Cicerones are stupid

[LouieMacGoo]

So says Popular Mechanics. Really?



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[The_Professor]

So says Popular Mechanics. Really?

You don't need an "expert" to tell you how refreshing a Bud Light is, right?

[FedoraDave]

I've been to restaurants where I saw a beer or two on the menu that I was unfamiliar with. And when I asked our server, they just shrugged and made noises to the effect that they don't really know anything about beer....

Not everyone cares about the beer they order with their meal, but don't places that sell an item know something about that item? So that at least they can converse intelligently about them? Because soon it'll be, "How's the veal scallopini?" "I don't know; I'm vegan. When you taste it, let me know."

[evily]

Hmmm, I would have to disagree with Popular Mechanics. Without cicerones, breweries wouldn't really know if they were making their products consistently from batch to batch. Having someone take a sip from two batches and declare "Tastes about the same to me!" is not nearly as useful as someone saying "This one tastes slightly grassier, but overall I'd rate then 90% the same."

Also, to Dave's point, a lot of restaurants have someone who knows the wines (if not a trained sommelier, then someone who at least has a good working knowledge of wine), but you rarely find anyone like this for beers.

At my recent brewing class, we had the privilege of learning how to taste beers. It was a very introductory class, clearly nothing as in-depth as cicerone training, but it was incredible fascinating. We started with a pretty mild beer (American light lager) as a baseline, then they spiked it with both desirable and undesirable flavors that are often found in beer, and we had to describe those flavors. It was actually quite challenging, and some of the flavors were extremely subtle. People who are trained in this art though, can detect the tiniest amounts of these flavors. It was quite interesting, and gave me a new respect for professional tasters and cicerones and sommeliers.

[LouieMacGoo]

This was kind of a hit and run post. I wanted to post it so I didn't forget about it. Now I have a chance to finally give my thoughts. From what I know about the cicerone program it not just about being a resource to others wanting to know more about the beer choices they have but a big part is proper delivery of the beer from setting up the draught system to making sure that it is all maintained properly. Regardless of whether your drinking Bud light, Miller, Coors or craft beer if the draught system isn't properly maintained it going to affect the enjoyment of the beer. Obviously Pop Sci just doesn't get it or understand what goes into making it "a simple pleasure". AND not all bartenders as they infer are cicerones.

Also thanks for the perspective Evily.

[FedoraDave]

One of the things they seem to be overlooking is that beer is more complex and personal than wine.

I forget where I read it, and I don't drink wine, but I recall a commentary positing that wine is more dependent on the soil and weather conditions, which will produce a good vintage for a certain year. But beer is more dependent on the skill of the brewer. We've all had that experience where we see a style brewed by a micro we're not familiar with -- say an IPA -- and we try it, because we like IPAs, and let's see what this brewery did with the style. And it's just crappy. Maybe because there's not enough malt to support the hops, or there's too much catty hops, to really enjoy, or they just didn't blend the hop strains well enough. Who knows. But a cicerone should know, and might be able to converse intelligently about what makes that IPA a notch above (or at least different enough to be worthwhile) the other IPAs out there.

[Whamolagan]

I am with dave on this one. I have been trying to open a brewery in my little town and the city managers are clueless about the beer industry. Now since I started this venture, 3 wineries have opened up. They can vint their craft on their own properties and bring it to the tasting rooms where they can talk about the precious little grape. I have to have 2 separate places to do my craft and one of them cannot be on my property. There is one place in town that knows beer, and they are way overpriced and way too snobby for my taste. Plus the fact that the people that frequent that place talk about beer like they have brewed before. When approached about it they shrug me off like I am a half wit. I may be that, but I have over 8 years of success and failures brewing beer. So I say that I have a little knowledge. I may have drifted off topic, and my apologies for that

[RickBeer]

I would think the requirement for separate locations would be the state, not the town, no? If the town, apply for a variance.