Beer sommelier

A beer sommelier is a trained professional who works in the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industry specializing in the service and knowledge of beer. The knowledge required for certification includes an understanding of styles, brewing, ingredients, history of beer and brewing, glassware, beer service, draught systems, beer tasting and food pairings. The profession is relatively new but growing.

Description

The work of a beer sommelier is varied due to its infancy and the broadness of the beer and brewing industry. Typically people who qualify through one of the accreditation schemes, work in the hospitality industry and will have responsibility for choosing and purchasing beer, oversee its correct storage and service, attend customers and educate staff. In the brewing industry, beer sommeliers may take tours and tastings as well as be sales representatives. In the retail industry, they may be in charge of the buying and selection of beers available for purchase. Self-employed beer sommeliers may undertake a range of jobs including pub and restaurant consulting and staff training, beer writing, hosting tasting events and beer judging for competitions at festivals, as well as in print for beer reviews.

Education and certification

There are a number of private organisations that offer courses and certification for individuals as a beer sommelier, not always using this term, but one of their own creation (and trademark).

Beer tasting

Beer tasting is the act of assessing the flavor and quality of beer via the subjective process of sampling the beer. Some organizations provide beer rating systems to quantify the results of beer tasting.

Cervesario

In Poland a cervesario is the name for a specialist in serving beer; they work mainly in the LECH Visitors Centre at the Poznań Brewery and run tasting shows for organized groups visiting the brewery. The name comes from the Latin for "a brewer".

See also

• Cicerone
• Sommelier