There\u2019s something big brewing at UCF\u2019s Rosen College Hospitality Management, and it\u2019s spilling out of the campus\u2019 beer & wine lab and into the food & beverage industry. It\u2019s the growing number of Cicerone certified beer servers produced through the college\u2019s Seminar in Quality Brewing and Fine Beer. Since the national beer connoisseur program was first offered as part of the three-credit-hour course, the Cicerone certificate has resulted in a number of student hires and award-winning new brews.<\/p>\n
\u201cCicerone is quickly becoming the industry standard,\u201d said Instructor Ed Measom, who offers the first-level certification test as his Seminar\u2019s final exam. \u201cMany top vendors, breweries and distributors are seeking employees certified by this program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similar to a sommelier certification for wine, the Cicerone certification covers beer storage and service, styles and culture, tasting and flavors, brewing processes and ingredients, and food pairings.<\/p>\n
Since the certificate\u2019s inception, Measom\u2019s Seminar has helped certify hundreds of UCF students, many who now work for companies, such as Anheuser-Busch, World of Beer, Cigar City Brewing and Brown Distributing.<\/p>\n
Some of Measom\u2019s Cicerone certified students have even gone on to win national brewing competitions. Josh Brengle, \u201808, recently took home the gold medal at the 2011 National Homebrew Competition for his Bohemian Pilsner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Cicerone program gives you an appreciation for the \u2018care\u2019 that\u2019s put into each beer,\u201d said Brengle, who is currently employed as a brewer for Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Fla. \u201cAnd by care, I mean everything that goes into producing a beer, from the start of the brewing process to the beer\u2019s distribution to the way it\u2019s served at retailers. All of those components are very important, and the Cicerone program teaches you the best practices of each stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brengle also noted that his current employer recently paid for all his colleagues to take to Cicerone exam if they weren\u2019t previously certified.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a really important and beneficial certificate that is quickly becoming a basic credential in the beverage industry,\u201d said Brengle. \u201cUCF is really giving their hospitality students a competitive edge by having this program available to them.\u201d<\/p>\n