My Road to Cicerone®: David Nilsen, beer writer and educator

David Nilsen is a Certified Cicerone® from Greenville, Ohio. Here he explains how passing the Certified Cicerone exam validated his passion and boosted his credibility as a beer writer and educator. 

1. Where do you work now and what do you do there?
   I actually work for myself now. I left my full-time job a couple weeks before I took the Certified Cicerone exam in February 2017, and now I work as a freelance writer and speaker. I write about beer for a variety of publications and lead beer tastings, classes, and pairing dinners. I’m also a National Book Critics Circle member, and write book reviews and interviews, including an ongoing series of interviews with beer authors for PorchDrinking, for whom I’ve interviewed Randy Mosher, among others.
2. What industry were you working in when you started preparing for the Certified Cicerone exam? 
   I was a librarian at a public library for a few years, doing everything from launching a literary journal to yelling at kids for running in the adult section. I still lead a monthly beer appreciation class for that library, and it’s been wonderful seeing beginners go from knowing nothing about beer to tasting and commenting with confidence.
3. How did you first hear of the Cicerone Certification Program?
   I came to the Cicerone party late. I found out about it while watching Certified Cicerone Chris Quinn’s The Beer Temple videos online in 2014. I was certainly well into my love for beer by that time (my wife and I were about to leave on our first Belgian beer trip), but watching through his videos made me realize there was a lot I didn’t know yet that was within my grasp if I put in the time to learn it. I got back from our Belgium trip and ordered a bunch of books without any real plan beyond just understanding beer better. In mid 2015, I decided to begin working intentionally toward getting my Cicerone certification.
4. Why did you choose to pursue Cicerone certification? 
   Initially, a lot of it was just for my own satisfaction. For a variety of reasons, I never finished college, and I’ve always carried a bit of angst about never completing my degree. I wanted to put time and effort into this thing I was passionate about—beer—and have something to show for it at the end. When I got closer to actually taking the exam, I was starting to lead some beer events and writing a little bit, and realized I might be able to make a career out of this.
5. Explain how earning your certification helped you break into the beer industry.
   I live in a small town in a rural area, and the base-level beer literacy around here is pretty low. People are getting more and more interested, but there isn’t much of an existing beer culture. When it came to wanting to lead beer events, why should anyone listen to some random dude who says he knows something about beer? Having Cicerone Certification helps me pitch and lead events with confidence, and allows venue management and attendees to trust I know what I’m talking about. On the writing side, anyone can pitch a magazine and say they love beer and want to write. Having the certification lets editors know I’m going to deliver on the knowledge claims I’m making, and I’m certain that has earned me green lights I might not have gotten otherwise.
6. Describe your study process. How did you prepare for the exam?
   I tackle anything I’m curious or worried about by reading. I’m a pretty solitary learner. I made a spreadsheet of every item on the Cicerone syllabus, rated my knowledge level on each, and marked how I was going to have to learn about it—by reading, watching videos, visiting a business, etc. Then I went through it systematically, adjusting my knowledge rating as I went until every item was at a level I felt good about. I trusted what I knew about how I learn best, and that meant going against some established advice on how to approach this exam. For example, I’ve never homebrewed a batch of beer in my life. I don’t retain information from hands-on learning as well as I do from reading, so I sidestepped the advice to brew and read everything I could about brewing instead. The first time I held a piece of draft equipment in my hand was during the exam. And, of course, I drank a lot of beer!
7. Were there any areas of study that you became particularly interested in while preparing for the Certified Cicerone exam?
   I had never given much thought to food and beer pairing before the exam, so I knew I needed to improve in that area. I cooked a lot and my wife and I would have multicourse dinners at home, just the two of us. I love the idea of beer pairing now, and I lead monthly pairing events and do pairing consultation for a restaurant recently voted the finest casual dining restaurant in Ohio by the readers of Ohio Magazine.
8. What are your greatest strengths now that you’re a Certified Cicerone?
   I love history and geography and culture, so when I’m leading events, I try to do more than just talk about sensory aspects of a beer and give the attendees a sense of place and time behind where the beer came from. There is a story behind every beer, and I think I do a good job of conveying that story to my listeners and readers. When we talk about the sensory aspects of the beer then, they have more context behind it. I think I also excel at making the experience of learning about beer as non-intimidating as possible for novice tasters.
9. In your opinion, how valuable is it for those looking to get into the beer industry to earn Cicerone certification?
   If you’re going to be working on the consumer side, I think it’s very important. In the end, your knowledge is your resumé when it comes to telling people about beer in a professional setting, but how do people trust your knowledge is accurate, particularly if they don’t share that same level of knowledge? Being vetted by the Cicerone program lets people know they can trust what you tell them, whether it’s as a writer, speaker, consultant, trainer, or service staffperson. That goes a long way in an already complicated and rapidly diversifying beer world.
10. What advice do you have for Certified Beer Servers who are looking into taking the Certified Cicerone exam?
    First of all, do this because you love beer. If you’re just beginning the process, get the exam out of your mind and just learn everything you can about beer because you want to, because your curiosity won’t allow you to not learn about it. When that process has gotten you to the point where the exam is in sight as a realistic goal, make an honest evaluation of where you need to improve and focus on those areas. Memorize your style backgrounds and flavor profiles. Yes, you need to know your quanititatives, but they won’t help you if you don’t understand those beers holistically. Drink, read, and learn your styles backward and forward. It’s the difference between a person who loves beer and a person who love and knows beer. 

Ready to get started? Learn more about the Certified Cicerone exam here!