Cider association’s certification program goes global

The American Cider Association is expanding its beverage professional education and certification program globally.

The Certified Cider Professional (CCP) program was launched at CiderCon 2016 with a particular focus on the U.S. Since then, the certification program has developed to become the most robust and thorough cider appreciation and education program for beverage professionals in the world, according to a news release from the American Cider Association (ACA). The ACA has revised study and exam materials to have a broader scope, and the CCP program is now applicable to anywhere in the world that cider is made and sold.“We have been getting an increasing number of inquiries about the CCP program from all over the world,” Jennie Dorsey, ACA education operations manager, said in the release. “A number of candidates for the second level of certification, Certified Pommelier, have even made a trip to the U.S. just to sit for the exam, so clearly there is an unmet need out there and no other comparable education program available.”

Award winning educator and global cider expert Gabe Cook, also known as The Ciderologist, has joined forces with the ACA to help expand the certification program.

“I am delighted to be teaming up with the ACA through CCP to increase the knowledge, respect and passion for one of the world’s truly great and ancient drinks,” Cook said in the release. “Now is the time for a unified education program that is applicable and open to anyone and everyone from Seattle to Somerset to Shanghai to Sydney. It is a true reflection of the globalization of cider and indicative of this being an incredibly exciting time for cider.”

Additional updates geared toward program growth include CCP branding. The ACA has retitled the CCP’s introductory level to “Certified Cider Guide,” and has updated the CCP branding to better distinguish the two offered CCP levels — Certified Cider Guide and Certified Pommelier.

The first international in-person Certified Cider Guide training workshop and exam was last fall in Melbourne, Australia, with the support of Cider Australia. Ten individuals earned the title of Certified Cider Guide.

Additional in-person classes and exams are planned for Europe in the coming months. On-demand virtual training and Certified Cider Guide exams are also available at any time.

The inaugural international Certified Pommelier exam is scheduled to be in April to coincide with the Cider World event in Frankfurt, Germany. To earn their title, Certified Pommeliers are rigorously tested on their cider knowledge with a written theory exam and a sensory evaluation exam.

“We are very confident in our educational programming, and these recent steps will help us reach more U.S. beverage professionals as well as international ones,” Michelle McGrath, ACA CEO, said in the release. “Gabe Cook is uniquely suited to help us grow the program overseas, and we’re really excited about the partnership. He works tirelessly for the cider category,” McGrath adds.

There are currently 2,480 Certified Cider Guides and 97 Certified Pommeliers.