My Beer Year: Adventures with Hop Farmers, Craft Brewers, Chefs, Beer Sommeliers, and Fanatical Drinkers as a Beer Master in Training

by Lucy Burningham

A love note to beer--appreciating the history, craftsmanship, and taste of craft beer as told by a woman striving for beer-expert status.

As a journalist spurred by curiosity and thirst, Lucy Burningham made it her career to write about craft beer, traveling to hop farms, attending rare beer tasting parties, and visiting as many taprooms, breweries, and festivals as possible. With this as her introduction, Lucy decided to take her relationship with beer to the next to become a certified beer expert. As Lucy studies and sips her way to becoming a Certified Cicerone, she meets an eclectic cast of characters, including brewers, hop farmers, beer sommeliers, pub owners, and fanatical beer drinkers. Her journey into the world of beer is by turns educational, social, and personal—just as enjoying a good beer should be.

Genres: Nonfiction, Beer, Food, Travel, Memoir, Science, Food and Drink

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2016

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy Burningham's tale of her journey to become a Certified Cicerone is as engaging and relatable a story as any out there in the beer-reading world. Her prose is conversational, detailed, and evocative. She's a great storyteller, and uses that skill well to tell not only about beer, but about the feelings and thoughts that lead us to quests like these, and the work we put in to achieve those goals.

(A little extra context here: I read this while I was about two-thirds of the way through my own beer quest -- to become a certified BJCP judge. So yeah... this story was super-relevant for my interests.)

FOOTNOTE: Her editor missed a couple of spots where a word was missing or transposed. No biggie -- you can still decipher the sentences just... something I noticed.

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2024 UPDATE: Having now gone through my own journey on the road to Cicerone, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a little bit at the end when she got her results and couldn't believe that she'd passed. It's A LOT of material to learn (beyond what I needed to learn for BJCP's Certified or even National exams) and the exam itself is a crucible.

[Elizabeth S. Stovicek · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was difficult to follow the organizational plan of this book. Lots of run on sentences and quick changes to tangential stories that I was never quite sure how they fit in to the big picture. I did not find her to be a very good writer and found her to be slightly repetitive. Just never really "caught me" - unfortunate. I very much enjoyed Cork Dork, another book in this genre, but My Year of Beer certainly fell short of expectations.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a travelogue through a country of beer. The author describes her journey to becoming an expert in all things beer related. Along the way she teaches us fundamentals of beer ingredients, brewing, styles, and even proper serving. She does it all by introducing us to the experts she meets along the way who are unique, interesting, and passionate about their craft. My only critique is that it made me thirsty!

[Maria]

Great read, inspiring!!

[Fawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect beer book. Well-written, not overly technical, lots of interesting tidbits about the industry in Oregon and in Europe as well.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. Judson Booksellers 2023 Reading Challenge
January - “A Memoir by Someone with your Dream Job”

It’s been a bit of time since I’ve read a nonfiction book, so this memoir was a good way to dip my toes back into the genre. I appreciated Burningham’s honesty and candor in retelling her journey to becoming a Certified Cicerone. She didn’t sugar coat her experience or glamorize it. She spoke about the difficulties that she experienced and the times that felt frustrating, which makes her accomplishments that much more rewarding.

Along with learning about the process to become a Certified Cicerone, I learned a lot about beer: its history, the different processes of brewing, hop farming, and what influences styles around the world. The tasting sheets in the book made me think more about what I’m drinking, and make me want to savor it more and appreciate the time and effort that the brewers have put into what’s in front of me. I highly recommend this book for the casual beer lover.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, enjoyable, and educational, this was the story of the authors quest to become a Certified Cicerone, a designation similar to a sommelier, but for beer, instead of wine. Her thirst for knowledge led her to learn about growing and milling hops, roasting malts, and making beer with other dedicated home brewers. She spent time visiting various craft breweries around the country. She attended beer festivals. She even spent two weeks in Belgium learning about the beer culture in a country that exports more beer than it drinks. Through it all, her enthusiasm for the beverage was palpable. I can't say that it inspired me to follow in her footsteps, or even to get involved in homebrewing myself. But, it did give me a new appreciation for those who are actively involved in making the beer I so love to drink. It also opened my eyes to the many styles of beer I have not yet tasted.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book exploring several facets of the beer world — from homebrewing to hops farming to the charm of centuries-old European breweries. It all served as research for the author, Lucy Burningham, in preparation for her to take the Certified Cicerone exam. I preferred the first half of the book as it explored the Portland beer scene, which included brewing with a homebrew club and performing a sensory analysis with the Widmer brothers — craft beer legends. The brief business-of-hops section was fascinating to me, and I always enjoy reading about individuals' Great American Beer Festival experiences. While I enjoyed her travelogue through Belgium, that part of the book didn't grip me as much. Nevertheless, My Beer Year offers inspiration and motivation for those seeking to expand their beer knowledge.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In My Beer Year the author takes you along for a fascinating journey within the world of beer. She embarks on a worldwide adventure, mingling with fellow beer connoisseurs, gaining insight not only on the many characteristics of beer, but the process of making it. It is a form of art. Individuals who craft beer and those who appreciate it are tied together like family. What an accomplishment for someone to become a Cicerone (or beer sommeliers)! It is a title obtained by few (even less woman). I certainly would have enjoyed "studying" along with the author through her travels and numerous tastings. I'm curious if Lucy will continue for Advanced or Master Cicerone?

[Jill Pickle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having never heard of the sommelier of beers, cicerone, I was intrigued as to what it entailed. As a beer lover, I enjoyed reading about some familiar PNW brews and Belgian greats like the trip to Cantillon.

Ultimately this was an enjoyable, light, readable (but slightly shallow/superficial) long personal essay on becoming a cicerone. Super interesting to beer people like me. I especially appreciated the author's viewpoint on women in the beer industry.

If you are a beer enthusiast looking to delve further into tasting, hop growing, recipes, manufacturing, and judging beer professionally, I'd recommend this book.

[Booth Babcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy Burningham is a beer-obsessed Portlander who decides to sit for the Ciccerone exam (which is kind of like being a sommelier), and then chronicles her year of diving deep in to beer culture. Some parts were really interesting, and revealed impressive access behind the curtain of craft beer. Other parts seemed more personal than about beer, or would be obvious to most beer experts. Interesting, but wouldn't replace a more detailed or rigorous beer text.

[Zachary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t believe I didn’t have one sip of beer while reading this book. It took me a long time to get through the first six chapters of this book, not because it was bad, it just felt like it took a while to really get established. I flew through the remaining chapters and really started to crave enjoying a beer or two with good friends. All in all, this book is an encouragement both to respect, appreciate, and savor beer, but also to not take it too seriously.

[Andrew Maurins · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow beer geek (though certainly not at the author’s level of Certified Cicerone), I loved her attention to little details of tasting and touring beer places. And those are are all over this book. I enjoyed her writing style and humility. A fantastic resource for anyone considering taking the Cicerone exam themselves, or anyone wanting to just immerse themselves in all things pertaining to delicious beer.

[Neal Tognazzini · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of the beer world, accompanied by a thoughtful and friendly tour guide. I immediately felt like the author was a friend, partly because I went through a very similar experience (I even took my exam at the same site she did in North Portland), but also partly because her tone is so down-to-earth and welcoming. I did learn a bit about beer here and there, but mostly I just enjoyed following her on her journeys.

[Mark Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journey many of us are on to codify our knowledge of Beer and also expand and push boundaries. Her ambitious attempt and series or adventures make for an easy going read. Very conversational , and a bit under researched but as a first person account of her year long education quite admirable and something foreveryone.

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! So many of my beer questions were answered on Lucy's quest to be a Certified Cicerone. It made me want to try beers outside my beer box love of IPA's. But only as samples because I resent having to drink a whole beer that I don't like. I liked the writing and the adventure taken to become more knowledgeable about beer. History, travel, new friendships, liked it all!

[Ramon Alarcon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough story about Lucy’s extravagant preparation for the Cicerone exam. I enjoyed the section on her trip to Belgium the most. The brewers there were simply brewing beer. They weren’t concerned with style; they just wanted it to taste good. I like to think I have the same attitude when drinking beer. I just want it to taste good!

[Meepspeeps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book full of interesting beer history and the technical aspects of making good beer. The author weaves in her home life and trips to learn more about beer, using humor and vivid descriptions. I laughed aloud several times and recommend this to anyone who likes beer and wants to know more about it.

[Kathy Averbeck · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a lover of craft beer, I was hoping to learn more about beer when I chose to read this book. I did learn more but the book wasn't as entertaining as I had hoped. Mostly it made me want to try more beers. And I know I don't want to be a cicerone.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sheds light on what it would take to be a certified Cicerone . The Cicerone is beer’s version of a wine master taster. Very informative and entertaining. If you are are a fan of beer and would like to gain additional costs knowledge about beer, this would be a fun read for you.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A personal tale of one woman's year spent acquiring knowledge in preparation for the Advanced Cicerone beer exam. A definite read for those preparing to take said exam and a fun read for beer fans of all stripes.

[Al McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the journey of a Portland, Oregon writer's journey to earn the Cicerone degree and fuel her interest and passion in beer. The people she meets and lessons she learns are intertwined with her personal story, the effects it has on her husband and young child. It's educational and full of heart. What can I say? It's well-written, fun, joyful, smack full of learning. I ate it up.
These are stories that I like, and it's a world that I like to hear stories about.
I will read anything about beer, and I will especially enjoy hearing tales of beer lovers encountering beer knowledge, lore and legend for the first time. That's my chicken and waffles. I eat it up.
Burningham's writing is enjoyable, and this was a volume that went down smooth and easy.
Go pick it up!

[Collin Meinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy’s stories about her journey with beer were really fun to read. They inspire me to learn more about beer myself, and she provides great references to accomplish this. Very fun and informative read.

[Amy Morfas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting read! More than you ever wanted to know about the craft beer movement.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oddly touching beer memoir.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

[Tara Kozocari · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book. especially her travels in Europe

[Taraya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for people in need of inspiration to become Cicerone certified. However, a few grammatical mistakes marred this book for me.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read! Humorous and informative