Frequently Asked Questions
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Explorer FAQs
We’ve partnered with notable craft beer author Marty Nachel to create an incredible certification process. Learn more about it here.
When you’re ready to book your session, you’ll pay in advance through your Guide’s profile. The money will be held in escrow until the session is complete. Then, after your session, you release the funds to your Guide.
Once you’re ready to book your session, click on Tasting Guide’s profile, This will direct you to where you can pay for your guided tasting session. The funds are not released until you complete the session from your profile at the end of your session.
All transactions are processed only after the session has ended. If your Tasting Guide is a no-show, your payment will not be processed. You just need to report a no-show in your account and the funds that were in escrow will be refunded to you.
Guided Tastings typically run 90 minutes. Your Tasting Guide’s page will indicate if their sessions run shorter or longer than the typical 90 minutes.
The cost covers the Tasting Guide’s fee plus any handouts or materials they provide during the tasting. The fee DOES NOT include your beer purchases. Flights typically run $12 to $15, and can typically be shared between two people in their Guided Tastings.
You can cancel your Guided Tasting up to 24 hours before your session.
Think of a Cicerone as the craft beer equivalent of a wine sommelier. To become a Cicerone, one
must go through a rigorous certification program that includes exams and on-site tasting
evaluations.. Read more about the Cicerone program on their website at www.cicerone.com.
From the Beer Judge Certification Program Website:
“The Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. (BJCP) is a world-wide certifying organization
for judges of beer and related fermented products. Founded in 1985, we now have a presence in
over 60 countries and have more than 7500 active judges in the program. Judges are certified
through an examination covering technical aspects of brewing, world beer styles, the purpose of the
BJCP, and judging procedures, and by demonstrating practical judging skills. Judges are ranked
based on their examination scores and accumulation of practical judging experience.”
All Tasting Coaches set their own rate based upon their experience and knowledge of
the field. Consider their bio when selecting your Tasting Guide.
The fee covers up to 6 people. For any party over 6, Beertrippr often nust make special
arrangements with the brewery to accommodate a larger pary. The cost is $10 per additional person over 6. Group rates may be available for parties over 10. For parties over 6 people or for group rates, please email your preferred date, brewery and the number of people in your group to greg@beertrippr.com. We will return your email within 24 business hours.
Children or those under the age of 21 are not counted toward your 6 person maximum. Some breweries have certain admitting restrictions for those under the age of 21. Please check your Tasting Guide’s page to see whether or not they allow children at their Guided Tastings
Each Tasting Guide must show expertise in the area of beer tasting. Some Tasting Guides have additional experience and/or education in other ### of Craft Beer. These include Beer History, Brewing, Beer Serving and more.
With new breweries opening nearly every week, we try our best to keep up to date, but it is possible that we miss a few. Contact us at Greg@beertrippr.com and we will get the brewery
added asap.
Each signup is for one brewery. If you wish to visit an additional location, you can
schedule a concurrent session if available.
We are constantly adding more Tasting Coaches to our website. We actively search for
Tasting Coaches to fill gaps in our service areas. You can send an email to
admin@beertrippr.com with your request. We will email you If we are able to acquire a Tasting
Coach in your area.
This is an existential question. You don’t need a Tasting Coach, but learning the
methods of tasting lead to a more satisfying brewery experience. Discover why you like the
beers you like, make better choices when you visit your next brewery. Appreciation of the craft,
beer styles and history enriches your experience. And you can impress your friends with your
beer knowledge.
Brewery tours are not part of the session, and may take some valuable time away from
your tasting time. However, if you would like to tour, that is a decision between you and your
Tasting Coach. Be aware that the brewery will often charge for the tour, and some can last over
an hour. If you wish to do a brewery tour, we suggest checking out the brewery’s website and
booking a tour directly.
It differs from brewery to brewery. Most breweries have between 6 and 12 beers on tap.
You taste as many as you want, but please stay safe, assign a designated driver, or hang out at
the brewery until you are safe to drive. Twelve 3oz pours is 36oz, or about two and a half pints,
and beware…some of these beers may have alcohol content above 8%.
You will have your tasting sheets and notes from your session. There are additional tasting
resources available for download at www.beertrippr.com.
We do not require background checks from our Tasting Coaches. However, we
independently verify their credentials and require official identification. We advise you to abide
by normal safety protocols. You also must meet at the brewery. Meeting anywhere besides a
brewery is a violation of the Coach’s contract. If you witness or subject to inappropriate
behavior, please report it to us asap.
Tasting Guide FAQs
Each Tasting Guide must have experience brewing, homebrewing or are a part of the brewery industry. In addition, each Tasting Guide must pass the BeerTrippr Certified Taster Exam before they are allowed to be a part of the program. Click on Exam from your account page to learn more.
When someone is ready to book your session, they’ll pay in advance through your Guide profile. The money will be held in escrow until the session is complete. Then, you can withdraw the funds to an account of your choosing.
Yes, BeerTrippr takes 15% of your rate once your session has completed. Please keep this in mind when you set your rate.
We’ll feature your profile in the Find A Guide section of our website. Explorers search for Tasting Guides based on location, availability, and other criteria.
Customers must cancel 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged for their session. Please give the customer at least 15 minutes after their scheduled time to arrive. If they do not show up, you will be compensated the full amount of the session.
Sessions typically last 1-2 hours, but the length of your session is up to you.
Yes. Please consider your expenses when determining your fee.
We advise that you carefully select the hours you are available. If you need to cancel – please let us know as soon as possible. Multiple cancellations may result in your removal from the program.
The Cicerone program is the beer equivalent to a wine sommelier. It is a rigorous certification program that includes knowledge on every aspect of beer. You can read more at their website www.cicerone.com
*Note: We are not affiliated with the Cicerone Program or BJCP.
From the Beer Judge Certification Program Website:
“The Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. (BJCP) is a world-wide certifying organization for judges of beer and related fermented products. Founded in 1985, we now have a presence in over 60 countries and have more than 7500 active judges in the program. Judges are certified through an examination covering technical aspects of brewing, world beer styles, the purpose of the BJCP, and judging procedures, and by demonstrating practical judging skills. Judges are ranked based on their examination scores and accumulation of practical judging experience.
*Note: We are not affiliated with the Cicerone Program or BJCP.
All Tasting Guides set their own rate based upon their experience and knowledge of the field. Consider their bio when selecting your Tasting Guide.
The fee covers up to 6 people. For large groups, please contact us at admin@beertrippr.com, and we will contact you within 24 hours.
We use the honor system for this. We do not police our tasting Guides. We utilize customer feedback to determine the quality of the Tasting Guides. You don’t need to know everything about a topic to qualify. For instance, you might know 15-20 beer styles. This is enough to select “beer styles” as an area of expertise. Maybe you know the history of some regions or styles. This is fine. The goal is to provide the customer with new information that will enhance their brewery experience.
Yes, you can retake the test at any time.
Customers must schedule a session at least 24 hours in advance. You have the option of opting in to the “On Call” program – which allows customers to request a Tasting Guide at any time. You will receive a text message if a customer in your area is requesting a “same day” tasting. If you are the first to accept, you will be instantly notified and scheduled.
You will receive full compensation for the session. We ask that you wait at least 15 minutes after the scheduled time just in case your customer is running late due to traffic, etc.
We try to keep the list of breweries up to date, but with the vast numbers of breweries opening we might miss a few. Contact us at admin@beertrippr.com and we will get the brewery added asap.
The best option is to split beers into separate glasses for tastings and work out the pricing on the spot. If, for some reason the brewery does not allow customers to split beers, let us know asap and we will contact the brewer and remove it from our list if they are uncooperative. Figure out a plan with your customer, and we will compensate you and your customer for the extra expenses.
This is completely up to you. Typically, the more experience and credentials, the more you may be able to charge. If you are not successful in booking tastings, you may adjust your rate to attract more customers. Check out other Tasting Guide’s rates to see if your rates are in line with those with similar experience. You will also be purchasing the tasting beers for yourself so keep that in mind as you set your rate.
*Note: We are not affiliated in any way with the Cicerone Program or BJCP
The more familiar you are with your selected breweries, the better your experience will be. Talk with the beertender, taproom manager or owner to find out their brew schedule. Do your own tastings, take notes, check out the beer stats (ABV, IBU, etc.). Do a little research on the beer styles you are tasting. The more context you can provide to your customer, the better the outcome.
We suggest bringing at least some blank tasting sheets for your guests as well as pens or pencils. These and other printable materials are linked in the “Resources” section below.
There are several ways depending on whether or not you want a certified credential. If you are looking for certification credentials, I suggest the Cicerone program or Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)*. Visit their sites at www.cicerone.org and www.bjcp.org to learn more. If you are not interested in credentials, I suggest reading from a wide selection of books about beer. Go to your favorite bookstore website or Amazon.com and view a list by popularity. Many of the best books appear at the top of those lists.
We do not require background checks from our Tasting Guides. We simply provide the platform and study materials for you to be a successful Guide. Abide by normal safety protocols. Per the terms and conditions, you must meet your party at the brewery. If you witness or are subject to inappropriate behavior, please report it to us asap.
We work hard to maintain the privacy of both our explorers and guides therefore we do not provide personal information including phone numbers or email addresses If you have questions or concerns about your session, please email admin@beertrippr.com, and we will respond within 24 hours.
Explorer FAQs
Each Tasting Guide must have experience brewing, homebrewing or are a part of the brewery industry. In addition, each Tasting Guide must pass the BeerTrippr Certified Taster Exam before they are allowed to be a part of the program.
When you’re ready to book your session, you’ll pay in advance through your Guide’s profile. The money will be held until the session is complete. Then, after your session, you release the funds to your Guide.
All transactions are processed only after the session has ended. If your Tasting Guide is
a no-show, your payment will not be processed. You just need to report a no-show in your account and the funds that were in escrow will be refunded to you.
Tastings are scheduled for 90 min. Your Tasting Guide’s profile will detail the length of your
tasting if it is less or more than 90min.
The fee covers the Tasting Guide fee. You are responsible for all of your beer purchases. Flights usually run $12-$15 per flight. For tasting purposes, each flight can typically serve two people.
You can cancel your tasting session at least 24 hours in advance. Go to My Account, click on Reservations then select the session you would like to cancel….
A Cicerone is a similar beer equivalent to a wine sommelier. To become a Cicerone, one must go through a rigorous certification program that includes exams and on-site tasting evaluations.. You can read more at their website www.cicerone.com
From the Beer Judge Certification Program Website:
“The Beer Judge Certification Program, Inc. (BJCP) is a world-wide certifying organization for judges of beer and related fermented products. Founded in 1985, we now have a presence in over 60 countries and have more than 7500 active judges in the program. Judges are certified through an examination covering technical aspects of brewing, world beer styles, the purpose of the BJCP, and judging procedures, and by demonstrating practical judging skills. Judges are ranked based on their examination scores and accumulation of practical judging experience.”
All Tasting Guides set their own rate based on their experience and knowledge of the field. Consider their bio when selecting your Tasting Guide.
The fee covers up to 6 people. For any party over 6, we need to make special arrangements with the brewery for seating. It is typically $10 per additional person. Group rates are available for parties over 10. Please email your preferred date, brewery and the number of people in your group to greg@beertrippr.com. We will return your email within 24 business hours.
Children or those under the age of 21 do not count toward your 4 people. Please ensure your Tasting Guide allows those under the age of 21 to attend.
It is up to the Tasting Guides to choose their areas of expertise. This is above and beyond their tasting knowledge. Each Guide must be qualified to do tastings, and the areas of expertise represent knowledge in other areas like beer history, beer styles, glassware and brewing tips.
We try to keep the list of breweries up to date, but with the vast numbers of breweries opening we might miss a few. Contact us at admin@beertrippr.com and we will get the brewery added asap.
We work hard to maintain the privacy of both our explorers and guides therefore we do not provide personal information including phone numbers or email addresses. We include a thorough profile of each guide so that you may select the guide that meets your needs. If you have questions or concerns about your guide, please email admin@beertrippr.com , and we will respond within 24 hours.
We collect your email address so we can contact you if there is an issue with any part of your session. If you would like to receive updates and offers, you can opt-in when you sign up.
Each signup is for one brewery. If you wish to visit an additional location, you can schedule a concurrent session if available.
We are constantly adding more Tasting Guides to our website. We actively search for Tasting Guides to fill gaps in our service areas. You can send an email to admin@beertrippr.com with your request. We will email you If we are able to acquire a Tasting Guide in your area.
This is an existential question. You don’t need a Tasting Guide, but learning the methods of tasting lead to a more satisfying brewery experience. Discover why you like the beers you like, make better choices when you visit your next brewery. Appreciation of the craft, beer styles and history enriches your experience. And you can impress your friends with your beer knowledge.
Brewery tours are not part of the session, and may take some valuable time away from your tasting time. However, if you would like to tour, that is a decision between you and your Tasting Guide. Be aware that the brewery will often charge for the tour, and some can last over an hour. If you wish to do a brewery tour, we suggest checking out the brewery’s website and booking a tour directly.
It differs from brewery to brewery. Most breweries have between 6 and 12 beers on tap.You taste as many as you want, but please stay safe, assign a designated driver, or hang out at the brewery until you are safe to drive. Twelve 3oz pours is 36oz, or about two and a half pints, and beware…some of these beers may have alcohol content above 8%.
You will have your tasting sheets and notes from your session. There are additional tasting resources available for download at www.beertrippr.com.
We do not require background checks from our Tasting Guides. However, we independently verify their credentials and require official identification. We advise you to abide by normal safety protocols. You also must meet at the brewery. Meeting anywhere besides a brewery is a violation of the Guide’s contract. If you witness or subject to inappropriate behavior, please report it to us asap.
*Note: We are not affiliated in any way with the Cicerone Program or BJCP.
