The Advanced Cicerone Exam: Attempt 2.0

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The thing about failing the Advanced Cicerone the first time is I at least knew what to expect the second, third and fourth time. With a 75 on tasting (the minimum passing tasting score) and 78 overall (two points short), I felt confident that I could do it. It was just a matter of time. … Read more

Visit Nashville. Now, more Jackalope!

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Good news, everyone! Our old friends at Jackalope Brewing open a new brewery and taproom tomorrow, Saturday 8/25 at noon. The original taproom opened in 2011, now called The Den, remains on 8th South. The new hotness, in up and coming WeHo, has been christened The Ranch. We got a sneak peek Wednesday night and … Read more

A New Level – Part 4 in my Journey to Advanced Cicerone®

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I wasn’t done. I took about one year after I became a Certified Beer Server to become a Certified Cicerone®. It was a massive relief as two years earlier I thought it was something I probably couldn’t do. (See my last post to read about that part of the journey.) I spent that year reading, … Read more

Getting Certified – Part 3 in my Journey to Advanced Cicerone®

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I’ve taken a lot of exams in my life, but I was never more nervous than when I sat for the Certified Cicerone® exam on November 12, 2013. I had worked hard to learn the materials but woke up feeling rough, my allergies were in full effect. That was not a good sign. I got … Read more

Going for Level Two

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In July of 2013, at the Beer Bloggers Conference in Boston, I met Ray Daniels for the first time. He is the founder of the Cicerone® program and was our speaker the next morning. Over beers during the Night of Many Bottles, I introduced myself and told him I was studying for the level two … Read more