My Cicerone Journey: Richie Castro

Richie Castro is an Advanced Cicerone located in Santiago de Querétaro Mexico. Here he shares how his Cicerone certification journey helps with his daily roles and has shaped his experience in the industry.

 What’s your current role, and how does being an Advanced Cicerone help you with it?

 I am currently involved in beer education, beer quality as well as draught systems at Compañía Cervecera Hércules. I also have a company, Bright Tap, we are oriented to Draught systems, installation, professional consultancy and beer education. I consider that the Advanced Cicerone helped me to have more depth on the information I handle. At the same time it helped me to improve my sensory skills which are fundamental for quality issues.

 Could you tell us about the beginning of your journey in beer education? What hooked you in?

 A little over 7 years ago I worked for Grupo Modelo precisely to provide beer training and promote beer culture. This was the beginning where I realized the importance of education, not only to be able to offer a beer, but also the handling and care of the product. 

I realized that bad service can ruin the customer experience, so my interest and desire to specialize in promoting and improving the beer culture grew.

Are there any study techniques you’ve found helpful that you’d like to share?

I especially found the note Exam Tactics: How to Present Style Knowledge in Advanced and Master Exams from the Cicerone Certification Program very useful. It allowed me to give structure to my study of how to present beers by touching on the important aspects of the beers.  
The Road to Cicerone courses were very valuable, they helped me to bring order to the topics by deepening different aspects of the Cicerone syllabus to my study process.
Finally, doing completely blind tasting sessions was particularly beneficial because you focus your attention on what is perceived without a bias.

How would you characterize the beer scene in Mexico at the moment? Are there any notable trends or unique events happening?

It is an industry that is still growing. More and more breweries are seeking to standardize and professionalize the product. The trends continue to be IPA’s and its variants. Fortunately, there are more breweries are focusing on lager beers. They are looking for more drinkable beers where the customer can consume more beers without getting saturated, without neglecting quality. 

Mexico recently won several medals at the 2024 World Beer Cup across various styles, including Kolsch, Export Stout, American Pale Ale, and American Style Stout. Are there any beer styles that are trending among local breweries right now?

 I believe that many beers in the stout family are still popular with consumers because of familiarity with the flavor profiles. But more and more breweries are turning to lager, especially Mexican Lagers or traditional German lagers. I think people start changing their mind set because when you go to a tap room you can find more variety and not only a reduced offer towards very hoppy or very roasted beers.  

 What is one piece of advice you would share with someone trying to start in the beer industry in Mexico?

 My recommendation, no matter what area of the industry you work in, always study, professionalize, be curious, avoid snobbery and remain receptive because there is always something new to learn.