Studying for Cicerone

You may have noticed things have been a touch quiet on the blog lately and some of the reason is a slightly intimidating 237 page document I recently purchased. The document is the Beer Scholar‘s Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone Exam.

A cicerone is knowledgeable beer expert and the certification is independent and recognised around the world. There are four levels to the Cicerone program which is, if you want a quick reference, the beer equivalent of a wine sommelier. I’ve passed the first level – certified beer server – and now it’s on to the second level.

Studying for this exam has been amazingly interesting, heck even reading about taxation was made better by the fact it was focused on beer!

The exam is comprehensive and covers everything from serving and handling beer to the history of beer styles and, of course, there is a tasting component.

With a reputed one in three pass rate, the exam is a little (read: a lot) intimidating and we only have two certified cicerones here in WA. Whether I pass the exam on the first go or if it takes a second shot, the more I read and learn about beer, the more I love it!

On a final note, the other reason for a lack of writing is an ongoing attempt to scrap paint from our door frames and skirting boards which is surprisingly time consuming. Thank goodness for beer because it makes a task this like just that little more bearable!