Introducing Ben Knutson, the resident Cicerone here at Butcher & the Boar. Cicerone is an old term for “guide,” and in this case a professionally certified master and guide to all things beer. There are only about 20 Cicerones currently in Minnesota, most of which consult for distributors. We’re glad to have him.
Cicerone’s don’t take their love of beer lightly (no pun intended), and Ben is no different. The key to prepping for the Cicerone certification is to love beer, drink beer all the time, and read about beer as often as you can.
As Ben tells us, “For me it was 3 - 4 years of constantly reading everything I could read about beer, with a beer in my hand while I did it. Not the hardest study I’ve ever been forced to do, not your classic academia, but you do really need to get bookie with it because there is a lot of technical information for the exam… whether it be the off flavors, the chemical composition of beer, how brewing practices can affect that in the taste right down to understanding the historical significance of certain styles of beer.”
Becoming a Cicerone is a long process with a lot of “studying.”
Don’t be shy if you see him perfecting his craft at Butcher & the Boar. Feel free to test his extensive knowledge and learn more about your next glass of perfectly served beer.
Stay tuned this week as we take a peek at what you can expect out of our fall taps, as well as all things brew (and some tips on our fall lineup).