EP-255 Ray Daniels, Founder, Cicerone
About a month ago, an annual tradition took place: the announcement of the new Master Cicerones.\xa0
It\u2019s an exciting and heartbreaking time for many folks who put in months and even years of studying and training to pass one of the most difficult, esoteric, and unpredictable certification exams in all of food and beverage.\xa0
Another part of that annual tradition, at least in the past couple years, is the ensuing debate on #beertwitter about the value of the certification, and the relevance of the things it tests for. There are some perfectly valid questions asked about the program\u2014we know this because the program itself has evolved over time. But there are also some really wild ideas that get tossed around that seem to be rooted more in our iconoclastic, anti-expertise culture than anything else. Many question the value of a professional development track rooted in knowledge rather than experience, as if the two are somehow separable. In short, some people just want to see the Cicerone world burn.\xa0
So we did what we tend to do in these situations, and decided to help the world get to know the person and the intent behind the thing.\xa0
Ray Daniels is the founder of the Cicerone program, and before that he held a number of unique roles at the Brewers Association. And before that he was a marketer and public relations professional, author, and almost, almost, started a brewery in Chicago with one of the city\u2019s other luminaries, Randy Mosher. I, for one, love imagining what a brewery started by Ray Daniels and Randy Mosher in the late \u201990s or early aughts would be like in 2020. It\u2019d probably be just as anachronistic as it was relevant. Which is kind of what we get with Cicerone.\xa0
We\u2019re going to chart Ray\u2019s journey, look at how Cicerone has evolved over the years, examine who it\u2019s for and who it\u2019s not, and discuss how it maintains relevance in an industry with about 10,000 more breweries than when it started.