My Road to Cicerone®: Anne Sloan of Riverwatch Brewery

Anne Sloan is a Certified Cicerone® from Augusta, Georgia. Here she gives some advice to aspiring Certified Cicerones and explains how her studies have helped her become a better brewer, salesperson, and more.

1. Where do you work and what do you do there?
   I’m at Riverwatch Brewery in Augusta, Georgia. I do a bit of everything actually, we’re a small family-run brewery so pretty much everyone does what needs to get done. Some days I’m a brewer, some days it’s all cellar work, and some days I’m doing sales and account visiting (most days it’s just cleaning). It’s fun because it never gets repetitive (except the cleaning), although there are some things I prefer. I’m always down to brew an R+D beer. It’s fun and we’re so efficient now on the pilot system that it’s a breeze. I mean, while I’m answering these questions we’re brewing up a Classic Hefeweizen because that’s what our Facebook poll showed us that our fans wanted. Also, I have time to kill because of all the wheat. Slow wins the race on this one.
2. How did you first hear of the Cicerone Certification Program?
   In an odd twist, through a bunch of sommeliers actually. They were starting up a Cicerone study group to expand their knowledge for their restaurants and I hooked in with them. Of that initial group, I’m the only one to have passed the test, but I had extra study resources from brewers and other industry people. Two of the people from that initial study group are taking my current study class that I run for people interested in learning more about beer with the potential to become a Certified Cicerone. My poor students--they suffer mightily.
3. Why did you choose to pursue Certified Cicerone while already working in the beer industry?
   It was more in conjunction with getting in the beer industry. Once I had committed to doing the brewery with my mom, I needed to start learning quickly while she was handling the buildout. Certified Cicerone was a perfect way for me to get a broad knowledge of everything to be able to hold my own. I’ve found it extraordinarily useful for going into accounts and helping to sell my beer. I know the right words and I can explain the flavors in terms people want to hear and can understand. It’s also helped my brewing a bit too, oddly when I’m making weird beers more so than the traditional styles. I have this depth of knowledge about flavors and how they work together, so if I’m making a complex weird brew I know where to go specifically to get the flavors I want. I’ve got plans for a R+D Smoked Rosemary Wee Heavy this winter, a bit of a play on the sweet-savory flavors. I like being able to tie my beer flavor knowledge with my food and beer knowledge to get some really fun beers. I think having such an understanding of the malts and the hop flavors and even how the water impacts the flavors really helps when designing a beer. I’ve got some other fun things in the works but they’re still mostly just concepts.
4. What was your study support network like? Did you receive support from a study group, your employer, or study solo?
   A bit of everything, actually. I started with a study group and that was particularly great for the tasting. Working with sommeliers who already have a developed palate helped me to quickly start dissecting the flavors and aromas of the styles. I did find the study group less useful for learning theory, so I did mostly solo study prepping for the exam. Conveniently, my mom is our head brewer and she is a Siebel International Diploma grad, so I had easy access to an expert for anything I couldn't wrap my head around. She did tend to get too technical on the brewing side of things (I ended up knowing way too much about enzymes for this level), but it’s necessary as a brewer.
5. Describe your study process. How did you prepare for the exam? 
   Drink coffee while studying theory and drink beer afterwards -- don't drink beer while studying theory! This sounds like a great idea, but it’s not. Next thing you know you’re two double IPAs in and isovaleric acid starts sounding like isoamyl acetate.
   I really liked having a group of people for the tastings; you’re able to to try a whole host of similar beers and really start to quickly see the subtle nuances that make the style. We’d drink around 12-15 beers total a week, with 1-2 oz per beer, so for example we could cover German lagers in one day and start to get a good feel for the beers. It really helps when distinguishing similar styles, like a German vs. Czech-style Pilsner, to try them right next to each other. Theory was a lot of flashcards and just overall repetition. I still go through my quizlets for style guideline practice. I still have BJCP guidelines open when I try a new beer, even if it’s not a great example of that style, I like to remind myself of what I should be tasting and keep my palate from getting lazy. I go into bars around town and the I’m sure the bartenders love watching me cause I’m so ridiculous. Smell, swirl, smell, drink, read, drink, make a face, smell, etc.
6. Explain how earning your certification has helped your career. 
   It helps me as I have something to point to that says I do know what I’m talking about. With Georgia being in the south, I get a good amount of 'you’re a woman, you don’t know anything about beer.' I once literally was told I was just the face of the brewery, nevermind that I’m brewing and scrubbing fermenters, I was just assumed to be the face. So this helps, I can show my pin and show my certification and then they start to see me as an expert in the field not just a blonde girl who can drink a beer. I also do staff training so that bartenders and servers can accurately describe a beer, this has really helped our brewery’s brand around town. I figure the more they know about beer in general, the better they will sell my beer. I do quick single-day training to go over common styles and what would pair well with them from the menu. Once a week for 30 minutes we get into specific beer styles and their overall flavor profiles. I love these ones cause I always have them drink a Schwarzbier to right off the bat dispel any dark beer notions and start them on the path of knowing a beer by its actual flavors then by what they think it will be.
7. What are your greatest strengths now that you’re a Certified Cicerone?
   I’d say my overall confidence. Having that certification proves you know what you’re talking about. It's indisputable. I have something I can point to and say, that is me, I passed, and I know what I’m doing. I jumped into the industry, I have a degree in Marine Biology, and I’ve done so many odd jobs between school and the brewery that sometime I feel like a jack of all trades, master of none. I’m by no means a Master, but I do have a good base level.
8. Were there any areas of study that you became particularly interested in while preparing for the Certified Cicerone exam?
   Well the answer isn’t draft systems that’s for sure. I think what I loved about studying for the exam was that I was exposed to styles I hadn’t even really considered before and knew nothing about. Before I started studying I could probably count on both hands the amount of Belgian beers I’d tried. Now I can tell you all the requirements to be considered a Trappist brewery, and name at least eight of them off the top of my head. I think the history of styles is just so cool, how they grow and evolve. It’s not so helpful in my brewing career but it’s a mini-passion of mine. The story of the beer.
9. In your opinion, how valuable is it for those looking to boost their career to earn Cicerone certification?
   It depends on where you want to go in the industry, I know a lot of brewers say it isn’t helpful and to their credit they have to get into the nitty gritty of brewing (all those enzymes, Mom...). However, I like to say you need to know the rules to break the rules. If you are doing sales or any taproom operations it’s incredibly helpful. Having the capability and the vocabulary to describe a beer confidently to someone is such a boon. Both the bartenders at my brewery have taken my study class and you can see the difference in how they interact with the customer (they’re CBS now and plan on taking the Certified Cicerone exam in December). Start off with asking what kind of beer the customer likes and then going from there, and if the customer can’t give a name or style of beer ask them what they feel like drinking. That is such an open-ended question, but with just a bit of knowledge of flavors, aroma, and mouthfeel, you can find a beer they’re going to like and know why they are going to like it. And they can help push a new beer style on to them too, because they can help the customer figure out why they like something and tell them similar styles they might like.
10. What advice do you have for Certified Beer Servers who are looking into taking the Certified Cicerone exam?
    Study hard! Whatever way you retain information the best, do that. It’s a pretty big jump from Certified Beer Server to Certified Cicerone, there is so much information to retain. Find a group, or start a group to keep the tasting costs down. You have to taste with the intention of dissecting the beer, not just to drink it. I make all my students do blind tastings so that they have to work on that, find someone to pick a random beer at a bar and get a small taster and see if you can figure out what style it is. You don’t have to be right and chances are you won’t for the first ones but it starts training your brain and palate to search for specific flavors and mouthfeel characteristics and add all that sensory data to make a call. It will also build your confidence -- don’t just say, 'I don’t know,' make the call! Even if you’re wrong you need to practice trusting yourself. I make all my students go around for each blind tasting in class and say what they think it is, in front of everyone (sucks to be them). But you have to get over feeling like you don’t know enough and start trusting in your palate. Confidence is so important for tasting.
    You should also go to a local brewery and talk with their brewers. Brewers love to talk beer and talk about what they’re doing and why (trust me, I do it all the time). They might let you brew a pilot beer with them, or at least watch. If that doesn’t work go find a homebrewer. It’s all about getting to experience it. Beer is hands on and you have to get yourself down in the mash to get a good feeling for it.
    With food pairings you have to eat and drink, and not just the good stuff. I make my students eat brie with a Schwarzbier. Absolutely horrible pairing, go try it. I think knowing why not to do something is just as important as why to do something. Find a beer dinner, chefs know what they’re doing, and if you can get one run by someone who gets food and drink it’s worth it. I run a few throughout the year with restaurants in town and it’s always a good time. Go try the classic pairings too, they’re classic for a reason! I 100% recommend Irish Stout with a raw oyster, in fact I love it so much most beer dinners I run if they can do raw oysters I have them do this pairing. Mmm, now I’m hungry.

Ready to get started? Learn more about the Certified Cicerone exam here!