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Certified Cicerones?


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#1 chuck_d

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 06:04 PM

Is anyone on here a Certified Cicerone?  I am considering training my girlfriend for the exam.  My guess is with a week of brush up and a refresher sensory kit I could pass the test myself.  I know it's not easy, but I am a professional brewer and a giant nerd.  I've learned all this material in the past, and even wrote the study guide that Siebel passes out to students for the diploma course (160 pages).

 

I was hoping someone here with experience could help me out with putting together a training program.  I know it's got a high failure rate, only 1 in 3 pass, but I suspect that the main cause is insufficient preparation, not that the test is unreasonable.  Living with a professional craft brewer should certainly put my gf in an advantageous position when it comes to prep work.  And helping her pass this exam will definitely firm up my knowledge and skills, being a TA in college was perhaps my most valuable experience.

 

I have been doing some research and put together a training program that looks something like the following.

 

Essential texts: Tasting Beer, How to Brew, Draft Beer Quality Manual, Brewmaster's Table, BJCP Style Guidelines

 

Supplemental texts: I'm going to highlight relevant questions in the MBAA Practical Handbooks.  That's mostly for brewing, but the answers are so approachable that it makes it so valuable where the subject matter overlaps.  Oxford Companion for digging a little deeper in topics that are glossed over in the other texts.  Then a few of the style books that are out there for fun, Wild Brews, etc.

 

Practical Training will be broken up into 3 parts:

 

1. Brewing - She's hungout while I brewed on the Orpheus pilot system, but I'll have her come hang with me a few times while brewing on the big system.  Talk over the process and what flavors are coming from where.

 

2. Draft Systems - I gotta rebuild the kegerator after this move, new beer lines and I want to put flow controls faucets on it.  So I'll have her help me rebuild and maintain it.  I think they may have you actually breakdown a faucet for cleaning during the test.

 

3. Sensory - we're going to get flavor kits and do a proper sensory training.  I eventually want to do some threshold testing on myself anyways.  Probably need go through each flavor at least twice with her.

 

I am allotting about 6 months to get through all this with her.  She started getting into craft beer when we started dating 10 months ago.  She's become an IPA and sour beer head, and honestly her palate is probably better than mine.  She picks up on slightly old IPA wicked easy and can pick apart foods when we're out at dinner.  She may end up being a better sensory analyst than me.

 

So... advice?  Suggestions, other things we should be doing?  I kind of look at the online test as a filter for the real test.  It weeds out people who haven't done anywhere near enough preparation.  And I think the Certified Cicerone opens up far more job opportunities than the first level.



#2 BlKtRe

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 06:24 PM

No advice but a few guys are the second level in my club. 



#3 chuck_d

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 06:28 PM

No advice but a few guys are the second level in my club. 

 

Do you know how long they took to prepare?  What are they doing with the certs now?  Did they already work in the industry or use it to break in?  Just trying to get a sense of the opportunities that being certified presents to the CIcerone.



#4 BlKtRe

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 07:26 PM

Do you know how long they took to prepare?  What are they doing with the certs now?  Did they already work in the industry or use it to break in?  Just trying to get a sense of the opportunities that being certified presents to the CIcerone.

 

You have been brewing enough that a little brush up and you should easily pass the first section. I can find out more about what to study for the second portion which is harder and more in depth. 

 

One guy I know writes about the craft beer industry and a BJCP judge and the other is a bartender. I do think being in some type of industry as a bar manager, distributor, etc this in my mind would be put you a cut above others. 



#5 chuck_d

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Posted 16 April 2014 - 09:39 PM

Oh, I'm not taking the test, I'm training my girlfriend to take it.



#6 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 05:57 AM

I swear there was someone here who was certified, but I'm drawing a blank now.  Damn.



#7 HVB

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 09:19 AM

I thought Guest took some test associated with Cicerone but maybe it was not the one to be certified.



#8 chuck_d

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 09:54 AM

There are 3 levels: 1) Certified Beer Server, 2) Certified Cicerone, and 3) Master Cicerone

 

I feel like in getting my gf prepared for the first level online test, we'll end up covering most of the knowledge for the written test on the second level.



#9 positiveContact

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 10:22 AM

this seems like a test for someone that wants to work at a restaurant.  is that a correct interpretation?

 

i'd really like to see someone with this sort of training acting as a consultant to bars and restaurants to provide training to the staff as well as provide general reccommendations on how to properly serve the beer.


Edited by TheGuv, 17 April 2014 - 10:22 AM.


#10 BlKtRe

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 10:43 AM

this seems like a test for someone that wants to work at a restaurant. is that a correct interpretation?i'd really like to see someone with this sort of training acting as a consultant to bars and restaurants to provide training to the staff as well as provide general reccommendations on how to properly serve the beer.

Truth be told this is what I want to do when I retire in 7-8 years. Id like to train employees about craft beer and how to diagnose and fix minor issues with draft systems. Case in point is we have a new high end Gastro Pub with thirty taps. You order by number. All taps are numbered. The bartenders really don't know what they are serving. Strangest thing.

Edited by BlKtRe, 17 April 2014 - 10:44 AM.


#11 positiveContact

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 10:47 AM

Truth be told this is what I want to do when I retire in 7-8 years. Id like to train employees about craft beer and how to diagnose and fix minor issues with draft systems.Case in point is we have a new high end Gastro Pub with thirty taps. You order by number. All taps are numbered. The bartenders really don't know what they are serving. Strangest thing.

 

seems like someone didn't want to have to train the staff.  that would be a lot of beers to be knowledgable about for your average bar tender or waitress/waiter.  we don't typically have pros in this country.



#12 HVB

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 10:48 AM

Truth be told this is what I want to do when I retire in 7-8 years. Id like to train employees about craft beer and how to diagnose and fix minor issues with draft systems.Case in point is we have a new high end Gastro Pub with thirty taps. You order by number. All taps are numbered. The bartenders really don't know what they are serving. Strangest thing.

That is the first time I have heard of that, very strange.



#13 positiveContact

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 10:52 AM

i'd also like to note that cicerones sounds like it would be some kind of romance language slang for deez nuts.

 

example:  "navy seals have got some giant cicerones!"


Edited by TheGuv, 17 April 2014 - 10:55 AM.


#14 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:18 AM

I thought Guest took some test associated with Cicerone but maybe it was not the one to be certified.

 

 

I was thinking Guest, but I wasn't sure.



#15 positiveContact

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:22 AM

I was thinking Guest, but I wasn't sure.

 

so you are apprehensively kicking deerslyr in the cicerones?



#16 3rd party JKor

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:27 AM

KDSINTC



#17 chuck_d

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:31 AM

this seems like a test for someone that wants to work at a restaurant.  is that a correct interpretation?

 

i'd really like to see someone with this sort of training acting as a consultant to bars and restaurants to provide training to the staff as well as provide general reccommendations on how to properly serve the beer.

 

It's definitely industry training.  Opens doors for serving in high end beer establishments, working for distributors of craft beer.  On the craft beer team for one of the distributors here in Georgia everyone has their Cicerone cert.



#18 BlKtRe

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 11:45 AM

/thread bleed

#19 MyaCullen

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Posted 17 April 2014 - 01:36 PM

I swear there was someone here who was certified, but I'm drawing a blank now.  Damn.

basser?



#20 Thirsty

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Posted 18 April 2014 - 08:16 AM

I took the first part certified beer server a few years ago. With being a certified ranked BJCP judge, the first portion for me was extremelysimple. At the time I was looking to be a sales rep for a distributor, and their eyes lit up when I told them I had taken it. They said they were encoraging all of their staff to enroll.I must never had the extra $365 for the certified at the same time as an exam opened locally, and while I wanted it. My career paths always seem to change when the exam is available, so I skip it. I really just need to take it and get it over with.


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