What's your most memorable beer moment?

The best beers are the beers you share with friends. I can think of a lot of great events I've had the pleasure of attending over the last few years, but one sticks out in my mind — the Brewfarm Classic. A friend of mine in MN conceived of the Classic a few years ago, an annual 70 mile bike ride from Minneapolis to Dave's Brewfarm in Wisconsin. The ride is harsh, but the reward is great — Dave's delicious beer, Natedogs quality weiners from a hotdog cart, and a night around the fire drinking and camping at the farm with 50 of your friends.

Favorite watering hole?

Depends on the city. I feel like it's almost cliche to say that Hopleaf is my favorite beer bar in Chicago, but there's a reason that it always makes the list of best beer bars in the nation — they do amazing food and the freshest beer you can drink in the city, 365 days out of the year. Bangers & Lace takes a close second for their eclectic draft list and unbeatable dogs. Back in Minnesota, I have to send some love out to Republic at 7 Corners. They're already known as one of the preeminent beer bars in the Twin Cities and every time I go back, I'm amazed that they've somehow gotten even better.

What was your greatest beer hunt?

I'm not much of a beer hunter anymore — for every rare, highly sought after, one-off beer out there on the market, there's usually 5 others that are just as good and can be procured without waiting in lines for hours or selling your first born child. That said, on a recent trip to Burlington, VT, I drove about 100 miles out of my way to go sample beers at Hill Farmstead. My GPS failed me a few times and my Kia Soul rental barely made it through the last mile and a half of gravel road leading up to the farm, but getting to talk with Shaun Hill and sampling Satsuma (a barrel-aged Saison with Satsuma Mandarins) straight from the tank made the trek well worth my while.

What's a beer on your wishlist?

Anything from Cantillon. Have they ever made a beer that wasn't solid gold?

Bonus: What's the biggest misconception people have of being a Master Cicerone?

Hard to say as I haven't been one long enough for people to form too many misconceptions about me (I hope!). However, I do feel that sometimes people will make jokes about me judging them for what they choose to drink. I love introducing people to new beers and helping them expand their horizons, but if you try a bunch of beers and decide that at the end of the day, you're still happiest with your PBR, well, more power to ya.

You can learn more about the Cicerone Certification Program, where Pat develops content and proctors exams here.