Chief Beer Officer? Cheers, hic!

When the Four Points hotel chain (a division of Sheraton) wanted to recruit a CBO (chief beer officer) for its new worldwide beer programme, its job advertisement drew thousands of applicants last year.

Who wouldn't be attracted to this job? It would involve visiting breweries, beer festivals and bars, and selecting beers for hotel menus. The part-time position attracted more than 7,000 applications from more than 30 countries -- the most the hotel chain had ever received for a job opening.

The hotel said among those that applied for the non-paying job included MBAs (both Masters of Business and Beer Administration), self-proclaimed beer snobs, certified beer judges, beer journalists and hundreds who have traveled the globe in search of the world's best brews. Over 50 percent of applicants have brewed their own beer and five percent claim to have served as a beer mascot.

The winning candidate was a 27-year-old brewery manager from Phoenix, Arizona who reportedly decorates his home with beer barrels. Read about it here.