Showcasing and celebrating the finest beers and breweries from around the globe is one of the most rewarding parts of the brewing industry.

And at the end of September here at The Brewers Journal we toasted the winners of our very own Brewers Choice Awards.

But for these events to happen, breweries need to be prepared to show off their latest creations and decorated judges from far and wide need to assess the great and good.

And with the entry deadline for the 2026 World Beer Cup rapidly approaching, we invited someone who knows a thing or two about this most fulfilling element of beer and brewing.

Meet Lotte Peplow. Lotte is is the Brewers Association’s American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe. Her role is to identify opportunities for international expansion of American craft beer and to raise awareness about the quality, diversity and innovation from America’s small and independent craft brewers.

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Based in London, UK she’s a Certified Cicerone, Beer Sommelier, beer writer, author, international beer judge and keen beer and food pairing advocate.

And in judging beer competitions around the world, she knows the dos and don’ts when it comes to entering these contests and also how to judge them, too.

So in this episode, we speak to Lotte about the different competitions available to brewers, unearth some tips and tricks for entering (and winning!) and also essential information on how to become a beer judge.

Main image credit: Bart Van De Per

Second image credit: Noelia Amado