Meet the world's best beer sommelier

"Not all beers were created equal," says Simonmattia Riva. He tips his beer glass, holding it up to the light, then puts his nose in it and sniffs, takes a sip and declares, still smacking to detect the flavors: "This is a fine brew!"

You can trust his opinion; he's an expert. There are 65 beer sommeliers in Italy and about 1,800 specialists worldwide - and he is currently the world's best.

Last July, Riva won the Beer Sommelier World Championship held in Brazil. He was among the 53 beer sommeliers from nine countries competing to demonstrate their skills in six disciplines.

Beer styles and brands had to be recognized through blind tasting. Beer and food pairing was another discipline. A convincing presentation style also influenced the jury's choice.

The beer sommelier they crowned champion this year did not come from a famous beer-loving country like Germany or the Czech Republic. Germany's award-winning beer specialists, Markus Seiler and Guido Grothe, were beaten by the Italian Simonmattia Riva.

Italy's new wave of microbreweries

This is not an accident. Throughout Italy,small regional breweries are popping up like mushrooms. There are already at least 800, and they produce 6,000 different beers among them, according to the Italian Microbrewers Association. There's enough material to keep the growing fan base busy.

"There is a new beer movement in the country," says Riva. He stopped teaching philosophy to run a trendy pub in Bergamo called the Beer Garage.

This trend isn't limited to Italy, or even Europe. In the US, there used to be 40 breweries in 1975, and now there are around 3,500. Craft beer is booming in Germany, too.

Enjoy beer; don't get drunk

Riva has been to the Oktoberfest in Munich more than once. "It's a great event," he says, but he doesn't believe a similar event could take place in Italy anytime soon.

The sommelier sees himself as a beer ambassador. He organizes beer tastings in his Beer Garage, where people can learn to distinguish the taste, color and consistency, and discover the production methods of beer.

He advises brewers on the upcoming trends, and he offers his recommendations to restaurants so they can serve the right type of beer with their food.

His best piece of advice for all beer fans: You don't need to get drunk to enjoy it.