What is a Beer Sommelier?

We all have expertise in different areas: cars, electronics, real estate, etc. Yours may even be food and wine. But much like wine Sommeliers, there's a new instructor emerging, for this "craft beer renaissance": the Beer Sommelier.

Their passion and depth of knowledge belong to beer…every aspect of it. And let's face it, many people love beer. Today's Beer Sommelier acts as a consultant, educator, host and advisor for this burgeoning market. In fact, renowned restaurants, like Café D' Alsace in New York City, have been hiring people to fill that position on premise.

We drink it at parties, gatherings and barbecues, but what most people fail to realize, is that there are 20+ styles of beer, using dozens of different malts, hops and yeasts. All this makes beer potentially an infinitely complex beverage. So complex, in fact, that those styles can be lined up and compared in tastings, much like wine. And these tastings are incredibly fun and educational. Food pairings and beer dinners are also increasingly high on the short-list of entertainment destinations for upwardly mobile urbanites.

Most people think that wine is the ultimate beverage for pairing with food, like Szechuan chicken, braised lamb chops or even something as simple as a burger. But beer actually pairs with these foods, including cheese and chocolate! The beer's carbonation lifts the fats and flavors of cheeses off the palate, allowing for a fuller appreciation and sensory experience.

In fact, the Beer Sommelier's duties parallel those of the wine Sommelier: hosting tastings, recommending the proper beer and glassware to serve with any given foods, staff instruction and cellar maintenance. And community education doesn't hurt either. My contribution is the "Beer Education 101 and Tasting" course, I teach at Emory University in Atlanta.

If you'd like to know more, simply contact me and we can chat!