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WSET Level 1 Award in Beer Online

Four glasses of beer with different hues. The text says WSET Level 1 Award in Beer, online.

All WSET textbooks and study guides are in an eBook format.

Online

IWEG offers online WSET courses through WSET’s Online Classroom, which allows you to study alongside your peers under the guidance of a dedicated educator. This course is based around a 4-week structured online program. The course follows a weekly structure, but you can work ahead or catch up on the activities and forums. The course material should take about six hours in total to complete, plus revision time. There are no set times to log into the course as there are no live chats or webinars. Regular access and participation in the course online activities is essential for this mode of study. You may contact the educator any time for the duration of the scheduled course. Each week includes a series of independent activities and/or group activities to help students understand the differences between the types and styles of beer. You are advised to taste a range of beers during your studies though it is not mandatory for this course. All the required beers for the course can be found in the online equipment list. Any additional beers can be found in the specification. Please note that it is your responsibility to source these beer samples and the cost of these is not included in the tuition fee.

Course details

This beginner level beer course is for anyone interested in learning the basics about lagers, ales, sours and more. Through a short and interactive course, you’ll learn the foundations of beer production, styles, service, food pairing and tasting.

Prerequisite: None

WSET Level 1 Award in Beer provides a great introduction to the world of beer. Learning through sight, smell and taste, you'll become familiar with a range of beer styles and how they are made.

If you work with beer, you’ll be able to answer customer queries with confidence and provide helpful recommendations. If you’re learning for fun, you’ll feel inspired to explore new styles and know how to get the most out of every glass.

This 6-hour course provides a hands-on introduction to the world of beer in greater depth.

You'll learn:

  • The main ingredients used to make beer:
    • Malt and other sugar sources, water, hops, yeast
  • The main production steps used to make beer:
    • Malting, brewing
  • The principles of successful beer storage, service and food pairing
  • Beer storage and service: keeping beer fresh, glassware, pouring keg beer, opening and pouring bottled beer, service temperature
  • Common beer faults: staling, light strike (skunking), bacterial infection
  • Food and beer: Preferences, sensitivities, interactions, application and other considerations
  • The characteristics of a range of key beer styles
  • Malt-driven styles: American or international pale lager, Munich helles, Blonde ale, Munich dunkel, Brown ale, Porter and stout, Barley wine
  • Hop-driven styles: Traditional Czech or German pilsner, Bitter, American pale ale, American IPA, Hazy IPA
  • Yeast driven styles: Weissbier, Dubbel, Tripel, Saison, Witbier
  • Sour styles: Berliner weisse, Geuze (gueuze)

Upon successful completion of a 30-question multiple-choice exam you will receive a WSET certificate and lapel pin.

All WSET textbooks and study guides are in an eBook format.

Upcoming courses

Monday, April 8th - Sunday, May 5th. Online examination through a remote invigilation service: exam date to be agreed with program administrator after enrollment. Course code: O1BE2405APP. Course fee payment due Friday, March 29th at noon.

Monday, April 22nd - Sunday, May 19th. Online examination through a remote invigilation service: exam date to be agreed with program administrator after enrollment. Course code: O1BE2406APP. Course fee payment due Friday, April 12th at noon.

Monday, May 6th - Sunday, June 2nd. Online examination through a remote invigilation service: exam date to be agreed with program administrator after enrollment. Course code: O1BE2407APP. Course fee payment due Friday, April 26th at noon.

Monday, May 20th - Sunday, June 16th. Online examination through a remote invigilation service: exam date to be agreed with program administrator after enrollment. Course code: O1BE2408APP. Course fee payment due Friday, May 10th at noon.