WSET reveals first beer course providers
Drinks training provider Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has unveiled the first course providers to offer its level 1 and level 2 awards in beer.
From February 2024, WSET School London and TheDrinkSchool will be the first to offer in-person and online courses to trade professionals and people interested in expanding their knowledge of beer in the UK.
In addition, multinational drink and brewing company Molson Coors Beverage Company has been approved to deliver WSET beer courses to internal teams and customers. Two additional schools, W Wine School, based in Tel Aviv, Israel, and WineWise from Antwerp, Belgium, will be the first to offer courses in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region outside the UK.
WSET School London will run level 1 award in beer courses from Friday 14 February and level 2 award in beer courses from Monday 19 February.
Launching online and in-person, the courses will explore the main types and styles of beer, key methods of production, tasting technique and food pairings. The training aims to equip students with a universal language to describe what they're tasting and a framework for assessing quality.
WSET is also running a series of bitesize webinars exploring the world of beer. The following will be available to watch (all times GMT): ‘What is beer made from?' on Monday 26 February at 3pm; ‘How is beer made?' on Wednesday 28 February, 7am; ‘How to choose the right beer glass' on Thursday 29 February, 4pm; and ‘How do you taste beer?' on Friday 1 March at 11am.
Molson Coors Beverage Company's wine and drinks expertise director Gary Keller said: "Beer has never been more exciting than it is today. It is great to see WSET replicating its courses on wines, spirits and sake with level 1 and 2 awards in beer. Beer education is somewhat behind other segments such as wine and spirits, but WSET's new courses provide an important step in increasing overall knowledge of this exciting and vibrant drink.
"From a customer point of view, this course will help staff increase their beer expertise and share that knowledge of ingredients, brewing processes, flavours and styles with customers. Drinkers are looking for better experiences across all categories and increased knowledge from courses such as this will help improve drinkers' ability to appreciate and explore the world of beer."
Rachel Webster, WSET global approved programme provider development director, commented: "2024 will be an exciting year for WSET as we expand into a new drinks category for the first time in 10 years. Harnessing our experience as leaders in global drinks education, our new level 1 and 2 awards in beer will bring a unique and interactive approach to tasting and learning. We hope they will inspire both trade professionals and enthusiasts by equipping them with essential knowledge and skills."
Natalya Watson, WSET business development manager, beer, added: "WSET's longstanding reputation and global reach will bring beer education to a bigger audience than ever before. There's long been a gap in the UK market for in-person beer courses that teach tasting alongside theory. These new courses will introduce students to a broad range of beer styles and develop their palates so they can discuss and describe beers with confidence."
Beer will be WSET's fourth qualification subject stream following wine, spirits and sake. The courses have been created by WSET's Sara Hobday (head of research and curriculum – beer), and Mirella Amato (WSET senior business development manager for beer), in collaboration with industry experts.
