TOOK IT!! I TOOK THE TEST!

I'm tired! I'm drinking a Bell's Hopslam, and might follow that up with something else from the fridge. And the spiking chemicals from the off-flavor tasting portion of the exam are playing hell with my plumbing.
What can I say? Of course, there was quite a bit of stuff on the test that I was not expecting to be on the test and I didn't study. There was a LOT of stuff I studied and knew really well and was nowhere to be found on the test. That's how tests go. It was about 140 questions: Short answer, fill in the blank, matching, and essay. Then a tasting portion which was divided into three parts. Then a draught component demo. We went over the tasting portion and I only missed one! And it was one where I wasn't sure and second guessed myself. I can safely say there were six or seven questions that I was not 100% sure of on the written portion. So, who knows?
But I have a tremendous sense of accomplishment, if for no other reason than, I have been saying for at least three years, "I'm gonna take that test". And now, I did. And if I do have to take it again, I'll know better what to expect. So, a good day. A very good day.

And read this, and this, and don't forget that, and make sure you know this . . .

Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to be included in the Chicago Beer Tweetup, a get-together of folks who blog and tweet about beer in Chicago. It was great to actually meet face-to-face so many people whom I previously only knew from a tiny picture. Among the folks I met was Virginia Thomas, who works for the Cicerone program. I wasted no time in asking many questions about what to study, what to expect, and for what to be prepared. She was very kind, despite the many annoying e-mails I had sent her when I was trying to sign up and pay for the exam. She rattled off a number of things I should study . . ."and read Michael Jackson's Great Beers of Belgium, and read Garrett Oliver's Brewmaster's Table, and make sure you know your off-flavors, because you can pass the written portion, but if you don't pass the tasting portion, you fail the whole test . . . " Jesus.

So what am I doing? Reading Great Beers of Belgium. It's a very easy and entertaining read, and it's great to finally be forced to make time for these books that I've long been meaning to get to.

Also this year! I'm gonna drink all this beer I've been keeping. I have an awful lot of beer in my house, and after the Anchor Christmas Vertical debacle of last December (which is another story), I am drinking and enjoying all of it before it goes bad.

Tonight I'm enjoying a Heartwood Symposium, a collaboration beer from several different brewers, brewed in celebration of the Craft Brewers' Conference in 2010. G'Night! Back to reading!

Yes, I'm studying, stop nagging me

Yes, yes, I have been studying! I've begun reviewing the BJCP style definitions in-depth and re-reading Tasting Beer, by Randy Mosher. There's lots more to come. I feel somewhat confident, in that I still have a little over two weeks and several days and evenings just to devote to it.

Mostly, I am really, really excited to finally be taking the test. After many instance of telling myself I was going to do it, I'm finally doing it.

Here's some nice pictures from Salzburg.

See, I told you I was serious

Gettin' some studying in, after finishing up some e-mails. Tonight, I am reviewing the steps of the brewing process so I can explain them in a clear and concise way. Anyone who reads my blog knows that concise-ness is not my strong suit. Also, reviewing Cask Ales and Bottle Fermentation.

Had lunch at Publican Quality Meats today! Delicious. Resisted the temptation to have a Thornbridge Jaipur IPA with lunch.

I'm gonna get back to my studying. Maybe start re-reading "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher.

Here's a couple pictures from Austria! A street in Salzburg, looking up into the Alps; and the restaurant Wilder Mann, where we had lunch the first day. We do a lot of eating and drinking on these trips! This trip to Austria will always mean a lot to me, it was my very first time in Europe.

It's a new year of new beginnings

It's been over a year. Who knew? 2011 was truly a year that was the best of times and the worst of times. Much of the year was spent helping care for my second mom, Bettye Ruth Segraves, who passed, sadly, in August. Some of the year was spent winning fantastic trips through work -- to San Francisco and Anchor Brewing; Fort Bragg and North Coast Brewing; Denver and Boulder, Colorado and the GABF; and, probably most exciting, to SALZBURG, AUSTRIA, the Stiegl Brewery. The year ranged from amazing to horrible to fraught to joyful, sometimes all in the same day.

Through it all, I thought, "I should blog about this" and didn't. Honestly, when I had any down time, all I wanted to do was cry and sleep.

But, now I need support and focus, and the best way I can think of to focus is to "go public" and be accountable. I registered to take the Certified Cicerone exam on March 8. Less than a month away! I'm usually a good student, and since I've been planning to take the exam for more than a year, I decided now's the time.

SO! Tonight I've started studying. I will study for at least an hour a night (or day on weekends) and check in here to verify that I've done it.

And, while I'm at it, I'll share some pictures I took last year. I appreciate anyone who might still be interested in this, and anyone new who wants to read a little about beer, and Chicago, and drinking beer in Chicago.

L'Chaim! Tonight is the first night of Chanukah, and tonight Chicago has the pleasure of hosting Jeremy Cowan, head Jew and maestro of schtick at Shmaltz Brewing. Tonight, Hopleaf was one of 88 chosen bars across the country pouring all seven Jewbelation beers, as well as the Vertical Jewbelation, a blend of all seven recipes then barrel aged. The Jewbelation beers, from 8 to 14, are notable not only for being delicious, but also for each being brewed with their number value of malts, hops, adjuncts and ABV. So . . . yeah, this year's Jewbelation, 14, has 14 malts, 14 hops, 14 adjuncts and . . . aaaaaaaaaaah. 14% ABV. One of those beers that is PERFECT if you only want one, or maybe two if you're not driving.

My friend Jeremy also has a book recently published!! Craft Beer Bar Mitzvah. Pick it up on Amazon or on Shmaltz.com. Here's some words from Jeremy about Jewbe 14 . . .

HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!!!

Here is the list of Chosen Bars that will be pouring all 8 Jewbelation beers this holiday.
Please check with the specific bars to find out when they are tapping each keg. L'Chaim!

NEW YORK

AMITY HALL: 80 W. 3rd St., New York, NY
BARCADE: 388 Union Ave., Brooklyn, NY
BLIND TIGER: 281 Bleecker St., New York, NY
GEORGE KEELEY'S: 485 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY
GINGERMAN: 11 East 36th St., New York, NY
IDLE HANDS: 25 Ave. B, New York, NY
RATTLE N HUM: 14 E. 33rd St., New York, NY
WHOLE FOODS BOWERY: 95 E. Houston St., New York, NY

MR. BEERY'S: 4019 Hempstead Turnpike, Bethpage, NY
DECICCOS FOOD MARKET: 21 Center St., Ardsley, NY
TJ FINLEY'S: 42 E. Main St., Bay Shore, NY

CALIFORNIA (Northern)

BARCLAY'S: 5940 College Avenue, Oakland, CA
BEER REVOLUTION: 464 3rd St., Oakland, CA
CHURCH KEY: 1402 Grant Ave., San Francisco, CA
THE DAVIS GRADUATE: 805 Russell Blvd., Davis, CA
EUREKA BURGER: 7775 N. Palm Ave., Fresno, CA
PARISH PUBLICK HOUSE: 841 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz, CA
TORONADO: 547 Haight St., San Francisco, CA

CALIFORNIA (Southern)

BLUE PALMS BREWHOUSE: 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA
HAMILTON'S TAVERN: 521 30th St., San Diego, CA
HAVEN GASTROPUB: 190 S. Glassell St., Orange, CA
STUFFED SANDWICH: 1145 E. Las Tunas Dr., San Gabriel, CA
VERDUGO BAR: 3408 Verdugo Rd., Los Angeles, CA

ALABAMA

J CLYDE: 1312 Cobb Lane South, Birmingham, AL

ARIZONA

1702 TUCSON: 1702 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, AZ
PAPAGO BREWING CO.: 7107 E. McDowell Rd., Scottsdale, AZ

COLORADO

FALLING ROCK: 1919 Blake St., Denver, CO
OSKAR BLUES: 303 Main St., Lyons, Colorado
TRINITY BREWING CO: 1466 Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

FLORIDA

BRASS TAP: 2000 Piazza Ave., Wesley Chapel, FL
BROKEN BARREL: 4700 Babcock St. NE, Palm Bay, FL
DUNDERBAK'S: 14929 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL
DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER: 927 Broadway #A, Dunedin, FL
FERMENTATION LOUNGE: 113 All Saints St., Tallahassee, FL
KICKBACKS: 910 King St., Jacksonville, FL
REDLIGHT, REDLIGHT: 745 Bennett Rd., Orlando, FL
WORLD OF BEER - MELBOURNE: 2290 Town Center Ave., Melbourne, FL
WORLD OF BEER - UCF: 3402 Technological Ave., Orlando, FL

GEORGIA

BRICK STORE: 125 E. Court Sq., Decatur, GA
LEON'S FULL SERVICE: 131 E. Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, GA
MIDWAY PUB: 552 Flat Shoals Ave. Southeast, Atlanta, GA
ORMSBY'S: 1170 Howell Mill Rd. Northwest, Atlanta, GA
THE PORTER: 1156 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA
TACO MAC - CRABAPPLE: 685 Crossville Rd., Roswell, GA
TACO MAC - KENNESAW: 600 Chastain Rd. NW, Kennesaw, GA
TACO MAC - MALL OF GA: 3250 Woodward Crossing Blvd., Buford, GA
TACO MAC - NEWNAN: 301 Newnan Crossing Byp, Newnan, GA
TRAPPEZE PUB: 269 W Washington St., Athens, GA
WILD WING CAFE: 2145 Roswell Rd., Marietta, GA
YOUNG AUGUSTINE'S: 327 Memorial Dr., Atlanta, GA/
STEINBECKS: 659 East Lake Dr., Decatur, GA

ILLINOIS

HOP LEAF: 5148 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL
RADIO MARIA: 119 N. Walnut St., Champaign, IL
SMALL BAR: 1415 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL
SMALL BAR: 2049 W. Division St., Chicago, IL

INDIANA

NEW ALBANIAN PUBLIC HOUSE: 3312 Plaza Dr., New Albany, IN

LOUISIANA

AVENUE PUB: 1732 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA
BARLEY OAK: 2101 Lakeshore Drive, Mandeville, LA

MARYLAND

MAX'S: 737 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD
VICTORIA GASTRO PUB: 8201 Snowden River Parkway, Columbia, MD

MASSACHUSETTS

THE AMESBURY ALEHOUSE: 33 Main St., Amesbury, MA
CAMBRIDGE COMMONS: 1667 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA

MICHIGAN

HOP CAT: 25 Ionia Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI

MISSOURI

BROADWAY BREWERY: 816 E. Broadway, Columbia, MO

MONTANA

THE RHINO: 158 Ryman St., Missoula, MT

NEBRASKA

CRESCENT MOON: 3578 Farnam St., Omaha, NE

NORTH CAROLINA

FLYING SAUCER CHARLOTTE: 9605 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
FLYING SAUCER RALIEGH: 328 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, NC
THIRSTY MONK SOUTH: 20 Gala Drive #101, Asheville, NC

OREGON

THE BIER STEIN: 345 E 11th Ave., Eugene, OR
GREEN DRAGON: 928 SE 9th Ave., Portland, OR

PENNSYLVANIA

BOCKTOWN BAR & GRILL: 690 Chauvet Dr., Robinson Township, PA
FAT HEADS SALOON: 1805 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA
P.O.P.E.: 1501 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA

SOUTH CAROLINA

BARLEYS GREENVILLE: 25 W. Washington St., Greenville, SC
CLOSED FOR BUSINESS: 453 King St., Charleston, SC
FLYING SAUCER COLUMBIA: 931 Senate St., Columbia, SC

TENNESSEE

FLYING SAUCER NASHVILLE: 111 10th Ave., Nashville, TN

VIRGINIA

BEER RUN: 156 Carlton Rd., Charlottesville, VA
CHURCH KEY: 1337 14th St. NW, Washington, DC
FIREWORKS PIZZA: 2350 Clardndon Blvd., Arlington, VA
MEKONG: 6004 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA
WHOLE FOODS SHORT PUMP: 11173 W. Broad St., Glen Allen, VA

WASHINGTON

THE RED HOT: 2914 6th Ave., Tacoma, WA
BROUWER'S CAFE: 400 N 35th St., Seattle, WA

WISCONSIN

MADURO: 117 East Main St., Madison, WI
SUGAR MAPLE: 441 E. Lincoln Ave., Milwaukee, WI

Shmaltz Brewing Company is Dedicated to Crafting Delicious Beer and Delicious Shtick... L'Chaim!