In Japan you can become a licensed beer taster.

Since a certification exam was instituted 12 years ago, more than 5,000 people have passed the test given by the Japan Craft Beer Association and become certified beer tasters.

Participants sit in on six hours of seminars, including tastings, before taking the certification exam, which consists of a tasting evaluation and a written test.

The story doesn’t mention the fee for the course or what percentage of people pass, but this sounds like something that would attract a lot more than 5,000 people in the United States. There are even guys at Hooters who would sign up.

In fact we have a somewhat similar - though more vigorous - test for those who want to take the Beer Judge Certification Exam. Granted, most people take it to become certified judges for homebrew competitions. But a stated purpose of the BJCP is “to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills.”

Sounds like something you’d get out of the Japanese course.

The BJCP study guides also points out, “In preparing for the exam, you should acquire a broad understanding of beer styles, know different brewing methods, and understand how brewing methods correlate with style and flavor. Brewing processes should be understood to the point where you can intelligently discuss various techniques and ingredients and how they may have affected the beer being sampled. Frequent tasting of commercial beers will help you gain further understanding of style differences.”

Where can you sign up for a class?

That’s the catch. Those preparing for an exam generally put together their own series of classes. You best bet is to locate a nearby homebrew club or check the list of upcoming exams - because there may well be a related class.

Posted: June 20th, 2007 under Beer culture.