WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits
Food & Beverage
A course by
New Zealand School of Food & Wine
Build a foundation of knowledge in spirits and liqueurs, covering major international brands, production methods, and innovations for the hospitality industry.
NZ$1,145
inc GST
Enquire about international pricing
NZ$1,145
inc GST
Enquire about international pricing
Core skills this course teaches
Taste and describe spirits
Use the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits (SAT) to evaluate and describe spirits.
Understand spirits production
Explain techniques used in each stage of spirit production—processing raw material, fermentation, distillation, and post-distillation—and how they influence the final product.
What You're Signing Up For
The WSET® Level 2 Award in Spirits offers comprehensive training in the principal categories of spirits and liqueurs, with a focus on how they are produced, their defining characteristics, and their applications in the hospitality sector. Suitable for bartenders, cocktail and restaurant staff, as well as those in retail or wholesale sales, this course covers major brands, cocktail families, tasting techniques, and innovations worldwide. Delivered intensively over four days with classroom and practical tasting, it equips graduates with the ability to make informed recommendations and deepen professional expertise in the spirits industry.
Course Content
- Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits (WSET Level 2 SAT)
- Four stages of spirits production: raw material processing, fermentation, distillation, post-distillation
- How production techniques influence spirit styles
- Aromatised wines: production and styles
- Principles of balanced cocktail making and key cocktail families (spirit-forward, short sour, highball, long sour)
- Local traditions and laws affecting spirit styles
- Categories of spirits: fruit spirits, whisky/whiskey, sugar cane spirits, tequila and mezcal, vodka, flavoured spirits (spiced rum, flavoured vodka, gin, aniseed spirits, bitter spirits/amaro, cocktail bitters, liqueurs)
- Major international spirit and liqueur brands
- New trends and innovations in spirits
What you need to know first
Aged 18 or over
Find these employment opportunities
BartenderCocktail specialistBar/restaurant serverSpirits sales representative (retail/wholesale)Hotel and hospitality professionalYacht/club beverage steward
