Overview
- The World Championship is scheduled for September 13–14 in Munich within the drinktec trade fair.
- Competitors undergo blind tastings assessing color, foam and turbidity and face knowledge rounds before six finalists deliver descriptive presentations.
- Germany’s team has trained for over a year with regular online blind tastings and two training camps, and the roster comprises 16 men and 3 women.
- The Deutscher Brauer-Bund reports high costs and weak consumption and positions sommeliers as industry ambassadors as breweries expand ranges including non-alcoholic beers.
- Training often involves opening around 20 beers for brief sips with most poured away, and many sommeliers pursue two-week certification courses driven more by passion than pay.