This is an advanced 9-week distance learning course designed for professionals working in the spirits industry and for advanced enthusiasts.
Live attendance is required for a one-day tasting tutorial as well as for the three-hour in-person examination.

About the Course

Gain an extensive understanding of spirits through a 9 week online study programme that is flexible to work around your existing commitments.

The Level 3 Award in Spirits Online covers the same syllabus as the classroom course, but through a supported and interactive Online Classroom which allows you to study alongside your peers under the guidance of an educator.

This course is designed to develop your ability to describe spirits accurately and account in detail for the style, quality and price of spirits.

As you work through the course you will be asked to share your learning experience with the rest of the course group, looking in detail at the influences that affect each spirits category and sharing tasting notes.

Successful students will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin, and will be able to use the associated WSET certified logo.

Tasting Tutorial

Tasting is an essential part of studying for this course. The programme includes a full-day tasting tutorial. During this intensive day you will learn all the skills you need to taste spirits professionally according to the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits.

In addition to the tutorial, your online Educator will give you guidance on spirits styles you should taste during the course in order to practice the Systematic Approach to Tasting and further develop your skills.

Study Materials

During check-out you will have a choice between the paper study pack and the eBook version. The eBook version gives you the flexibility of having the text always with you on your devices (with a maximum of three devices) and attracts no shipping charges. However, please do consider that eBooks can only be accessed for a limited time of 2 years via browser on a computer or through the WSET eBook app on iOs and Android phones and tablets. eBooks cannot be downloaded, printed or returned.

Examination

When you register, you will be automatically booked for the first available exam after the end of your online course. You are free to opt out of this default examination at no charge, as long as you let us know at least three weeks in advance. In this case, you do not need to choose another date immediately, but please be aware that the exam must be taken within one year from the end of the course. Normally, exams are taken together with classroom course students, and consequently dates are set according to the classroom course schedule. If your commitments do not allow you to take the exam on any of our scheduled dates, a special private examination session can be arranged for a fee.

As for classroom courses, examination include a blind tasting two spirits, and a theory exam in two parts: a 50-question multiple choice paper and written answer questions.

Click here to read more about the course programme and download the full specification.