Cicerone Certified?

Only 10?! Holy crap. That = pretty unreasonable credentials required.
How many MDs, JDs, and PhDs are there in the world? I thought it would be more along those lines.
Fine.... I'll compromise. Stage 2. I'm willing to get my "doctorate" in beer. I'm just curious and want to know all I can!

 

Exactly, it won't do anything for you personally; but it may land you that one interview at a dream job.

 

Best last minute review items? I have a day and a half by myself without interruptions to review. BJCP, Draught Quality and Tasting Beer are on the list along with the BA's food and beer pairing brochure. I might also page through the study guide from the Beer Scholar.

Anything else?

 

I'd rather spend that on beer.

 

You might flip through The Brewmasters Table by Oliver for more detailed food pairing info. And maybe How to Brew by John Palmer. Otherwise, you're probably good. Good luck!

 

Passed the Level 1 back in December. Been studying like crazy for Level 2 which I hope to take before the end of the year.

I'm hoping it'll help me get work. People don't care about Level 1.

 

Just to clarify, the people that are saying they are a "Certified Cicerone Beer Server" are actually called "Certified Beer Servers" or "Certified Beer Servers in the Cicerone Program." You have to pass level 2 to call yourself a Certified Cicerone and there is definitely no such thing as a "Certified Cicerone Beer Server". Interestingly, this distinction is its own specific pre-test section of the Beer Server test that you have to pass before you can even take the test so I wonder how people even passed the test whilst continuing to make these misstatements. May seems trivial, but its a significant distinction. Level 2 or Certified Cicerone is at least an order of magnitude of 20x or so vs the CBS level.

 

Being laid back/unpretentious and being knowledgeable are not mutually exclusive. The key to great service is balancing the two.

 

Agree. I think when we start getting this with the cicerone culture. - http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2014/11/worlds_youngest_cicerone_meet.html

I like the idea of doing it for myself but places like Gravity aren't really up my alley for craft beer. I really hate how the menu is laid out. I would prefer by style, I guess they are trying to change the perception but it comes off a little stuffy.

 

I studied solely off of Tasting Beer, Draught Quality, and BJCP. Nothing else. DO NOT follow Tasting Beer's style guidelines, use BJCP.

With that said review styles last and cram those in. When reviewing just be comfortable with the ranges of IBUs, ABVs, SRMs and try to think of it logically. If they're asking for parameters you just have to be in the range. The practical section has always been how to take apart, clean, name the parts, and reassemble a draft faucet. It's not a Perlick one, just the standard MicroMatic type one. There's a YouTube video that does a good job. I'd link it but my work blocks YouTube. Lastly, the essays are a b*llsh*tters paradise. Just keep writing even if you don't fully know the answer. They're just looking for logical thinking. Especially if they ask, and they will, a food pairing essay. That's all subjective so just write away. Draught quality was easy. I thought there were going to be math questions on it but just know the principles of elevation, line diameter, length. Rest is draught trouble shooting and I remember a nice chart that helped.

 

I certainly don't think it's impossible. For now I prefer those who have knowledge of craft beer, but don't feel the need to prove how much.

 

I'm a homebrewer and just finished reading Brewermasters Table last week. Thanks for keeping me honest, lol.

Awesome thanks. I think I have an old rear seal faucet somewhere I am going to dig it out.

Getting a little nervous, probably because I have so much time invested.

 

Those Mexican pork rinds?

 

That's great and for the service industry that can be perfectly acceptable. But would you say the same about someone with a college degree in another field?

Having proof of knowledge or being able to show you've worked hard to gain something is never a bad thing. If a person is a pompous ass they're an ass weather they have paper or not.

All you're opinion shows to me is that you don't truly care about the quality of your establishment. Just because someone is not a Cicerone does that mean that they are not qualified? Of course not. But the fact you would rule possibly qualified people out shows a lot about the way you like to do things. Not necessarily a negative in the grand scheme, just kinda seems dumb and petty.

 

Comparing a college degree to a piece of paper that shows that you know how to taste beer is a pretty big stretch.

We wouldn't hire a pompous ass, with or without the paper.

As for your last statement, it's my opinion that since we care about the attitude of our staff and the environment for our customers that we do truly care about our establishment. Would a cicerone be qualified? Absolutely. Luckily, there are many, many people who are equally as qualified with being a cicerone.

I'm not saying you're wrong in any way. After all, these are just opinions. We have an environment in mind that we want our establishment to have. We don't feel that (the idea of) the cicerone fits into that environment. That is our choice, so far, so good.

On the flip-side, we wouldn't fire an employee for becoming a cicerone. That may be a little hypocritical, but once you're family, you're family.

 

Not trying to change your opinion just more so curious about why you think that way.

I'll just leave it at agreeing to disagree.

 

Thanks for this. I've been studying my styles like crazy, but looks like I need to get into draft hardware a bit more.

 

i already had a sweet job but like some people have noted, it seems to be more about who you know to get said sweet job

 

Took my test on the 9th. The hardest part was the amount of writing, especially since no one really writes that much anymore. My wrist was pretty sore for two days, I had to nurse it back to health with beer and a wrist wrap.

The test certainly had some tricky parts to it, but I feel pretty confident that I passed. I scored 100% on the tasting exam, so I am looking forward to getting my written scores back, especially the score for the style essay. I wrote two pages on the style.

Using Tasting Beer and Chris Cohen's Beer Scholar study guide the day before the test helped. I also got up extra early the day of the test to review the BJCP guidelines prior to the exam.

 

@701beer did you get your results back yet? I'm curious to know how you did. I'm dying to work my way towards Certified Cicerone, but I always psych myself out.

Do you feel the Beer Scholar study guide was worth it? I've read "Tasting Beer" and have "The Oxford Companion to Beer" next on my reading list after I knock out the Brewer's Publications of brewing elements- "Yeast", "Water", "Hops" and "Malt." I have a handful of other books on my Amazon Wishlist to purchase and read as well as the BJCP style guidelines I have on my iPad mini I look at every time I enjoy a beer at home.

Any other suggested reading materials I should take a look at? Anything specific to help me practice draught mechanics / science?