Decoding beer Spiritz Cover Story with cicerone

It’s one thing to enjoy a mug of chilled beer with each brand having its own distinctive flavour, and quite another to fully understand the nuances of beer styles, brewing techniques, and proper serving methods. That’s where the Cicerone Certification Programme (CCP) steps in. Neil Witte, Master Cicerone and Associate Director of Exams explains why the educational aspect of beer holds much significance for both consumers and professionals

With beer growing in popularity around the world, brewers have been rediscovering classic beer styles and innovating to create new ones. As a result, consumers are seeing a wider variety in beer than ever before. However, this abundance is also leading to confusion with many consumers and retailers struggling to differentiate between styles. Also, with beer being a perishable product, there’s an increased risk of poor quality beer being sold. In this context, educated professionals can guide customers to the right beer while ensuring proper handling to preserve freshness.

“Training and certification programmes like the Cicerone Certification Programme sets clear goals for those who want to learn more about beer and assist them in the process. Attaining our certification not only helps make a person a more effective beer server or salesperson but also provides a great resume builder that can help someone get a job in the industry or work their way up,” says Neil.

Shaping Beer Knowledge

The Cicerone Certification Programme empowers beer professionals worldwide with essential skills and knowledge. It believes that educated beer professionals and drinkers elevate the industry as a whole and help make everyone’s beer drinking experience more pleasurable.

In its mission to provide professional certification, the Cicerone Certification Programme works hard to spread and promote accurate, vetted beer knowledge from respected sources. By dispelling commonly held myths and clearing up misunderstandings, it focuses on spreading accurate information while promoting reliable sources of information around the world, ensuring that professionals have a strong foundation in beer styles, service and quality control.

Mission India

As of now, 217 people from India out of over 1.62 lakh globally have passed the Certified Beer Server which is a Level I exam. “We have two people who have passed our Level II exam, Certified Cicerone (out of 4,719 globally), and one person who has passed Level III, Advanced Cicerone (out of 196 globally). We are always looking for ways to promote our programme internationally, including in India,” Neil informs.

To date, CCP has not held an exam in India but may do so given an opportunity. One of CCP’s learning partners in India is Grape Xpectations, which is preparing to launch its first training programme soon.

The Learning Process

Beer enthusiasts can start learning about the drink by exploring its different styles and flavours. Cicerone Certification Programme’s website, www.cicerone.org, offers a wide variety of learning resources, from general education items to off-flavour kits and exam-specific training materials.

“We also have a huge list of study resources outside of those we offer through our website for those who want to prepare for our exams independently, or just learn more about beer,” Neil adds.

While headquartered in Chicago, CCP collaborates with international learning partners to prepare candidates for its exams. It also conducts in-person tasting and demonstration exams in over a dozen countries, thereby expanding its global reach.