Your bar rocks. You’ve spent all the time and money to get it perfect, it’s exactly the bar you’ve always wanted to hang out in, and your friends love it… even the beer menu is legendary. So, why is it that your customers gaze at your menu of 763 beers, glaze over like deers in the headlights and then order a Budweiser? Yes, I know, you think they are uncultured and cheapskate Philistines, but maybe the problem lies with your bar. If you employed a Cicerone, they’d have bought that Abita beer at $9 a bottle.

What’s a Cicerone?

Here’s an analogy for you: A Cicerone is to beer as a sommelier is to wine. Cicerones (pronounced “sis-uh-rohn”) are the remedy for increasingly complex beer menus. Cicerones not only are the experts on beer storage and beer culture, they also know all about beer tastings and beer pairings. If you’re thinking “Well, I know all about this, so I must be a Cicerone!” that’s probably true. We already established that your bar serves 763 beers, so if you’re not an unofficial Cicerone, you’re the Charles Foster Kane of beer.

How will it help me?

Having a certified Cicerone around makes your beer list understandable to your customers. This means that you can leverage a Cicerone’s knowledge and passion for beer into a big bar tab. When people learn about new beers at your restaurant, they’ll want to try the new and exciting beers. We’re all in the know here about beers, so we understand that as soon as someone tries a great beer, they’ll want to try another great beer. And when they get hungry, they’ll want to know what dish will go best with their beers. Having a Cicerone in the house helps you upsell your beers, create great beer pairings, and turn your customers into fanatic beer lovers themselves (with an undying loyalty to your bar, of course).

Okay, How Do I Get A Cicerone?

Cicerones are certified through this site. These people own the trademark on the word “Cicerone,” and they have created a three-tired system for the dedicated beer aficionados who make your bar a better place to be. If one of your employees, or you yourself, wish to become a Cicerone, you sign up for the exam, read their syllabus, and become certified. The company also offers corporate trainings, so that your whole bar can be a Cicerone bar, if you’d like.

We’re not affiliated with the Cicerone people in any way, just to make it clear, we just think it’s pretty cool that there are certified beer experts who can make your bar sell more beer. Upscale beer is a fascinating new ground here in the States, and we want everyone who sells alcohol to succeed in their business goals (and then we want to check out your bar). See what you think about the Cicerone program, and let us know your opinions. We’re curious.

Photo licensed for use by Petras Gagilas