Certified Cicerone

What is a Certified Cicerone?  You may or may not have heard to term Cicerone.  A Cicerone is the industry standard to designate individuals with significant knowledge and skills in beer sales and service.  There are four levels to becoming a Master Cicerone.

Level 1 – Certified Beer Server – Basic fundamental skills from beer clean and ready to use glassware, proper pours and pouring technique to handling and storage.  A 60 multiple choice online quiz must be passed to become a level 1 Cicerone.

Level 2 – Certified Cicerone – A level 2 Cicerone must posses a well rounded knowledge of beer flavors, styles and service.  They must be able to identify the beer by taste.  Passing a 4 hour exam that includes written, tasting and demonstration skills must be passed with an overall 80% to become a Certified Cicerone.

Level 3 – Advanced Cicerone – A new level as of 2015, it will be necessary to posses expert skills in beer knowledge and tasting.  Most people will require several years of training and experience to pass the required test.  Extensive style knowledge is a must.  Experience with the brewing process and food pairing will be needed.  A one day exam that includes two oral examinations and the ability to describe taste and style will need to be passed with an overall 80% and 75% on tasting.

Level 4 – Master Cicerone – As of this writing there are only 10 Master Cicerones in the USA.  Expert knowledge that is needed to pass the Master Cicerone test include the ability to work side by side with professional brewers and chefs.  Ability to describe all beers, styles and flavors with descriptive and specific terms is a must.  People that posses these skills are usually teachers, consultants and leaders of organizations.  The exam runs the course of two days, with written, oral and tasting sections.  An overall 85% is required for passing.

This is just a small sampling of what is needed and required to become an expert in the beer field.  You can check out more details at the cicerone training page.  Let us know if you know of any Certified or Advanced Cicerones in the Las Vegas or Southern California area. We would love to talk to them.