WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits
Master the Art of Spirits Assessment & Production
& Get Your WSET Level 3 Certification
The WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits is for those seeking deep knowledge of how the world’s great spirits are made, how to assess them professionally, and the expertise to explain their characteristics with precision and confidence.
You will taste 60 benchmark spirits over the course, covering all major categories — whisky, brandy, rum, tequila, mezcal, vodka, gin, Asian spirits, and flavoured spirits. We explain advanced production techniques, take you on a detailed tour of the key regions and regulations, and teach you how to evaluate and identify spirits using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits® (SAT). This will dramatically increase your professional confidence when choosing, serving, discussing, and evaluating spirits.
The course runs over six 5-hour classroom sessions, requiring approximately 50 hours of self-study. You will be taught by Charlene Rooke, one of Canada’s foremost spirits educators and among the first WSET Spirits Level 3 educators certified internationally. The classroom sessions focus on tastings, exam technique, and frequently tested topics to maximize your chance of success.
Fine Vintage is the leading provider of wine and spirits education in the Americas. As a bonus you also receive a free Fine Vintage online course of your choosing, free access to our extensive video library, plus proprietary practice exam questions.
JAMES CLUER, MASTER OF WINE
Course Overview
The WSET Level 3 in Spirits is an advanced course for spirits professionals and serious enthusiasts. You will learn about:
- Key characteristics of the selected global spirits using the WSET Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits®
- The quality level of a spirit, giving supporting reasons
- The four stages of production, the function of raw materials and the role of yeast and bacteria
- The key terminology and principles of distillation
- Pot stills and the simplified model of double pot still distillation, types of column stills
- Post-distillation operations
- The principles of starch formation and conversion
- Different states and sequences of alcoholic fermentation
- Scottish double pot still distillation and the use of beer stills in the USA
- Some of the unique features of Asian spirits distillation
- The laws that control the distillation and post-distillation operations for Scotch and American whiskies
- How fresh-fruit spirits and pomace spirits are made
- The method of double-pot distillation used in Cognac and the method of single-column distillation used in Armagnac
- Key production choices and the legal framework for Cognac and Armagnac
- How sugar cane is processed and fermented
- Pots with double retorts and how they can be used to make a spirit with a single distillation
- Key post-distillation choices
- The legal framework in the EU, USA, Jamaica, Cuba and Martinique
- How agave are processed and fermented
- Asian-style pot stills
- Key production choices and the legal framework for Tequila and Mezcal
- European traditions for processing potatoes
- Multiple-column stills
- Key production choices and the legal framework for vodka
- Common techniques for flavouring and colouring spirits
- Key production choices and the legal framework for gin
- How aromatised wines are made
Location
Our WSET Level 3 in Spirits course is held at Taste of Legacy, located within Legacy Liquor Store at 1633 Manitoba Street, Vancouver.
Payments
TERMS: Full payment is charged at the time of registration. Your payment is non-refundable but you can transfer it once to another person or to a future course of the same type, if you contact us 14 days or more before the start date. In the rare event Fine Vintage has to cancel a course you will receive a 100% refund.
Tastings & Instruction
Over the 6-session course you will be guided through tastings of 60 benchmark spirits covering all major categories. You will learn about advanced production techniques and regulations, enhanced by insights from a spirits expert with artisan distilling training and professional judging experience. Your instructor, Charlene Rooke, is among the first WSET Spirits Level 3 educators certified internationally and Lead Judge of the Canadian Artisan Spirit Competition. The course is intensive, rewarding, and you will develop professional-level expertise.
Pre-session preparation (self-study)
- Read the complete WSET Level 3 textbook
- Watch seven 1-hour pre-recorded video sessions
- Complete all learning checks and interactive activities
In-person sessions focus on:
- Blind tasting practice with 60 benchmark spirits
- Exam technique for tasting, multiple-choice, and short-answer questions
- Review of frequently tested production topics
- Professional tasting note writing
Exam & Certification
The WSET Level 3 in Spirits exam consists of three sections:
1. Blind Tasting:
You will taste and assess two spirits, describing their characteristics, identifying likely category and production methods, and evaluating quality.
2. Theory Exam Part 1 – Multiple Choice:
50 multiple-choice questions testing your knowledge of spirits production, regulations, and styles.
3. Theory Exam Part 2 – Short Answer:
10 short-answer questions requiring detailed written explanations of production methods, regulations, and quality factors.
The pass mark for each section is 55%. Upon successful completion you will receive a WSET digital certificate, a formal qualification in spirits with international recognition. So enroll today and fuel your passion.
Course Format
6 x 5-hour sessions (60 spirits tasted) | from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The perfect course to complete your spirits education
Get your WSET Certification
LEVEL 3 IN SPIRITS IN VANCOUVER
This course is not currently available. Please contact us for information.
TERMS: Full payment is charged at the time of registration. Your payment is non-refundable but you can transfer it once to another person or to a future course of the same type, if you contact us 14 days or more before the start date. In the rare event Fine Vintage has to cancel a course you will receive a 100% refund.
Tell me more
Who takes this course?
Spirits professionals seeking advanced qualifications and serious enthusiasts ready for an intensive, rigorous program. The majority are sommeliers, bartenders, spirits buyers, sales representatives, and educators looking to advance their careers and expertise.
We welcome anyone with a strong foundation in spirits knowledge. This is an advanced course and prior completion of WSET Level 2 in Spirits (or equivalent knowledge) is strongly recommended. The course is run based on the assumption that students have at least Level 2 knowledge, including familiarity with the WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting Spirits (SAT). You should be comfortable with spirits terminology, production basics, and professional tasting techniques before enrolling. You must also be fluent in English. Our instructor is happy to answer questions throughout the course.
Course Preparation
Study Guide
You will receive an eBook study guide within 24 hours of registration and you can start reading it immediately.
Access is valid for 2 years from the date of code redemption.
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Online Courses
Can’t make it to one of our courses? Don’t let time or distance stand in your way. Do it Online!
We have a variety of fantastic online wine and spirits certification courses that you can take from the comfort of your home or office.
