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!
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