Bernhard Schäfer

Council of Whiskey Masters – Designated Chairman of the Board, 2024–2025

– Advisory Board Member (since 2019)

Master of the Quaich

Bernhard Schäfer is a whisky journalist, industry consultant, and Master of the Quaich, with decades of experience in spirits education and evaluation. He serves as the Designated Chairman of the Board for the Council of Whiskey Masters, and is the Council’s official speaker for Germany.

A respected voice in both Europe and the U.S., Bernhard judges regularly at leading competitions such as the World Whisky Awards and the International Wine & Spirits Competition. He is also a co-founder of the European Network of Spirit Experts, and lectures widely across Germany, where he continues to promote thoughtful, informed appreciation of whisky.