All trades have certifications and nowadays, bartending is considered a trade more than “what I did between college and my first real job.” (It only took us 100 years to get back to that— thanks, Prohibition.)

Some bartending-related accreditations have been around for years. Most are familiar with sommeliers, or “wine stewards,” masters of the wine list. A newer one is beer cicerone, or “beer guide,” one who can drop beer knowledge from a guest’s first pint to their fifth. We now also have the “Lucky in Kentucky” expert, the Executive Bourbon Steward, which loosely translates to “Bourbon God.” Loosely.

Currently, four North Carolina establishments (listed below) are certified under the country’s first bourbon certification program, the Stave and Thief Society. The “Thief” part refers to the whiskey thief used to taste whiskey while it’s in the barrel; master distillers are only legally allowed to taste a small portion of their whiskey over the years. The “Stave” part, of course, comes from the staves of charred white oak used to make the barrels that lend our national spirit 70 to 80 percent of its flavor, and all of its seductive color.

To become Stave and Thief official, would-be Bourbon Stewards are required to travel to Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky for their certification course.

The course involves some traditional classwork and an in-depth exam, as well as participation in the distilling process at an on-site distillery. Participants mill their own grain and taste the heads, hearts and tails of a small batch distillation. This is important: the heads, or first part of the distillation, contain lots of off-tastes and some potentially dangerous alcohols; the hearts, the middle part, is the good stuff and distillers want as much of that as they can get; the tails, or the end part of the distillation, can add some character to the batch but can also negatively impact the flavor, if the distiller doesn’t “cut the tails” soon enough.

Master distillers achieve part of their unique taste profiles by deciding when to cut the heads and tails, the only part of the distillation process they can control. Once the whiskey enters the barrel, where it gets most of its flavor, the storage space and temperature over the next few years determine how it matures.

Would-be Bourbon Stewards also study nuances of flavor and scent at a flavor lab next door, called Flavorman—no lie, but I guess Bourbon Stewards are kind of like superheroes—as bourbon picks up distinct flavors during its time in the barrel. In the first four years, it gains most of its appealing amber color and signature vanilla and caramel flavors. In years five through 10, the bourbon pulls out more of the wood sugars and develops some dark, fruity and nutty flavors. After the 10-year mark, oxidation is a concern. Some of the developed flavors will begin to degrade, while the bourbon is still picking up new notes; not every whiskey can make it 20 years in the barrel.

The nuances of the aging process help potential stewards guide their guests to whiskies that fit their personal preferences. They also help in a blind taste test which, lo and behold, features in the final exam for Executive Bourbon Stewards. Kentucky’s wizened bourbon mavens will attest to the difficulty of a blind taste test, but it’s an exercise that sharpens the palate and guides the mind through the distinctive scents and flavors of the most complex bourbons. (Just ask Flavorman). Students taste a few bourbons, name them, and present them in a hypothetical flight.

Though a PhD is (thankfully) not necessary to tend bar, those who are serious about their trade will, like any professional, seek out knowledge about the products they shake, stir, pour and serve. You, drinker, are the lucky beneficiary; who wouldn’t want an expert advising you on your drink of choice, whether it’s beer, wine or, best of all, bourbon?

Kevin Barrett co-owns Dram & Draught and is a certified Bourbon God Executive Bourbon Steward.