I see a Cicerone!

Ray Daniels is a veteran of the US beer industry and current president of the Craft Beer Institute. He also created the Cicerone Certification Program. Last month Ray went to San Diego (and the 2008 World Beer Cup Championships) to hold the first exam for Certified Cicerone status. Five candidates passed the grueling three and a half hour test which included 200 fill-in-the blank and short-answers, as well as three essay questions. Additionally, they each had to sample 12 beers an-- and guess what they were -- in the tasting portion of the exam.

Each of the five candidates scored an amazing 70% or higher on the tasting portion! SEVENTY PERCENT! That's crazy good taste buds people! What's more, each scored 80% or above overall, becoming the first to carry the title of "Certified Cicerone." These prestigious five are:

• Rob Gerrity - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
• Scott Kerkmans - Four Points by Sheraton
• Ron Kloth - Papago Brewing Company
• Andrew Waer - Unaffiliated
• Neil Witte - Boulevard Brewing Company

Congrats to these bold pioneers and to a whole new level of beer respect!

* Since January, a total of 115 people have passed the Certified Beer Server exam and are now eligible to take the Certified Cicerone exam.