I’ve been asked before what makes me qualified to spew my opinions all over the internet. That’s a good question, and one I’ve had to sweep under the rug with an answer of ‘I drink a lot.’ Well, not anymore.

With inspiration from my friend The Beer Wench at www.drinkwiththewench.com, I thought it would be a good idea to look into some certification programs. Most of you know what a sommelier is – they’re individuals possessing credentials from the Court of Master Sommeliers – an international organization that accredits and certifies those in the wine and service industry. It’s nice to know that the guy selling you wine might actually know what he or she is talking about if they’ve got a CS (Certified Sommelier) or a MS (Master Sommelier) appended to their name.

Well, beer has a similar organization. One who is certified is called a Cicerone (sis-uh-rohn). There are three levels of certification – a Certified Beer Server, a Certified Cicerone, and a Master Cicerone. Well, I just passed the first level, and plan to take the Certified Cicerone exam in a month or so. One step at a time. I’m pretty excited and wanted to share.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that I’m all-knowing or any sort of similar nonsense.

BeerGenius is a journey for both you AND me – I learn something new every day. And it’s a blast.

I’m glad you’re along for the ride.

By the way, I have some great beers in the que:

Cheers, friends!

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