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Yeah, TBN has a point. I suppose I do have a very warped perception of cask's importance in the world of beer generally - although lots of the world's best beer bars (regardless of geographical location) do run one or two handpumps and the feeling I'm getting is that its importance is increasing in the beer world. In fact, one of the best condition cask pints I've ever had was in Akkurat in Stockholm!

Nevertheless, I think it's imperative (especially for the UK) that there remains a focus on good cellarmanship practice - I'd be incredibly disappointed if more breweries went BrewDog's way and shunned cask altogether (although I agree with them that some styles are infinitely better with CO2 dispense).

I was just wondering whether or not there would be anything about it on the exam; will be interested to find out from Oscar Wildecat when he's finished!

&amp;quot;duelly&amp;quot;:1voy7rlb wrote: lots of the world's best beer bars (regardless of geographical location) do run one or two handpumps[/quote:1voy7rlb]Yes indeed. And the World's Best Beer Bars would be expected to employ people of Master Cicerone standing. That'll be $1,018 please. Ker-[i:1voy7rlb]ching[/i:1voy7rlb]! <!-- s:P --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_razz.gif" alt="" title="Razz" /><!-- s:P -->

A better question would be why BrewDog chose to certify their employees in the US-based Cicerone program rather than the UK-based Beer Academy Sommelier program.

I have never sat the beer academy course but I have heard several people in the industry feel it was not a satisfactory test of someone with significant experience in the craft beer business. Interestingly enough an employee of the beer academy attended our exam as a spectator. After four grueling hours I can attest that the exam is one of the hardest I have ever sat. The written portion did not contain more than 2 or 3 cask questions but the study focused on it in detail while Ray Daniels himself is one of the founding members of the American real ale festival. He mentioned they had about 320 different casks the last time it was run.In the exam one of the off tastes had been created to replicate a common bacterial infection in cask. One of the most surprising fails was a London pride which nearly everyone confused with American Pale ale(really hoppy who knew...probably anyone who drank cask regularly I guess) The tastings were very hard with several american beers fresher than any we get here spiked but to our tastes still amazing given that they had only left the brewery a week or two ago(Lagunitas only a week old!) The tasting is what most people will fall on even with training given by American off taste training kits(small capsules of concentrated infection and general beer evil). At the end though I have to say that the exam gives a level of knowledge unheard to my mind in the bar industry in this Country or any other in Europe. Ray Daniels runs this as a not for profit organisation and feels the greatest compliment he has had is that people who fail respect why they have failed.While this is a rapidly changing industry the course is in my opinion the highest level of knowledge needed to work in a service or sales level of this industry.
To me it just reminded me how far ahead the Amercian market is.The way Ray talked about different companies expecting this qualification from its employees. While several examples of US draught systems seemed archaic(air cooled line systems,nitro gas used on lager)
The master cicerone has to date been sat by about 50 people and only 6 have passed. The master level is probably only a necessity for someone seeking a personal challenge after several years in the industry. I think I the difference between failing and passing will be a few percent and will come down to the tasting. In the meantime its back to hops,hops and more hops...did I mention we like hops