1. PHOTO:DAVIDCROXFORD
Bill Carl hoists a
Breakside Pilsner at
Real a Gastropub.
Bill CarlI N T E R V I E W B Y J E N N I F E R F I E D L E R
When you go out for a beer, get ready
to hear “cicerone” more often. The
title is the beer world equivalent of
the sommelier, and after a certification
test held in Kona last year, the number
of certified cicerones in Hawai‘i jumped
from two to 14. HONOLULU checked in
with Bill Carl, 38, the beer portfolio
manager for Southern Wine and
Spirits and certified cicerone, to talk
about what the test entails and how
he keeps up with his studies as he
prepares for the advanced cicerone
exam—a new level of certification.
70 HONOLULU RESTAURANT GUIDE 2017
ASK A BEER EXPERT
“Don’t judge a
beer by its color.
Even though a
stout looks black
and thick and
really heavy,
sometimes
it’s the exact
opposite.”

2. HONOLULU RESTAURANT GUIDE 2017 71
Niu Valley Shopping Center
373-7990
photo:Seiji
Niu Valley Shopping Center
373-7990
Mahalo
Le Bistro
➸ THE TEST has been around for 10
years or so. It would be doing the same
thing that a sommelier would do. We get
tested on server standards—finding the
proper glassware for each kind of beer,
[determining] if there are off flavors. ...
The biggest one we see here in Hawai‘i is
“skunky” and the beer tastes like skunk
spray. You’ll see that in clear bottles and
green bottles and it happens when the
beer has been exposed to light. We’re
trained to say, “Wait a minute, this beer
definitely tastes off.”
➸ THEY TEST US pretty extensively on
doing beer and food pairings as well.
They would give us a few food items
and we’d have to pair a proper food with
them. Obviously it’s subjective, but there
are a few rules. Take a steak—a big juicy
steak with gorgonzola on top of it. If I
pour out a light wheat beer, the food is
totally going to overpower the beer. You
want the beer to match the food.
➸ UNTIL ABOUT nine months ago, there
were only three levels: beer server, cer-
tified cicerone and master cicerone, but
the jump between the certified cicerone
and the master cicerone was so severe.
We have over 2,000 certified cicerones
in the country. Now there’s the advanced
cicerone, in between the certified and
the master.
➸ I’VE BEEN DOING extensive reading
on food and beer pairing and the history
of all the different styles: the porter, the
German Heifeweizen. You really have to
know the intricacies of all these different
styles. You can find me in the Kaimukī li-
brary quite often with my nose in a book.
➸ I LIKE to go to some of the local beer
bars. I’ll have them blind test me. I’ll have
them take out five different beers and
not tell me what they are, and I’ll try and
train my palate that way. There are a few
guys who get together at Square Barrels
on Monday nights. Maybe they are doing
Belgian beers one week, and they’ll go
through and try and decipher the specific
flavors of Belgian beers. Most of my study
is doing a lot of tasting and a lot
of reading.
➸ STEP OUT of your comfort zone. It
doesn’t have to be a $22 5-ounce pour
of craft beer. It can be a new seasonal at
your local bar. Try it out. Go into it with
an open mind. I always say, “Don’t judge
a beer by its color.” Even thought a stout
looks black and thick and really heavy,
sometimes it’s the exact opposite.