Meet a Cicerone: CC Chase Petrovic of The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Charlotte, NC

Chase Petrovic is the Head Cellarman at The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery & Biergarten in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also a Certified Cicerone and my second guest on the Meet a Cicerone podcast.

Why a 14 year veteran went for the exam

Chase has been in the beer industry for 14 years, so for him, becoming a Certified Cicerone was all about doubling down on the industry and continuing his beer education. He wanted to stay sharp on topics he does not get to use regularly in his production work. He also wanted to learn new skills that would let him get more involved in brewery events, such as beer pairing dinners.

As Chase says, production work is very physical. Not all brewers want to keep up that level of physical work forever. He is not planning to leave the production side anytime soon, but by growing his set of beer skills and tools, he is creating a future for himself with lots of options.

Studying with three kids at home

Chase enrolled in the Beer Scholar course for the Certified Cicerone exam in March 2023. With three kiddos at home, including a newborn, plus a busy job at Olde Meck, he needed a flexible and efficient study program. He passed the Certified Cicerone tasting exam in May 2023 with a 93% and then beat the written exam a few months after that.

Here is what Chase wrote to me.

I wanted to reach out and thank you and the Beer Scholar program for helping me pass my Cicerone exams. At the beginning of 2023 I set out to earn my Cicerone Certification. First acing the Beer Server in Feb and then receiving a 93% on my CC tasting exam in May. I was full steam ahead with my studies but had to delay my written exam with the birth of our 3rd Son. He was born in mid-April and my schedule started to really fill up with Daddy's to-do list. Having the convenience of the Beer Scholar course in my pocket made things so much easier with a tight schedule. The over-preparation it built into me over the months helped me pass my exam. The exam was much easier than I was expecting thanks to the course. Overall, I enjoyed studying with your program because it gave a nostalgic sense of my journey as a beer nerd from over 14 years of being in the industry. I got to re-learn everything I picked up from past 14 years and also got to learn new areas of beer where I needed to grow.

What we talk about

The conversation covers a lot of ground. Chapters in the video include Chase's role at the brewery, event production, continuing education, Belgian beer, beer travel and the delayed exam. We also get into his expectations going in, the vital stats, the tasting exam and his results, the written exam, feedback on the course and a few pairing tips at the end.

A huge thank you to Chase. This episode was recorded on Zoom, so there is nothing fancy about it. Future episodes will get more and more professional. This podcast came about because when I was talking to my students for feedback on my courses, I quickly realized the stories they were sharing were relatable, inspiring and could be helpful to folks prepping for the Cicerone exams. If you are in the industry but on the fence about leveling up, these interviews show why you should stop thinking about it and get it done.

Watch the video above for the whole conversation. When you are ready to start, grab the free study guide for the Certified Cicerone exam, or take a look at the Certified Cicerone course.

Thanks so much for listening! Cheers! –Chris