Kate Aleksandrova Fall Blog 2016

by Kate Aleksandrova, December 16, 2016

Every time I am amazed by how fast the quarter passes however this quarter has gone by even faster. My theory of why it happened is me having the classes I one hundred percent enjoy and love and am excited about during this quarter. One of such classes was beer and fermentation class. As I might have already mentioned, the love at first sight with beer had struck me during my first trip to Belgium. Experiencing so many beer styles, beer cafes, and people working in there who were full of passion and love to do what they do made me appreciate and become obsessed with the culture of this ancient beverage.

It is definitely not hard to keep loving the beer scene here in the US where craft beer industry has exploded over the last 15 to 20 years. There are so many genius minds of brew masters, beer bar and brewpub owners, and even beer specialist retailers. My dream has molded into becoming one of those people. The further down I go and the more people I meet from this industry, the more curious and excited I am becoming for this subject.

I can say that I have already taken my first steps and have received the certification of completion the first level of Cicerone exam. I am proud to be called a Certified Beer Server by Cicerone international program standards. I am now extensively preparing myself for taking the Level 2 exam in late spring/early summer and becoming one of the youngest certified Cicerones there are. Nervous and happy I am at the same time as this exam is the new step for me however it is much more challenging than level one and will require extensive preparation. So this is definitely on my agenda during my winter break as I am traveling back home to Europe, and I’m expecting to get a hands-on experience (visiting breweries and interviewing people) and practice that will help me to prepare for the exam. Can’t wait for the next quarter to start and dive into new adventures in beverage industry learning!