Copper pot stills and the four production steps: raw material, ferment, distil, mature

From plant to bottle

Raw materials, fermentation, pot and column stills, oak and blending: how every production choice shows up in your glass.

Christian Esser with a nosing glass and the AWS systematic tasting approach

Twelve spirits, one method

Taste twelve spirits, from vodka to Calvados, with the AWS systematic approach (Look · Nose · Palate · Conclude) and judge quality with BLIC.

Labels, serving, food and mixing, and responsible enjoyment

Read it, serve it, enjoy it

Labels and legal terms, glassware, water and ice, food pairing, the classic cocktail families and responsible enjoyment.

What you'll learn

✓ How spirits are made: raw materials, fermentation, pot, column and hybrid stills, maturation in oak, blending and bottling ✓ The AWS systematic tasting approach, the language of aromas, BLIC quality judgements and common faults ✓ Vodka, gin and flavoured spirits: London dry, genever, aquavit and anise spirits ✓ Rum and cane spirits, tequila and mezcal: styles, categories and age classes ✓ Whisky and whiskey: Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese, Canadian and world whiskies ✓ Brandy and liqueurs: Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados, pisco, eaux-de-vie, liqueurs, vermouth and bitters ✓ Labels and legal terms in the EU and USA: ABV and proof, age statements, age categories and protected names ✓ Serving, food pairing, cocktail families and responsible enjoyment

Who it's for

Spirits enthusiasts, home bartenders and hospitality professionals (bartenders, servers, sommeliers, hotel and retail staff) who want to move up from AWS Spirits Explorer™ or AWS Intro to Spirits – First Pour™. No prior qualification is needed: AWS Intro to Spirits – First Pour™ is recommended but not required. No jargon, no snobbery: just Liquid Lively Fun – One Glass at a Time™. You must be of legal drinking age (18+ or the legal age where you live) to take part in the tastings.

The twelve-sample shopping list, AWS Spirits Tasting Note Card and the Certified Spirits Enthusiast badge

What's included

10 videos and 22 reading lessons

Short videos with Christian Esser and in-depth lesson notes, about 8 hours in total including your tastings and the exam, at your own pace, with a "Try it" activity in every lesson. Six months' access.

Printable tasting guides

A twelve-sample shopping list with alternatives and budget options, and the AWS Spirits Tasting Note Card with a page for every sample.

Final exam and AWS certificate

Eight practice knowledge checks, then a 30-question final exam (70% to pass, two attempts). Pass it to receive your AWS Level 1 in Spirits – Certified Spirits Enthusiast™ certificate. Accredited by the UK CPD Certification Service.

Your instructor: Christian Esser

Christian Esser, Director of Education, Academy of Wine & Spirits, is a Wine & Spirits Educator with more than 20 years of teaching across the Caribbean, North and South America. He founded the Academy in the Cayman Islands, launched The Rum Ambassador programme with WIRSPA, holds a viticulture degree from Lincoln University in New Zealand and was Wine Director at the Grand Old House in Grand Cayman. In 2026 the Academy won two LUXlife Hospitality Awards: Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider and the Hospitality Training Excellence Award (Caribbean & USA). His goal is simple: to make wine and spirits clear, practical and fun.

Curriculum

11 Chapters · 32 Lessons

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome to Certified Spirits Enthusiast™

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Raw materials and fermentation

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Distillation: pot, column and hybrid stills

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Maturation, oak, blending and bottling

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 1 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Look · Nose · Palate · Conclude

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Describing aromas and judging quality

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 2 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Vodka and neutral spirits

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Gin, genever and flavoured spirits

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 3 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Rum and cane spirits

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Tequila

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Mezcal and other agave spirits

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 4 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Scotch whisky

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Irish and American whiskey

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Japanese, Canadian and world whiskies

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 5 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Cognac and Armagnac

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Other grape and fruit brandies

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Liqueurs, aromatised wines and bitters

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 6 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Spirits law: categories and protected names

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Reading a spirit label

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 7 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Serving spirits: glasses, water, ice and storage

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Spirits with food and in cocktails

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Responsible enjoyment

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module 8 knowledge check

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Final exam

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Congratulations and next steps

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take? About 8 hours in total, including your tastings and the final exam. Study at your own pace, on any device; you have six months' access. Do I need to buy spirits? The tastings work best with twelve small samples: a vodka, a London dry gin, a white rum, an aged rum, a 100% agave blanco tequila, a mezcal, a smoky single malt Scotch, an Irish whiskey, a bourbon, a VSOP Cognac, a Calvados and an orange liqueur. Miniatures are perfect, and the shopping list gives alternatives and budget options. You can still complete the course without them. Do I need any experience? No formal prerequisite. AWS Intro to Spirits – First Pour™ is recommended, and AWS Spirits Explorer™ is a friendly warm-up. Is there an age requirement? Yes. You must be 18 or older, or of legal drinking age where you live, to take part in the tastings. We taste small amounts and spit. Please drink responsibly. Do I get a certificate? Yes. Score 70% or more on the 30-question final exam to receive your certificate. You have two attempts. Can I train my whole team? Yes. Groups of 5 or more save 10%. Contact us at academyofwineandspirits.org or +1 (345) 938 0458. What's next? Continue with AWS Level 2 in Spirits – Certified Spirits Specialist™.

Take your spirits knowledge to the next level

8 hours, 10 video lessons, twelve tastings, a tasting note card and your AWS certificate. Spirits made clear, practical and fun.

$195.00

Enrol now – US$195