What’s a Beer Sommelier?
You’ve heard of Wine Sommeliers, right? Their role is to recommend perfect wine pairings with food and impart their expert knowledge to consumers. Their palates are trained to identify the difference between a ‘good’ wine and an ‘outstanding’ wine, and they know the back story to every style they taste.
Well, a Beer Sommelier has exactly the same skills, only with…beer. They are the trusted experts who inform both trade and consumers about the world of beer.
Beer Sommeliers can explain the difference between beer styles and flavours to ensure pubs and bars stock the perfect range, they understand how to store and serve beer correctly, they can identify faults in beer, and they know exactly what type of beer to recommend with food.
They are skilled at engaging, enthusing, and advising people about all types of beer.
Why use a Beer Sommelier?
Did you know seven out of every ten drinks served across UK bars is a beer?
However, with thousands of different beer styles and brands, it can be overwhelming for publicans to know what to stock, and even more confusing for drinkers who are new to beer.
Beer Sommeliers help unravel the complexity of beer to make it more accessible for consumers and increase profitability for businesses. Many Sommeliers are employed in the hospitality sector and they’re skilled beer educators.
There are over 200 qualified Beer Sommeliers who help retailers grow their business by advising what beers to stock, training staff, pairing food menus with beer, and hosting beer tasting events.
To find your nearest Beer Sommelier visit www.beer-sommelier.org.uk and click on the ‘Meet a Sommelier’ page.
Can I become a Beer Sommelier?
In a word…yes! Anyone who has an interest in beer, coupled with excellent communication skills and a commitment to continuous learning, has the potential to achieve the status of Beer Sommelier.
Employing a Beer Sommelier can distinguish your business and provide an advantage in the market.
How do I become one?
Trainee Beer Sommeliers are required to successfully complete four qualifications. These are:
- Cask Marque ‘Cellar and Bar Management’ course
- WSET Level 2 Award in Beer
- Guild of Beer Sommeliers ‘How to Judge Beer and Understanding Off Flavours’ course
- Guild of Beer Sommeliers ‘Beer and Food Pairing’ course
Courses are held throughout the UK and can be booked on-line by visiting www.beer-sommelier.org.uk.
Self-study is vitally important for achieving success, so the Guild of Beer Sommeliers website contains a recommended reading list and a useful resource library.
Aspiring Beer Sommeliers must then pass an exam. During this assessment, applicants taste sixteen beer styles from different regions globally. They must be able to identify and describe the beers and suggest suitable food pairings.
Candidates must also be able to identify faults in beer; this is tested with a minimum of five ‘doctored’ beer samples.
Upon successful completion of the assessment, newly accredited Sommeliers are automatically inducted into the Guild of Beer Sommeliers.
Where to go to find out more
Ready to find out more? Visit www.beer-sommelier.org.uk or email info@beer-sommelier.org.uk.