Cicerone® Certification Program

Give the gift of beer knowledge this holiday season! Our gift options range from online courses and exams to study products like our off-flavor kits and beer style flashcards. If you give online courses, the Certified Beer Server exam, or the written or tasting portion of the Certified Cicerone exam, we will email you a virtual gift voucher the same or the next business day. When you give the voucher to the recipient, they can redeem it on cicerone.org. Physical items, like flashcards and off-flavor courses, will be sent to the shipping address provided during checkout. Products that require shipping should be ordered by the following dates: Int'l: By December 1st U.S.: by December 8th Expedited shipping is available through December 13th. Order your gifts today! 👉 https://bit.ly/3uaOpm9 👈

This style pours a dark copper to almost black color, often with a garnet tint, and typically exhibits brilliant clarity. It is crowned with a dense, creamy tan cap of foam. The aroma can vary widely but may have notes of bread crust, toast, nuts, cola, or dark fruit as well as some light roast. Spicy, herbal, and floral hops can add complexity as support for the malt. Rich and malt-forward on the palate with possible layers of toast, dark caramel, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate, or sweetened coffee. Bitterness varies from moderate to more apparent to balance the malt sweetness and complexity. May have subtle fruity esters of plum or berry. Moderately creamy, velvety mouthfeel and medium to medium full body with a smooth finish.

Attention, Charlotte-area Cicerones! In celebration of Charlotte Craft Beer Week, we're hosting a Cicerone Meet-Up at Pilot Brewing (1331 Central Ave., Ste 104, Charlotte, NC 28205) on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 6 PM. Join Master Cicerone Jen Blair and fellow area Cicerones for an evening of networking and camaraderie. As a token of appreciation for your dedication and achievements within the Cicerone Program, we're offering a complimentary first beer to all attendees with any level of Cicerone certification.

Following up on yesterday's post, the top 5 hop varieties by acres grown in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. in 2023* were: 1. Citra 2. CTZ 3. Mosaic 4. Cascade 5. Simcoe Do you have a favorite beer brewed with any of these? Let us know in the comments! *According to the 2023 USDA-NASS National Hop Report. ** Aroma profile sections showcase commonly used descriptors by hop growers and brewers, actual aroma and flavor can vary!

With hop harvest coming to a close and Fresh Hop beers starting to hit the market, we thought it'd be fun to test your knowledge. We're still a few months away from this year's U.S. Hop Growers report, but do you know which five hop varieties led the charts in acreage harvested in 2023*? Which hop variety do you think will see the biggest gains or losses in acreage or harvested pounds this year? Check back tomorrow for the answers. *According to the 2023 USDA-NASS National Hop Report.
 Note this topic is not part of any of our syllabi; we just thought it was an interesting and relevant topic.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our sold-out Beer and Food Pairing Workshop at Blue Moon RiNo in Denver last Friday! We were thrilled to welcome attendees from every level of certification, with some visiting for GABF, some locals, and even one German by way of the UK! Big thanks to the team at Blue Moon RiNo who knocked it out of the park! They showcased a diverse menu of 12 different dishes and 12 beers with a variety of flavor profiles, including their GABF silver medal-winning Kristalweizen. Our attendees were fully immersed—engaged, debating, and downright having fun throughout the event. This workshop is just one of many we're perfecting, and we're excited to bring new courses to life. Have a topic or location in mind for our next event? Drop your ideas in the comments, and they may just become a reality!

We extend our best wishes to the candidates preparing to take on the ultimate test of beer expertise: the Master Cicerone exam. Starting Monday, candidates will undergo a rigorous two-day evaluation comprising multiple written, oral, and tasting components. The written section will include essay questions in which candidates will showcase the depth and breadth of their understanding across all facets of the exam syllabus. Oral examinations, overseen by industry experts, will require practical demonstrations of their expertise. Eight different tasting panels will challenge their knowledge of beer flavor compounds, beer styles, and their descriptive abilities.

Which beer would you pair with Beef Wellington? This classic dish features tender, savory beef wrapped in a flaky, buttery, puff pastry, with layers of rich mushroom duxelles adding umami complexity and prosciutto, providing a touch of saltiness. Which beer would you choose to help elevate this dish?

We're excited to share that the global community of Cicerones has expanded once again! Over the past few months, we've welcomed 3 new Advanced Cicerones and 19 Certified Cicerones from six countries: Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Norway, Spain, and the United States. Let's raise a glass in celebration of these dedicated beer professionals: Advanced Cicerones: Barry Elwonger @barryelwonger Carlo Graciano Shane Sprague Certified Cicerones: Amber Heiser Cameron Anderson @cambonerson Charlotte Thomson @rocketqueened Christy Ford Gabrielle Demozzi Hailey Tennant @flightxclvb Hannah Tunnicliffe Jonathan Thompson @Jonathanthompson8223 Luca Beltrami Agus Blanco @agusblancorm Matt Harris Matthew Shapiro Max Lemanowicz Michele Best-Miller @michelebestmiller Morgan Arnold Owen Tykal Vinny Morrison William Wilson @fkacammeraycraft Zackery O'Connor

On Friday, October 11th, join Master Cicerones Jason Pratt and Dan Imdieke for an interactive discussion on the principles of beer and food pairing, featuring world-class beers and amazing food offerings from Blue Moon RiNo! This is a ticketed event at Blue Moon RiNo in Denver, Colorado. Tickets can be obtained at 👉 https://bit.ly/3Tz63x7