Maybe the sequel will be about a Cicerone and a cellared beer collection…..
Certified Specialist
The beer education minded Cicerone examiners have created some specific courses for those wanting to expand their knowledge pas the basic Certified Beer Server level. Two are country specific and two are more bar and brewing related.
Brewing Ingredients & Process Course – $59.00
“A specialist course covering the ingredients of beer and each step in the brewing process with a focus on flavor sources at the level required to earn the specialist badge and prepare for the Certified Cicerone exam.”
Keeping & Serving Beer Course – $59.00
“A specialist course covering draft systems and troubleshooting, glassware, draft line cleaning, and storage of beer at the level required to earn the specialist badge and prepare for the Certified Cicerone exam.”
The brewing course would be my choice of the two but the next two I am strongly thinking about…
German Course – $59.00
“A course covering German and Czech beer at the level required to earn the specialist badge and prepare for the Certified Cicerone exam.”
British & Irish Course – $59.00
“A specialist course covering British & Irish beer at the level required to earn the specialist badge and prepare for the Certified Cicerone exam.”
Beer Book Review – My Beer Year
As someone who passed the entry level Certified Beer Server test of the Cicerone program and then blanched at the cost of the remaining levels and complexity, My Beer Year by Lucy Birmingham was just what I needed to remind me that I didn’t want to pursue the next step while also putting me “in the room where it happens” as it were.
Birmingham’s prose style is easy and flows smoothly. She is dexterious moving from describing scientific points in a hop field to her feelings about husband and son and then back to beer again.
Her plan for conquering the Cicerone test is quite good and should be emulated. Don’t just sit at home with flash cards and books and empty bottles but get out there and visit breweries and talk to people and home brew. You could almost see the movie montage playing as answers come to her from the experiences with brewing as opposed to planting a nose in a book.
The book also gets where it is going without feeling rushed. You know a test is at the end and the results just after that and it can be hard to make the preceding chapters exciting but she does just that.
What I like most is that Birmingham seems to understand the duality of studying of beer and the enjoyment of beer are linked but sometimes at odds with each other. From the pages, you can tell that she will not be that know-it-all but rather someone with a lot of beer knowledge.
My first quibble is that more could not be spilled about the test itself. Having to take the test and then write about it is hard by itself, but then trying to dance around the strictures of test rules adds a second layer to the writing task. I would also have liked her to take a harder stand on the theme in women in beer but when I went back through the book, I realized it would not have fit the tone.
If you are planning on taking the Cicerone test, read this book. If you don’t want to take it, this book can be your proxy.
about the Cicerone
Cicerone
I am not a Certified Cicerone yet, but I have passed my first test! I am now going to humblebrag for a bit. I am a Certified Beer Server according to the Cicerone people!
Thanks to Tom Kelley and his preparation class that I took in April, I was able to pass on my first go. Though I had not taken a test in many a moon and was VERY nervous as I hit the button to begin the test. But now I have a pretty certificate to hang in my office as I go hunting for a job in the world of craft beer!
Get yourself some beer education
When I saw this press release come through, I knew the L.A. Beer Scene needed to see it and ASAP. Including myself, who will probably be there learning as much as I can too!
Certified Cicerone ® Launches LA’s First Certified Beer Server Class
“The three part class begins on Wednesday April 11th at 7 PM, and is continued for the next two consecutive Wednesday evenings. I am running this class for the introductory cost of merely $50 for three 1.5 hour sessions which will each include a tasting flight of my choosing, as well as a pint from El Segundo’s tap room. (Book and Testing Fees not included).
The class is structured around Randy Mosher’s book Tasting Beer, which I have found to be the best one resource for the exam. I recommend buying the book and reading through beforehand to obtain as much knowledge as possible, though it is not absolutely necessary. The first class focuses on history and the brewing process. In the second class we cover how to evaluate beer, as well as how to serve and pair with food. And in the third class we cover the great wide world of styles. At the end of each
class we will taste a flight of beers, each flight designed to teach you about certain styles and processes.
Once you have completed the course, the exam can be taken online for a cost of $69. It is a 60 question, multiple choice exam that must be taken in 20 minutes and has a passing grade of 75%. I will hold a follow up class for anyone who fails to pass on their first take. There is one free retake.
More info on the program is available at http://www.cicerone.org.
For more information on the class, or to sign up email: Thomas Kelley ciceronetom@gmail.com.
I hope to bring further beer education to Greater Los Angeles with this class. The more educated people are, the more passionate they become. And.. the more passionate craft beer drinkers there are in the world, the better. I have been certified for close to 2 years now, and continue to be a big advocate for the program. The Certified Beer Server certification is a great entry into the growing world of craft beer, and also a great door opener for anyone who is looking to break in to the industry.
**Free Hop Class**
Additionally, I will be holding my first hop class at Rockefeller in Hermosa Beach on March 26th from 5-7 PM. This will be a free preview for any of you whom are wondering if I actually know what I am talking about *wink*. We will be pouring White Dog IPA, and Blue House Citra Pale. I will be talking about our use of hops, and how it relates to traditional uses through the ages, as well as history, taxes, and the current market forces that bear down on breweries. As well as drinking some fabulous HOP BOMBS!