Chicago – As part of a continued effort to keep their content as current as possible, today the Cicerone Certification Program introduced a fresh round of updates to their syllabi. This comes two years after the last updates, which were prompted by the 2021 BJCP style guideline changes. While no BJCP updates drove these latest changes, the program felt it necessary to add specific topics to keep pace with some of the current trends in the beer industry. “Since taking the program over in March, Dan and I have had constant discussions about ways to ensure that the Cicerone program provides as much value as possible as the beer industry evolves,” said Cicerone program president Jason Pratt. “We feel that these changes are another step toward ensuring that Cicerone continues to be the gold standard when it comes to practical and relevant industry knowledge for beer professionals,” he said.
Each of the four levels of Cicerone certification has its own dedicated syllabus, which is a guideline for the material a candidate is responsible for knowing at that level. Cicerone also has different syllabi for various countries and regions around the world, reflecting the uniqueness of beer culture across the globe. For this round of updates, they have introduced new content for all of the English- and Spanish-language syllabi. These changes will become effective according to the following calendar.
- August 6, 2024: Updates are effec,ve for the English-and Spanish-language versions of BeerSavvy, the online, self-guided preparatory course for the Cer,fied Beer Server Exam.
- November 1, 2024: New syllabus updates incorporated into the English- and Spanish-language Cer,fied Beer Server exams.
- January 1, 2025: New syllabus updates incorporated into the English- and Spanish-language Cer,fied Cicerone and Advanced Cicerone exams.
- Updates to other non-English syllabi are forthcoming but ,ming is TBD.
For reference, below is a summary of the syllabi updates. Changes made at each level are also in effect at every level beyond it; e.g., changes and topics added at the Certified Beer Server level have also been at Certified Cicerone and above, etc.
Certified Beer Server
• More consistent detail on pouring draH and boIled beer
- Expanded detail on Jockey Boxes (US and Canadian Syllabi only)
- Introduc,on of new Emerging Styles
o PastryStoutorDessertStout
o American-StyleFruitedSour
- Inclusion of non-alcoholic beer and alcohol-free beer
- Inclusion of gluten-free beer
- Inclusion of dry hopping
- Inclusion of brewing process steps
Certified Cicerone
- Inclusion of draH line infec,on flavors
- Removal of ace,c from off-flavors in tas,ng exam Off-Flavor Iden,fica,on
- Update of food ingredient list in Recommended Culinary Knowledge Appendix
Advanced Cicerone
- Inclusion of American-Style India Pale Lager
- Inclusion of advanced and novel hop products
- Inclusion of novel yeast products
- Inclusion of thiol-boos,ng products
- Inclusion of biotransforma,on
Master Cicerone
• All new topics added with expectaBon of Master level depth of knowledge
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ABOUT THE CICERONE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Launched in 2008 by brewer, author, and beer educator Ray Daniels, the Cicerone Certification Program seeks to ensure that consumers receive the best quality beer at every service occasion. To facilitate this, those who sell and serve beer are encouraged to acquire knowledge in five areas: 1) Keeping and Serving Beer, 2) Beer Styles, 3) Beer Flavor and Evaluation, 4) Beer Ingredients and Brewing Processes, and 5) Pairing Beer with Food. Master Cicerones® Dan Imdieke and Jason Pratt acquired the program in March 2024.
The Cicerone Certification Program certifies beer professionals at four levels: 1. Certified Beer Server2. Certified Cicerone®3. Advanced Cicerone®
4. Master Cicerone®
To date, more than 159,000 individuals worldwide have been certified through the program.
MEDIA STYLE GUIDE
Trademarks
The Cicerone Certification Program holds trademarks on use of the word "Cicerone" as it pertains to beer, beer service, beer education, and beer events in the United States and 43 additional jurisdictions including Canada, Australia, the European Union, and much of Latin America and Asia. The trademarks include the word “Cicerone®” and the titles "Certified Cicerone®," "Advanced Cicerone®," and "Master Cicerone®."
As a result, in anything beer related, no one should be called a "Cicerone" unless they have earned one of the trademarked titles.
Usage
The Cicerone titles (Certified Cicerone®, Advanced Cicerone®, Master Cicerone®) are trademarks and the proper name of a specific title. They should only appear in association with the name of an individual who has earned the appropriate certification. Both words of the title should be capitalized. (The AP StyleBook says trademarks should be capitalized in all uses.)
Those who hold the first level certification awarded by the Cicerone Certification Program are referred to as “Certified Beer Servers” and not “Cicerones.”
You may wish to include this trademark notice at the end of any publications: Master Cicerone®, Advanced Cicerone®, Certified Cicerone®, and Cicerone® are trademarks of the Cicerone Certification Program, a Chicago-based beer education and certification organization.
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