WSJ: "As Craft Brew Sales Grow Frothy, Pourers With Pedigrees Bubble Up"

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by rousee, Nov 14, 2012.

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  1. rousee

    rousee Pooh-Bah (1,628) Aug 13, 2004 Massachusetts
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  2. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Was about to post this too. Anyone take the quiz? 100% Does that make me an honorary Cicerone? :wink:
     
  3. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
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    Just did. Answers all seemed pretty obvious, even if the Stout question might ruffle some feathers (though it's obvious that they're going for the 'conventional wisdom' answer).
     
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  4. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Nice article.

    Got one wrong on the quiz, "which of the following is a dark ale made with roast barley so that it has a flavor reminiscent of coffee?"

    I went porter for some reason :slight_frown:
     
  5. jbertsch

    jbertsch Pooh-Bah (2,710) Dec 14, 2008 Massachusetts
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    Yeah the stout question was a little lame, but I can tell which answer they're looking for. I was more tripped up by this questions --> "What is the key flavor difference between ales and lagers?"

    I'm not the smartest beer geek on the planet, but it seemed like a bogus question. I don't think any of the answer choices are 100% true. It's like picking the least wrong answer, which itself is subjective. Please don't tell me the cicerone exam has questions like this.
     
  6. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Yeah, to us probably.
     
  7. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
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    True, but even to those in the biz I'd put the questions as pretty basic. If I were to look at an upside I'd say that if this represented the bare minimum of knowledge that servers I'd encounter would have, it would definitely represent a step up. Man, we have a long way to go :wink: ...
     
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  8. kexp

    kexp Initiate (0) May 10, 2007 North Carolina

    I am of the opinion that my server's beer knowledge should come through experience, rather than a $70 written test. I get the impression that restaurants use this as a marketing item.
     
  9. otispdriftwood

    otispdriftwood Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2011 Colorado

    I just hope that beer pedigrees don't lead to beer snobbiness like IMHO what's transpired with wine.
     
  10. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    Unfortunately, passing even the highest level cicerone exam still leaves you without the most sought after qualification for serving beer, large breasts.
     
  11. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Yeah, that's far above the minimum knowledge of any servers I know!
     
  12. Grohnke

    Grohnke Initiate (0) Sep 15, 2009 Illinois

    Its pretty valid man. Ester production is high in ales as a result of the warmer fermentation temperatures. Lagers are fermented at cooler temps, thus dont have (have less) a fruity/estery component.
     
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  13. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
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    Depends on where you go. Obviously in beer bars, brew pubs, etc. servers will be knowledgeable (heck- one of the reasons I love going to places like that is to shoot the shit with people who are familiar with the craft brewing scene). But in neighborhood watering holes, chain restaurants, and the like I'd suspect it could be a whole lot better across the board.
     
  14. jbertsch

    jbertsch Pooh-Bah (2,710) Dec 14, 2008 Massachusetts
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    Yeah I definitely understand that, and I assumed that's where they were coming from, but I can think of lagers that give me plenty of fruity notes. Hell, maybe because just last night I had this...
    http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/428/2412
    and others that come to mind, like Korbinian, and Ayinger's Jahrhundert, etc. don't fit the fruit-less lager mold to me. But I guess those are considered mere exceptions to the general rule. I just figured they were latching on to the other not-entirely true statement of "ales are (typically) more malty"
     
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  15. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Oh, don't take that for granted -- I know a few brew-pubs where the servers don't know diddly.

    I saw someone ask for "something like a Maibock" that had just been finished at a pub. Bar tender says, "Well, we got this Brown Ale." :astonished:
     
  16. StarRanger

    StarRanger Crusader (482) Nov 27, 2006 North Dakota

    The test is not there to *give* them knowledge, they should get the knowledge from training, reading, and experience. The test it there to prove that they do have that knowlege.
     
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  17. rlcoffey

    rlcoffey Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2004 Kentucky

    You need to drink at better bars.
     
  18. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    I have to say with the internet I can find just about anything I want to know about a particular beer, so I for one would trade being served by the greatest Cicerone for an attractive female.
     
  19. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,030) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
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    Someone needs to open better bars -- or at least train their servers better.
     
  20. kexp

    kexp Initiate (0) May 10, 2007 North Carolina

    I hear what you're saying. But if I read the article correctly, the recipient gets a syllabus to study, and the test is based on the syllabus. No tasting involved, no knowledge of the breweries, etc. Does it really matter if a server can list the 4 basic ingredients of beer? Maybe I'm just cynical. More likely, I am jealous that I didn't figure out a way to extract $70 for each server to study a short syllabus and test them on it, then market the Cicerone brand as an industry standard.
     
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