As you may or may not be aware, two of four Master Cicerones (beer sommeliers) in the world live here in S.F., and one would be Rich Higgins. He’s the owner and brewmeister at Social Kitchen & Brewery and also takes care of the beer lists at Starbelly and Delarosa, and Drink Me just did an interview with him in which he describes the process of getting his Master Cicerone certification. It’s not unlike becoming a Master Sommelier, and involves a two-day test with an oral portion, a blind tasting, and a practical portion with tasks like how to fix a draft dispenser at a bar. “You really have to be obsessive to get this title,” he admits. The other Bay Area Master Cicerone, by the way, is Sayre Piotrkowski, who designed the beer list at St. Vincent. [Drink Me]
