Jimmy’s hosts various beer dinners and tastings.
professionals prefer more accessible titles such as wine director or even wine guy. So for the even more relaxed arena of the beer on-premise, the description can seem pretentious. However educating staff and increasing training, in any part
Beer Sommeliers T
The industry’s renewed focus on beer training is aimed at increasing sales. By Michelle Paolillo Lockett
he term beer “sommelier” is something of a loaded term in the restaurant and bar world, as the title has often met with some resistance in the wine world. Many
American restaurant Birch & Barley and its upstairs lounge Church Key in Washington, D.C. T e mission to up the ante on beer training on-premise
of the drinks sector, is usually good for the bottom line. So progressive operators are committing to a wide range of new types of beer training and programs. “If someone comes into my restaurant and is used to having a wine sommelier, it’s easier for them to understand what to expect when they hear I’m a beer sommelier,” says Greg Engert, beer sommelier at New
26 | APRIL 2011
has been aided by a fairly new formal certifi cation program, called the Cicerone, which off ers three levels of training for beer professionals. Ray Daniels, director of the Chicago-based Cicerone program, says that the program is a structured way of educating professionals. “Beer sommelier or manager would be the generic term and Certifi ed Cicerone or Master Cicerone refers to those completing the certifi cation process,” he notes. T e bulk of the coursework is done online. Consumers are the really drivers of the trend. “When you go to a bar or restaurant, often the person ordering the beer knows
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