What's a Cicerone? (hint - it involves beer and coaching)

A cicerone is the beer industry's equivalent of a wine sommelier.

Cicerones provide expert advice on the selection, food pairing and serving of beer.  

There's even a professional certification program for these beer experts.

According to the research firm Euromonitor's Key Beer Trends for 2013, cicerones are becoming increasingly influential.  

Key quote:

"... the brave new world of craft and specialty beer surely needs its own ambassadors, experts, rituals and paraphernalia. Cicerones - sommeliers’ equivalents for the increasingly sophisticated beer world - will become flag bearers for the logical conclusion of the craft beer revolution, educating discerning drinkers as ales, bitters, Weiss beers, porters and stouts keep on stealing the limelight from lager."

This is yet another example of the growth of personal services and coaches, the rapidly growing job segment of people who help time constrained consumers navigate increasingly complex lives.

And let's face it, things have gotten complex when we need help with the "rituals and paraphernalia" associated with beer.  I didn't even know beer had paraphernalia.  

Comments

[CiceroneMktg]

In re-reading my comment, I realize the following is clunky: "Anyone calling themselves a Cicerone without these credentials can certainly be a beer expert, and even a 'beer coach,' but they cannot use the title."

My point, more simply, is: Cicerone is not a generic title. A beer expert who is not Certified Cicerone or Master Cicerone is just a beer expert or a beer sommelier if they wish.

Thx.

[CiceroneMktg]

Hey -- thanks for the link to our program, however, a couple of quick points:

One cannot call themselves a Certified Cicerone or a Master Cicerone without completing our certification program (it's also a registered trademark). Anyone calling themselves a Cicerone without these credentials can certainly be a beer expert, and even a "beer coach," but they cannot use the title.

So, in short, there are "beer sommeliers" and there are Certified Cicerones. Our program exists to ensure there is a standard for a high level of beer knowledge and tasting skill. If you have any more questions about our program, feel free to drop a line.

JP / Cicerone Certification Program