In recent years, the independent beer brewing community has grown exponentially in the US. But professionals must be employed to oversee the increased production and make sure the quality remains consistent. One of the most important jobs in the beer industry is that of a cicerone. But what is a cicerone, and what does this professional do?
Cicerones evaluate various types of beers and then select the right ones for the right people. During their training, they learn about several aspects: keeping and serving beer, the various types of beer, flavors, ingredients and the brewing process, and pairing beer with food. Today, we'll have a closer look at what a cicerone does and why they are an integral part of the beer industry.
What Is A Cicerone?
A cicerone is a hospitality professional who has acquired a great amount of knowledge about beer, which they use to advise restaurant or bar owners and select, pair, and serve beer to customers. While this title doesn't come with a guaranteed job, cicerones have good work opportunities in bars, clubs, restaurants, and breweries. Some of them also work as judges at local or national competitions, evaluating beers and selecting the highest-quality ones.
How to Become One
While everyone can use the title "beer sommelier," cicerone is a trademarked name, so only those who have passed the relevant certification by the Craft Beer Institute are allowed to call themselves by this title. If you're interested in getting started, you should register on the cicerone certification program's website and begin taking the courses.
You will start by becoming a certified beer server, which is the first level, held by over 125,000 people worldwide. Next, you will take an exam to become a cicerone. Only 4,000 people are currently certified, and the number drops even lower when you get to the third level: the advanced cicerone. Individuals who would like to complete the final exams and become master cicerones must demonstrate an extremely high level of skill and knowledge.
What Does the Cicerone Do?
During their training, this professional might learn the theories behind beer brewing, develop a fine sense of taste for the various types of beers, and even travel to the European places of origin of some beers. They might visit countries like Belgium and Germany, where many of our most popular beers come from.
Once qualified, cicerones are able to work at a variety of venues. They can help with the brewing process, advise restaurant or pub owners about the types of beers they should buy, lead tours of breweries, and help guests choose the best type of beer for their needs. An experienced and highly trained cicerone can even judge competitions.
Keep and Serve Beer
After completing their qualification, one of the most important jobs of a cicerone is to advise people about how to store beer and serve it to customers. Because each beer is slightly different, there might be unique storage requirements. Many beverages need to be kept at 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and bottles should be kept upright. By optimizing storage, the cicerone can help restaurants, taprooms, and bars to increase the shelf life of their beer.
Throughout the day, a cicerone helps out at the venue, and their main job is to educate others about beer. For example, they can give recommendations to customers, or if they work at a brewery, they can lead a tour and explain the brewing process to guests. Their aim is to provide customers with the best experience possible and to sell more beer.
Spread Knowledge About Beer Types
Lager, IPA, pale ale, pilsner, and porter - what do all these words mean? While everybody knows that there are various types of beer that all taste different, few people really understand the mechanics behind this and the reasons why beers taste a certain way. Cicerones spend a long time learning about how the various flavors are created.
For example, they are knowledgeable about the type of yeast that is used to ferment the drink, which determines whether the beer becomes a lager or an ale. This unique understanding of the beer types allows cicerones to make recommendations to restaurant and pub owners. Cicerones can put together a list of beers that complement each other and cater to various types of guests, so the venue can make sure everyone gets served the drink they love most.
Evaluate Beer Flavors
While every type of beer has its merit, not every brewery creates products of the same high quality standards. Around the country, there are approximately 4,000 breweries, and while some produce top-notch beers, others fail to distinguish themselves from the crowd. Cicerones are often hired by breweries to evaluate the flavor of beers and suggest improvements.
What's more, they are sometimes asked to be judge at regional or national beer brewing competitions. Anyone interested in becoming a highly renowned cicerone should have a look at the certification program on the official website. To achieve a high status and become a well-regarded judge, you'll have to pass the advanced or even master cicerone exam.
Evaluate a Beer's Ingredients and Brewing Process
During the certification, cicerones learn more about the optimal ingredients for each type of beer and how the brewing process works. As mentioned, they might travel to the regions where a certain kind of beer was originally produced, such as Belgium, England, or Germany. There, they can taste the original version and take a tour of the breweries to find out more about the production process.
Throughout their career, this knowledge will be extremely important because it allows cicerones to work at local breweries. They can oversee production, make sure the ingredients are of the highest quality, and optimize the brewing process.
Pair Beer with Food
The type of beer served at a taproom, restaurant, or bar isn't the only thing that matters. Many guests enjoy their beverage the most when it is paired with good food. Therefore, a part of the cicerone certification program focuses on pairing beer with food. Applicants learn how to determine whether a certain beverage requires something savory like cheese, neutral like popcorn, or sweet like fruit.
This knowledge is extremely important, especially when the cicerone is hired by a brewery or restaurant to come up with a suitable menu. By choosing the right foods and marketing them to customers, cicerones can significantly improve the guests' experience and therefore make sure they come back to the venue.
What is a cicerone? An individual who has completed the Craft Beer Institute's certification program can call themselves a cicerone. This title indicates that the person is a highly qualified beer professional. The cicerone's job is to evaluate and select beers, then pair them with foods or recommend them to customers. Aside from working at bars, clubs, restaurants, and breweries, cicerones can also act as judges at beer brewing competitions.
During their training, they learn about keeping and serving beer, the various types of beers, flavors, ingredients, the brewing process, and how to pair beer with food. If you're new to the brewing industry, getting recommendations from an experienced cicerone could be a good starting point. Get in touch with us now at Lowercase Brewing in Seattle, WA to find out what types of beer are available locally and which ones are recommended by a cicerone.
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