One of the leading authorities on beer in the state of Michigan is right here on the campus of Schoolcraft College. Annette May, faculty member in the Brewing & Distillation Technology Program and a CEPD* Instructor, is an Advanced Cicerone® (pronounced sis-uh-rohn). This means she is an expert with beer and food pairing, among other abilities.

Those skills helped May win “Best Cicerone” for 2019 at the Golden Jigger Awards held Dec. 8 at Detroit Shipping Company.

May topped four other finalists. The award was based on a combination of public vote, an industry/media panel and the staff of Nick Drinks, which presented the competition. The Golden Jigger Awards are in their second year, and its mission is to recognize the outstanding work of Metro Detroit’s bartenders as well as locations, events and brands.

May was the first to achieve Advanced Cicerone status in Michigan. Still, she finds herself doing quite a bit of educating outside the walls of Schoolcraft, too.

“One of the most challenging parts of being a cicerone is explaining to people that beer is complex and that it requires a lot of knowledge to be able to understand it, and help others understand it,” May said. “Their reaction is often, ‘Beer? What’s there to know about beer? It’s just that cheap yellow fizzy stuff.’ “

A cicerone is somewhat similar to a sommelier in terms of expertise and certification. To begin the certification, a cicerone must have knowledge in five key areas:

• Keeping and serving beer
• Beer styles
• Beer flavor and evaluation
• Beer ingredients and brewing processes
• Pairing beer with food

Four levels of certification are offered, each requiring increasingly difficult multi-hour exams that include written, tasting and demonstration portions. Advanced Cicerone is the third level. Level 1 is Certified Beer Server, followed by Certified Cicerone®. May became the first female to become a Certified Cicerone in 2008.

She became an Advanced Cicerone in 2017, the second year that classification was offered. The highest level is Master Cicerone®.

May, with professional experience dating back to 1995, was one of many industry consultants Schoolcraft brought in to lay the groundwork for the Brewing and Distillation Technology curriculum. She was a charter member of the faculty, starting the very first semester in fall of 2015.

May teaches two courses in the brewing program:

• BDT 121 - BEER STYLES & FLAVOUR EVALUATION: Students learn the history, parameters, brewing process and flavor profile of 50 beer styles using the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) guidelines. They also learn the science behind and the process of sensory evaluation of beer, including evaluation of "off-flavors" that can occur in beer.
• BDT 231 - BEER SERVICE & MANAGEMENT: Students learn how to serve beer properly (it’s more complicated than people think), pair it with food, responsible alcohol service (“TIPS” training and certification), draught system installation, management and troubleshooting, plus earn their Beer Server certificate (Level 1 in the Cicerone® Program).

“It’s wonderful to see students (who are potential brewers) understanding that beer is more than just making it in the brewhouse,” she said. ”Understanding your product, and learning how to get it to consumers the way the brewer intended it to be is so crucial.

“Many of my students tell me that they didn’t realize how important it is to understand flavor until they took my class, or the importance of a proper pour in a beer-clean glass, from clean draught lines. Hearing this makes me really happy!”

May also teaches four classes in the CEPD program, including a class on sake, a Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.

May said her experience at Schoolcraft has been particularly rewarding

“Teaching in a brewing program is, I think, the pinnacle for someone that teaches people about beer,” she said. “Nothing could be more exhilarating than sharing one’s knowledge with eager students!”

To learn more about and to register for Schoolcraft’s Continuing Education & Professional Development beer and sake classes, please go to https://www.schoolcraft.edu/cepd/schedules.

 *CEPD stands for Continuing Education and Professional Development