Tony Schmitt
Back in the saddle....
One of the inspirations to sit for the Certified Cicerone test was actually a movie about wine. When I saw the fantastic documentary Somm, I was inspired to begin a similar study about beer.
Well, that was over 3 years ago, and I can't beleive how far I've come. I direct beer and service training for a company with locations all over the country, I've got my own beer service consultation company, and I also work in my own community as part of the local brewers association.
So the other day I took a look at another documentary, one about beer. Beers of Joy is a documentary that follows several people on their beer journey. Two of those individuals sat for their Master Cicerone Certification, and it was once again inspiring.
I thought about it the next day, and I couldn't come up with a single reason not to continue my own journey. Advanced Cicerone is the next step for me, but just as becoming a BJCP certified judge helped me to study for Certified Cicerone, I also intend to rise to the National level in regards to BJCP judging. Both of these programs have a lot to do with each other, so they can only help me grow.
It's going to be a long path, but I'm excited to start walking it!