Certified Cicerone case studies
Certified Cicerone · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Certified Cicerone® is Level 2 of the four Cicerone certification levels, sitting between Certified Beer Server (Level 1) and Advanced Cicerone (Level 3). It is aimed at people whose work centres on beer - bartenders, buyers, brewery staff and sales teams - who need to demonstrate a professional body of knowledge plus genuine sensory skill, rather than just list experience on a résumé. The Certified Cicerone case studies are 5 cases and about 4,168 words.
1The Slow, Foamy Pour: Balancing a 5-Foot Draw
You inherit a 14-tap program at a 180-seat pub. The walk-in cooler holds 38°F (3.3°C).
836 words, about 4 min2Entry #212: Right Technique, Wrong Style
At a 400-entry BJCP competition you judge Entry #212, declared Belgian Witbier (OG 1.048, 4.8% ABV, 14 IBU). Your scoresheet reads: hazy pale straw, dense white head; aroma of banana and clove with a light bubblegum note, and no coriander or orange peel detectable; flavor of soft bready malt, low bitterness, medium-dry finish with a faint tart snap; light-medium body, high carbonation; no diacetyl, no DMS, no astringency.
766 words, about 4 min3Cooked Corn and Popcorn on a Fresh Pilsner Keg
You manage a 12-tap Belgian-style bar. A newly delivered keg of German-style Pilsner (4.8% ABV, 35 IBU) goes on tap, and within 48 hours regulars report "cooked corn" and "movie-theater popcorn." Brewery notes: 100% Pilsner malt, 60-minute boil with the kettle lid left partly on for the final 20 minutes, 20-minute whirlpool, chilled to 50°F (10°C) for primary fermentation, then crashed to 32°F over 36 hours and held at that temperature for 10 days before packaging.
816 words, about 4 min4Stalled Imperial Stout at 1.046
You brew on a 10 bbl system. An imperial stout, 1.082 OG, 70 IBU, is mashed at 154°F (68°C) for 60 minutes, single infusion, mash pH 5.5.
828 words, about 4 min5Four Courses, Five Beers, One Reluctant Chef
You are running a four-course beer dinner for 60 seats with five beers on hand: Bohemian-style Pilsner - 4.8% ABV, 35 IBU, brisk carbonation, Saaz spice Belgian Dubbel - 7.5% ABV, 20 IBU, raisin, caramel, dried fig West Coast IPA - 7.2% ABV, 70 IBU, grapefruit and pine, dry finish Berliner Weisse - 3.2% ABV, 5 IBU, clean lactic tartness Oatmeal Stout - 5.6% ABV, 32 IBU, coffee, dark chocolate, silky body Menu: 1. Raw oysters with a mignonette of shallot and red wine vinegar 2.
922 words, about 5 min