 18 nations (including Brazil, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Austria) descended on Munich to be selected the best in their guild. The enthusiasm and passion for the product beer, but also the feeling of togetherness within the international beer sommelier scene was visible and tangible both at the get-together and at the competition itself. The world championship consisted of preliminary rounds, which were held at Doemens on 11 September 2022, as well as the grand finale held at the Munich exhibition site.

In the preliminary rounds, it quickly became apparent that performance success was a predictor of high quality. In the first two rounds, certain beer flavours and styles had to be recognised and determined from among ten glasses. A knowledge test rounded off the preliminary rounds. The best nine participants from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands qualified for the final.

In a packed hall at the Munich exhibition centre, the guests created a fantastic atmosphere and cheered on their favourite finalists. A top-class jury consisting of well-known and popular experts from the international brewing and beer sommelier scene judged the skills and abilities of the finalists. The evaluation was based on the sensory assessment of each beer, thorough background knowledge about the beer (story telling), the presentation of suitable food pairings as well as performance quality.

Each finalist was given a concealed beer. The beers included exclusively internationally known beers such as Sierra Nevada Torpedo, La Trappe Quadrupel, Fullers ESB and Samuel Smith Imperial Stout. The art was to recite the information about the assigned beer within 5 minutes and to convey the messages competently in an understandable manner. It was a breathtaking final from which Giuliano Genoni emerged as the decisive winner. He succeeded best and most impressively in convincing the jury and the audience of his comprehensive versatile knowledge of the Paulaner Salvator with an appropriately artful and emotional presentation.

Dr. Michael Zepf, the organiser responsible for the World Beer Sommelier Championship, was also impressed by the finalists’ performances: “The finalists’ presentations are proof of the consistently high level of quality among the sommeliers. The intensive, months-long preparations of the participants have once again paid off”. The head of the Doemens Savour Academy is convinced that the diversity of participants will continue to increase at the next world championship with a consistently high level of performance.

The winners of the past championships:

2009: Karl Schiffner (Austria), World Cup in Sonthofen, Germany
2011: Sebastian Priller (Germany), World Cup in Anif, close to Salzburg, Austria
2013: Oliver Wesseloh (Germany), World Cup in Munich, Germany
2015: Simonmattia Riva (Italy), World Cup in São Paulo, Brasil
2017: Stephan Hilbrandt (Germany), World Cup in Munich, Germany
2019: Elisa Raus (Germany), World Cup in Rimini, Italy

Without our loyal and visionary sponsors, organizing and presenting the World Championship of Beer Sommeliers would be impossible. The World Cup receives generous support from the following sponsors, who have dedicated themselves to beer culture and beer diversity. A big thank you to the principal sponsors