Swiss-trained Beer Sommeliers Take on the World
by Siti Zawani
@ 02 Oct 2015
The surge in the popularity of boutique beers has given rise to a new breed of beer aficionado – the beer sommelier. Cyril Hubert, a Swiss-trained French beer sommelier hopes his passion will take him to the World Beer Sommeliers Championships.
To train for the competition, Hubert holds regular tasting courses in brasseries around Switzerland, an activity which he hopes to develop into a full-time business. “Roll the liquid around in your mouth, but don’t spit it out because the taste buds for bitterness are located at the back of the tongue,” says Hubert. It’s a fact that means limiting the number of beers for tasting session is a necessary evil. Also different to a wine tasting, each beer is sampled in a different style of glass and not in a simple beer mug.
“In this way, you experience the aromas,” says Hubert who explains that the sound of the bottle top popping, the way a beer froths when poured and the way it is poured, all contribute to the analysis and enjoyment of a new beer. “For a beer that contains yeast, for example, you have to upend the bottle before serving it,” says Hubert. “You need all your sense to taste beer.” Find out more at
http://goo.gl/9kxf9V
