You’ve just passed your Level 2 Award in Beer, and you’re the proud recipient of a new qualification. With your newfound knowledge about the brewing process, the ability to describe a huge range of different beer styles, and armed with your WSET SAT® skills, you may be wondering how to become a beer sommelier and where to go next. How about gaining the title of beer sommelier?
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 about production methods and grape varieties 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 educate both trade and consumers about the wonderful world of beer. They are skilled at engaging, enthusing, and advising people about beer, while dispelling myths and breaking down barriers.
Why are beer sommeliers needed?
Beer is the third most imbibed beverage in the world, behind coffee and tea, but with thousands of different beer styles and flavours, it can be quite overwhelming, especially for drinkers who are new to beer. In addition, there are many misconceptions about beer.
Beer sommeliers unravel the complexity of beer to enhance accessibility for consumers and increase profitability for companies. Some sommeliers are employed in the hospitality sector, others in the brewing industry, and the rest are passionate beer communicators.
Knowing what beer is, its flavours, and how it pairs with food helps organisations and drinkers make informed choices and this is where beer sommeliers come in.
Who can become a beer sommelier?
You don’t have to work in the beer or hospitality industry to become a beer sommelier. Anyone who possesses 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.
You might already be on your way to beer sommelier status. If you’ve passed your WSET Level 2 Award in Beer, you're already meeting one of the qualifications required by the Guild of Beer Sommeliers for their assessment.
How do you become a beer sommelier?
Aspiring beer sommeliers must pass an exam administered by the Chief Examiner of the Guild of Beer Sommeliers.
During the assessment, applicants taste sixteen various beer styles from different regions globally. They should be able to identify and describe the beer characteristics and suggest suitable food pairings. This is why the WSET Level 2 Award in Beer is a pre-requisite; the more you practice your SAT® skills, the more you’re likely to succeed and pass the Beer Sommelier assessment exam.
Understanding how to become a beer sommelier involves more than passing a single test. It requires mastering technical skills, flavour evaluation, and food pairing knowledge.
Candidates must also know how to identify off-flavours in beer and diagnose five altered samples accurately.
To prepare for the final assessment, candidates are required to successfully complete three other qualifications in addition to the WSET Level 2 Award in Beer. These are:
- Cask Marque ‘Cellar and Bar Management’ course
- Guild of Beer Sommeliers ‘How to Judge Beer and Understanding Off Flavours’ course
- Guild of Beer Sommeliers ‘Beer and Food Pairing’ course
Not only are these courses offered throughout the UK, where there is sufficient demand, the courses can be delivered in overseas territories and on-line by request. Assessment centres are always conducted face to face, and again these can be arranged in any country subject to demand.
Self-study is vitally important for achieving success. The Guild of Beer Sommeliers has created a reading list and a resource library for reference.
Upon successful completion of your assessment, you will be automatically inducted as a member of the Guild of Beer Sommeliers.
Where to find out more
Ready to take the next step? Visit www.beer-sommelier.org.uk for more information, or email info@beer-sommelier.org.uk.
