The American Cider Association is proud to announce that three individuals have successfully passed the Certified Pommelier™ examination. The new Certified Pommeliers™ are Anthony Chen–head brewer at AleSmith Brewing Company in San Diego; Lester Koga–owner of Bare Bottle Brewing in San Francisco; and Jessica Arlich–cider enthusiast from Vancouver, Washington. The rigorous exam, held in San ...

“Cider is a broad and complex category,” commented ACA chief executive officer Michelle McGrath. “Our program is designed to give professionals in the beverage and hospitality industries a thorough knowledge of cider, the how and why as well as the what, empowering them to not only improve their ability to help advise customers but to create and grow whole cider programs. It is really the equivalent of any of the other well known and respected professional certification programs such as Cicerone® or the Court of Master Sommeliers. It is clear how much having those credentials can enhance someone's career prospects, and we're seeing that with the CCP program, too.”