Any certified Cicerones here?

Following. Been curious if it is worth the price if not working in the industry

 

Cicerones? Those fried pork rinds? Yeah, I love 'em. (Goya spells it Chicharrones, tho' - I took Latin, so I don't know which correct).

Yeah, but do you really need to spend $200 and pass a test to learn that? I guess you get a neat certificate you can frame and put on the wall, too, huh?

 

I was the 14th Certified Cicerone in Canada, the first east of Montreal. I've never worked I a bar and do not work in the industry. My friend and I did run a beer of the month club that totally changed the world of beer in our province but I didn't need the cert for that. I pretty much only did it for personal interest. I did find the study very interesting. I miss the first time by 4 points then scrambled to rebook and go again which was a bit of a nuisance seeing as I had to travel to the mainland for exams. I was studying for the Advanced but got a few months away from the exam and asked myself why I was doing it? Bragging rights was about it so I bailed. In hindsight I occasionally wish I had gone for it but there's a very good chance I wouldn't have passed first time around. Is it worth it for you? Hard to say but I think it will definitely set you apart in the business if there are few others in your area. Either way it's a great way to learn a lot more than you thought there was to learn.

 

I will say you learn a helluva lot more than that. Take a spin through the reading list and decide if you've already been there. I thought I knew a lot about beer before I started studying that and realized I knew nothing.

 

I read this book: https://www.cicerone.org/int-en/pro...tification-programs-introduction-to-beer-book, very good introductory in my opinion.

Have great respect for the Cicerone program, even though an actual exam is not for me at this point of life...

 

I am a Level one certified Cicerone and work at a brewery.

I definitely recommend supplementing your studies with Randy Molser's Tasting Beer book.


Cheers!

 

No, but you need to spend the money to be able to prove you learned that (e.g. when applying for a job that requires the knowledge).

 

I've toyed with that idea, too. But it is a considerable investment in time / money. But, learning is a respectable end in and of itself.

 

I’m friends with one, and it’s a very difficult program, the deal she said that they’re looking to fail you, the toughest part was drinking flawed beers and correctly identifying the flaw. But you’d have to be in position with an upper crust beer joint looking for a bar manager imo. I’m thinking a big city like NY, Chicago , LA , etc. If you were a Cicerone here in my area it wouldn’t be worth zip, again imo.

 

Don’t bother unless you’re prepared to look at customers like this...

 

Then again, would he want customers (some) to look at him like that?

 

I’ve done the beer server test and passed the German segment of the cicerone test (100 something questions?) they give u a very for each like a completion paperwork.. You can take the tests in pieces before the actual “cicerone” test. Very fun to study. But a ton of info you must study hard and take it serious. I’ve been a beer writer and have about a dozen publications but life needs me to take another direction and focus on other things

 

It took me quite a bit of time between Certified Beer Server and Cicerone. I used to write a beer column for our local newspaper until they ditched all the freelancers. Having already done that much study was very helpful. Having all of my reference books on my Kindle was also very helpful as I could be anywhere in the world and write my column and be able to do any fact checking. Written for a few other publications too. Now I prefer to write motorcycle articles but I was recently contacted to host a virtual tasting. I've MC'd at beer fests too. Interesting the odd gigs that pop up. I was amazed at how much more info there was to study for the advanced, it's a pretty serious reading list. Where I live I could undoubtably work at a brewery but none of the bars or restaurants are really in the game yet. The best restaurant in the province hired me to do a couple of beer info sessions with their staff but didn't bother to keep up with it. Here's how much of a geek I am: I've read the Oxford Companion to Beer cover to cover.

 

Do any of the applicantions you have filled out mention cicerones?

 

That’s the pain in the ass. Neshaminy Creek is a large production brewery in PA, they refused to hire me while I was studying for the test although they needed the staff and I had experience. Other places were interested but I chose to write for people instead of working for breweries. It’s a pretty difficult thing to get into it seems at a physical brewery unless you want to pour which I do not at all

 

I am a Cicerone Beer Server. I got it because the company I work for paid for me to get the designation. I run the Wine and Spirits attached to a grocery store so it comes in handy when it comes to selling beer.