Meet Jen Blair
Hi there! I’m Jen Blair, and this is my living resume. Here you can learn more about my professional experience.
Work Experience
Cicerone Certification Program, Chicago, IL March 2022-January 2026
Exam Manager
Oversaw scheduling and workflow for Certified and Advanced Cicerone exams, including managing registration, communicating with candidates, and proctoring both written and tasting exams.
Created tasting and written exams for Certified, Advanced, and Master Cicerone exams, including Master Cicerone essay questions, off-flavor, style discrimination, and quality assessment panels, as well as consumer and technical description panels.
Developed public-facing sensory courses, including a three-day Master Sensory Course.
Orpheus Brewing, Atlanta, GA July 2021-October 2021
Beer Quality & Education Manager
Developed internal sensory panel focused on building brand descriptions, true-to-target tests, and shelf life testing for core beer products, utilizing both in-person and remote training, as well as DraughtLab.
Collaborated with brewing, packaging, taproom, and sales departments in identifying training needs and educational opportunities, and created internal assets and in-person training to meet agreed-upon goals.
Prepared public-facing educational assets for marketing department, including social media quizzes and copywriting on brewing and new beer releases.
New Realm Brewing Company, Atlanta, GA September 2019-May 2021
Beer Program Manager
Oversaw beer and brewing education for employees in all facilities, including Cicerone Certification Program subject matter training, food pairing training for front and back of house employees, tour guide training, new employee onboarding, and continuing education.
Assisted brewing operations in implementing a company-wide, multi-facility sensory program, including true-to-target panels, beer flavor and descriptive language training, raw ingredient sensory, and biweekly draught sensory.
Developed and executed customer-facing programming, such as online store, product surveys, loyalty program, and NRBCtv livestreams.
North American Craft Maltsters Guild, Charlotte, NC July 2017-December 2019
Executive Director
Coordinated and marketed craft malt through malt sensory presentations to both large and small groups, wherein participants were taught how to utilize malt evaluation techniques such as the hot steep method and the Base Malt Flavor Map.
Increased awareness of the Craft Maltsters Guild internationally, nationally, and regionally through consistent storytelling across social media and email campaigns, website, and community outreach.
Planned and led execution of all Guild events, such as the annual Craft Malt Conference, the Malt Cup competition, trade show tables, webinars, and tap takeovers.
University of North Carolina - Charlotte, Charlotte, NC March 2018-March 2021
Adjunct Instructor
Built class syllabus for day-long Beer Basics: Crash Course in Craft course covering all aspects of beer, including raw ingredients, brewing process, beer styles, food and beer pairing, proper beer glassware and beer service, and sensory analysis techniques.
Determine food and beer pairings for both a cheese menu and lunch menu within budgetary framework.
Led course participants through an interactive day-long course.
Pilot Brewing Company, Charlotte, NC August 2018-August 2019
Brewer & Taproom Server
Organized and taught public monthly beer education classes covering topics such as building a descriptive beer vocabulary, off-flavors and their causes, malt sensory, and hop sensory.
Designed and brewed unique beer recipes for a range of beer styles, including grisette, piwo grodziskie, and barrel-aged barleywine.
Performed sensory training for staff to assist in Cicerone Certification Program studies, such as off-flavor panels, beer style discrimination, and food and beer pairings.
Carolina Beer Temple, Charlotte, NC January 2017-July 2017
Craft Beer Server
Educated customer base on all aspects of craft beer, from ingredients and production to style and flavor profiles.
Assisted in identifying and selling packaged beer based on customer preferences and store merchandise needs.
Interfaced with distribution and brewery representatives as well as regulatory agency representatives.
Consilio Services, Charlotte, NC & Chicago, IL August 2010-July 2017
Quality Control Contractor
Directly supported project leadership in all phases of the electronic discovery process regarding regulatory and litigation requests with a focus on improving efficiency and maximizing project return on investment.
Supervised teams of electronic discovery attorneys for various regulatory and litigation projects, including tracking metrics, performing quality checks, and providing feedback to attorneys based on client needs and requests.
Assisted in identifying potential areas of risk and recommended solutions to mitigate risk and maximize project efficiency.
Project Management Support
Provided support to multiple project management teams throughout the electronic discovery process for multiple clients within established deadlines.
Maintained highly responsive communications with clients as well as project managers in addressing time-sensitive requests.
Performed job duties remotely using technologies such as Zoom Video Conferencing, Skype for Business, and Citrix GoToMeeting.
Passion Projects
Under the Jenfluence™, Atlanta, GA June 2016-Present
Chief Executive Officer & Creator
Collaborate with breweries and other industry businesses to identify training opportunities, including draft system maintenance and proper LUKR faucet use.
Built Aroma: Explore the Wheel, a webinar series and sensory training kit, for hands-on blind smell training practice and learning how aromas may arise in beer.
Developed a 14-week free virtual beer judge training aimed primarily at women, non-binary, and femmes interested in becoming beer judges, learning more about beer styles, or supplementing their Cicerone Certification Program endeavors.
False Bottomed Girls, Atlanta, GA August 2019-April 2025
Podcast Co-Host
Co-hosted a biweekly podcast focused on beer and brewing topics such as beer styles, brewing techniques, and beer-related historical events.
Researched and developed subject matter for podcast episodes, including identifying subject matter experts for interviews, surveying audience for relevant topics, and reviewing current industry trends.
Interacted with podcast audience via social media, email, and Patreon, such as recipe troubleshooting, monthly Ask Me Anything virtual sessions, and Cicerone Certification Program exam preparation.
Education
University of California - Davis, Davis, CA
Applied Sensory & Consumer Science Certificate, October 2021
G.P.A.: 3.25/4.00
Charlotte School of Law, Charlotte, NC
Juris Doctor, May 2010
G.P.A.: 3.21/4.00
Honors: Senior Executive Editor, Charlotte Law Review; President, Public Interest Legal Society; Dean’s List; Phi Delta Phi Honor Society; Pro Bono Student Leadership Award Recipient; Charlotte Law Scholar Award Recipient
University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Economics, Management), Summa Cum Laude, 2006
G.P.A.: 3.97/4.00; G.P.A. in Majors: 4.00/4.00
Honors: Senior Executive Editor, Charlotte Law Review; President, Public Interest Legal Society; Dean’s List; Phi Delta Phi Honor Society; Pro Bono Student Leadership Award Recipient; Charlotte Law Scholar Award Recipient
Professional Development
LUKR Perfect Pour Academy, LUKR Faucets (January 2024)
Practical Beer Taster Training, Cara Technologies (September 2023, October 2021, & October 2017)
Micro Matic Draught Dispense Course, Micro Matic (April 2019)
Yeast Essentials 2.0, White Labs (June 2018)
Advanced Course in Craft Malting Technology, Hartwick College & French Institute for Malting & Brewing (January 2018)
Brewery Production Off Flavors, Cicerone Certification Program (September 2017)
Certifications
Master BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Judge Certification Program (December 2025-Present)
Certified LUKR Tapster, LUKR Faucets (January 2024)
Master Cicerone®, Cicerone Certification Program (October 2023-Present)
Level 1 Award in Spirits, Wine & Spirits Education Trust (February 2022-Present)
National BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Judge Certification Program (March 2020-December 2025)
Advanced Cicerone®, Cicerone Certification Program (November 2018-October 2023)
Certified BJCP Beer Judge, Beer Judge Certification Program (November 2017-March 2020)
Certified Cicerone®, Cicerone Certification Program (April 2016-November 2018)
Professional Recognition & Accolades
Crafted for Action Craft Beverage Conference Industry Warrior Award (June 2025)
World Beer Cup Judge (April 2023-Present)
Festival of Barrel-Aged Beer Judge (November 2022-Present)
Great American Beer Festival Judge (April 2020-Present)
Imbibe Magazine Top 75 (2023)
VinePair 50 (2022)
Wine Enthusiast Future 40 (2022)
Professional Appearances
Blair, J. Biases in Sensory. Master Brewers Association of the Americas District Georgia Summer Technical Conference. 12 July 2025.
Blair, J. The Mouth’s Got Something to Say: Sensory Beyond Flavor. Craft Beverage Conference. 19 June 2005.
Blair, J. & Harris, L. Having a Sense for Sensory: Incorporating Sensory Training into Your Beer Education Portfolio. Craft Brewers Conference. 29 April 2025.
Blair, J. So Fresh & So Clean: Examining Smell’s Role in Societal Hierarchy. Beer Culture Summit. 25 April 2025.
Blair, J. The Mouth’s Got Something to Say: Understanding Malt’s Impact on Mouthfeel. MaltCon. 28 February 2025.
Blair, J. Taste the Funk: A Guided Tasting of Mixed Fermentation Flavors. Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Fall 2024 Conference. 11 November 2024.
Blair, J. Practice Makes Progress: Improving Your Beer Tasting Skills through Palate Training. Barrel & Flow. 9 August 2024.
Blair, J. & Harris, L. Beer Style Exploder: Up Close & Personal with Beer Ingredients. Crafted for Action Craft Beer Con. 21 June 2024.
Blair, J. Recipe for Success: Building Your Own Beer Recipes. Crafted for Action Craft Beer Con. 20 June 2024.
Blair, J. Unpacking Your Palate. The Share Community. 9 April 2024.
Blair, J. Sensory in the Brewing Industry: How Cognitive & Informational Biases Can Impact Sensory Judgments. Southern Illinois University. 3 April 2024.
Blair, J. Biases in Sensory. South Dakota Brewers Guild. 3 April 2024.
Blair, J. Understanding Beer Style Anatomy. MaltCon. 23 February 2024.
Blair, J. Leveraging Malt Sensory for Recipe Development. Craft Maltsters Guild Webinar Series. 30 November 2023.
Blair, J. Evaluation of Aging Beers. Master Brewers Association of Americas District Georgia. 29 July 2023.
Blair, J. Flavors in Mixed Fermentation. Master Brewers Association of Americas District Eastern Canada Spring Technical Meeting. 29 March 2023.
Blair, J. & Hudson, R. Know Grain, No Pain: Understanding Milling & Mashing. Homebrew Con. 23 June 2022.
Blair, J. The How & Why of Learning to Evaluate Beer. Crafted for Action Craft Beer Con. 12 May 2022.
Blair, J. Practice Makes Progress: Improving Your Beer Tasting Skills through Palate Training. Women’s International Beer Summit. 23 April 2022.
Barr, L. & Blair, J. You Sell Quality. Now How Do You Measure It? Craft Malt Conference. 19 February 2022.
Blair, J. & Hudson, R. Beer + Taxes. Beer Culture Summit 2021. 6 November 2021.
Blair, J. A Pyrograiniac’s Guide to Smoked Beer. Homebrew Con Online. 18 June 2021.
Blair, J., Bowens-Mercado, A., Ferguson, H., King, C., Rhodes, J. Change the Face, Change the Game: Actionable Steps for Including Women in Beer. Crafted for Action Craft Beer Con. 12 May 2021.
Blair, J. Beer Judging 101. Womens International Brewing Summit. 24 April 2020.
Blair J. Using Common Sensory: Organizing Beer Sensory Experiences to Improve Your Palate. Homebrew Con Online. 19 June 2020.
Blair J. Using Off Flavor Standards. Georgia Craft Brewers Guild Winter Meeting. 6 December 2019.
Blair, J. Craft Malting in North Carolina. Brewing Science: The Future of NC Beer, Charlotte, NC. 22 April 2019.
Barile, H., Blair, J., Cody, J., Kessel, G., Klann, S., & Silberstein, R. From Terroir to Technique: Understanding the Impact of Craft Malt in Beer. Craft Brewers Conference, Denver, CO. 9 April 2019.
Blair, J. Craft Malting in the United States. 2019 World Barley, Malt, & Beer Conference, Warsaw, Poland. 28 March 2019.
Blair, J. All About That Base: Learning More About Malt Through Sensory Analysis for Professional Brewers. Illinois Craft Brewers Conference, Chicago, IL. 17 July 2018.
Blair, J. All About That Base: Learning More About Malt Through Sensory Analysis for Homebrewers. Homebrew Con, Portland, OR. 28 June 2018.
Blair, J. Promoting Craft Malt Through Malt Sensory. American Society for Brewing Chemists Malt Aroma & Flavor Symposium, Minneapolis, MN. 11 May 2018.
Media
Madeline Michelle, “These Women Are Changing the Boys’ Club of Beer,” USA Today, 11 October 2025.
Jen Blair, Master Brewers Podcast, episode 334, “Biases in Sensory,” hosted by John Bryce, Master Brewers Association of the Americas, 6 October 2025, 48 min., 7 sec.
Em Sauter, “Expand Your Sense of Smell With This Beer Expert’s New Aroma Class,” Forbes, 21 January 2025.
Tony Rehagen, “Three Atlanta Women Tap Into Beer Culture to Reclaim Their Power,” Atlanta Magazine, 5 November 2024.
Jen Blair, All About Beer Podcast, episode 46, “The Science Behind a Beer’s Dryness,” All About Beer, 16 May 2024, 46 min.
Jen Blair, Good Beer Hunting, episode 401, “Jen Blair of Under the Jenfluence,” interviewed by Stephanie Grant, Good Beer Hunting, 17 February 2024, 58 mins., 19 sec.
Lindsay Malu Kido, “Mastering Beer: A Conversation with Master Cicerone Jen Blair,” Beer is for Everyone, 26 November 2023.
Jen Blair, Master Brewers Podcast, episode 288, “Sensory for Mixed Fermentations,” hosted by John Bryce, Master Brewers Association of the Americas, 28 August 2023, 40 min., 9 sec.
Beth Demmon, “Little Steps, Big Leaps - How Women of the Bevolution is Funding the Next Generation of BIWOC Creators,” Good Beer Hunting, 3 November 2022.