One Saturday morning this last September, I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed with a goal. I had contemplated taking the Cicerone Certified Beer Server exam for some time, and had been reading Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer as my goodnight story for the last few weeks. Maybe I dreamt an ambitious dream, but I popped out of bed that morning with a bushel of energy and decided that today would be the day. I headed over to my local Caribou coffee, pulled up the BJCP guidelines and began cramming beer style information into my head. Though my beer peeps kept telling me that this was a very easy exam for those in the industry, I wasn’t convinced and didn’t want to fail just because of misplaced trust or laziness. Credibility is a powerful thing, and I wanted it.
My honest exam preparation:
- I’ve been in the industry with lots of time to talk shop and with access to some more obscure beer styles.
- Read through Cicerone website in order to answer questions about the program.
- Read once through Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer (without memorizing all chemical names or in depth differences between beer styles, just a read-through)
- Read once through the BJCP style guidelines (Not an in-depth study, but a very thoughtful and focused read through the entire list and sub-lists)
- I would be surprised if an average beer drinker, outside of the industry, wouldn’t need to study. I’m in it and am glad I studied!
- More in depth questions between beer styles than I expected (which of these 4 styles has the highest ABV? Which of these 4 beers is known for x characteristic)
- Basic draft system questions are certainly not common knowledge so brush up on those.
Wine. Beer. Food. Over-sized sunglasses. Pearls. Inappropriate humor. 
Thanks Madison for the heads-up on the Beer Server test. I’m trying to get back into the craft beer industry (sales guy) and the Cicerone program seems like a great idea. I used to be in brewing over 10 years ago with Miller, and left to go into sales where I’ve been real succesful in a couple other fields. The time seems right as a “beer head” and sometimes home craft brewer to make the change. I want to love my career again! Good luck as you move into Certified Cicerone testing. Jim in Minneapolis
Good for you. I have been a following your reviews for sometime and thought very highly of your reviews. Since you were a wine taster you should be able to exress the flavors more than a mere beer drinker. You are now one of the true BEER Gods, excuse me, BEER GODDESS. I do have a few beers that I would like to get you to review. Send me some place that I can send the beers to and I will gladly send to you for your review.