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Learn what’s in the glass.Understand why.
Globally recognised qualifications in wines, sake, spirits and beer, taught with the knowledge, tasting experience and personal guidance that define AWSEC.
Explore qualifications ↓From first discovery to advanced study, find a qualification that fits where you are now.
Build practical tasting confidence and structured product knowledge through progressive WSET qualifications.
What would you like to explore?
Choose the level that matches your experience.
Talk to AWSECWSET Level 1 Award in Wines PREMIUM
A beginner-friendly introduction to the main types and styles of wine, designed for aspiring hospitality and retail professionals as well as anyone beginning a personal wine journey.
Premium food pairings and practical activities make essential wine knowledge memorable, social and immediately useful.
Six guided learning hours in total.
Learn a structured way to describe wine.
Useful confidence for work and social settings.
Course materials and examination language.
What you will explore
- Main wine types, styles and principal grape varieties
- Wine growing, winemaking, storage and service
- Food and wine pairing principles
- Confident wine description using WSET SAT
Closed book · 45 minutes · 70% passing grade
WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines
WSET’s flagship wine qualification develops expert-level product knowledge, advanced analytical tasting and a global commercial perspective. It is designed for ambitious wine professionals and is widely recognised as an essential step towards the Master of Wine qualification.
Progress from production and business foundations to global wine mastery.
Part-time evening, Block Release and Online Learning pathways.
Diploma learners educated by AWSEC as of June 2025, representing 34 countries and regions.
Six-unit curriculum
Why AWSEC
Candidates must hold WSET Level 3 Award in Wines—or the former Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits—and must have been over 18 when they passed Level 3. Learners whose first language is not English are strongly recommended to have IELTS 6.5 or equivalent ability.
The dedicated page contains the complete programme structure, current intake information, prospectus and contact details for the AWSEC Diploma team.
WSET Level 1 Award in Beer
Begin your beer education with an interactive introduction to ingredients, brewing, styles, storage and service. Taste more than 10 beers—including super-premium and limited-production examples—while learning how malt, hops, yeast and water shape every pour.
Move from brewing fundamentals to confident tasting through a carefully selected range of classic and distinctive beers.
Connect ingredients with flavour and explore craft beer pairings with local cuisine in a lively classroom setting.
No previous beer study is required.
Lectures, discussion and sensory activities.
Course materials and examination language.
Your one-day beer journey
Nine learning themes
Why study at AWSEC
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass mark: 70%
Each question is worth one mark.
See available dates, private-class arrangements and full enrolment information on the AWSEC course page.
View course & enrol ↗WSET Level 2 Award in Beer
Go deeper into ingredients, brewing and the factors that create beer style and quality. Develop the tasting skill to describe and evaluate beer, make informed choices, improve service, and recommend the right beer for customers, food and occasion.
Connect malts, hops, fermentation and brewing choices with the flavour, structure and quality of beer styles from around the world.
Apply systematic evaluation to storage, service and food pairing for professional or personal use.
Basic beer knowledge is recommended but not required.
Ingredients, styles, brewing, tasting and service.
Graduates may apply to use the associated logo.
Intermediate learning journey
Eight sessions
What you will gain
WSET Level 1 Award in Beer is not required. Some basic beer knowledge—through Level 1 or equivalent experience—is recommended before beginning.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass mark: 55%
Each question is worth one mark.
See available dates, private-class arrangements and complete enrolment information on the AWSEC course page.
View course & enrol ↗WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits
Develop breadth and depth across the world of spirits and aromatised wines. Understand how principal spirit styles are produced, learn how to taste them systematically, and build the knowledge required to serve customers and make informed recommendations.
Connect raw materials, production choices and finishing decisions with the aromas, flavours and styles found in the final product.
Apply structured product knowledge in hospitality, retail, wholesale, customer service and sales.
Designed for learners with little or no spirits knowledge.
All course materials are provided in English.
Graduates may apply to use the associated logo.
What the qualification develops
Core learning
Where it helps
Duration: 1 hour
Pass mark: 55%
Each question is worth one mark.
See available dates and full enrolment details on the AWSEC course page, or review the official WSET specification.
WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits
An advanced qualification for professionals and enthusiasts seeking detailed global spirits knowledge and the tasting skill to describe and evaluate spirits accurately. Combine deep production theory with comparative tasting of more than 60 spirits from around the world.
Apply production knowledge directly through guided tastings that reveal how raw materials, distillation, maturation and finishing shape every glass.
Build authoritative knowledge relevant to production, brand management, marketing, sales and spirits education.
A five-weekend classroom-based intensive.
Interactive theory, discussion and hands-on practice.
Course materials and examination language.
Advanced study journey
Production and categories
Professional outcomes
WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits—or an equivalent level of knowledge—is strongly recommended because this qualification builds on Level 2 knowledge and skills.
Unit One: 50 multiple-choice questions and 10 short-answer questions · 2 hours
Unit Two: Blind tasting of two spirits · 30 minutes
Pass mark: 55% in every paper and both units
See the full qualification requirements, current dates and enrolment information on the AWSEC course page.
WSET Level 1 Award in Spirits
A practical introduction to the principal types and styles of spirits, the key factors that shape their aromas and flavours, and the essentials of tasting and service. Ideal for first roles in the spirits industry and for wine students seeking a more complete view of the wine and spirits world.
Build useful product knowledge across the categories most frequently encountered in bars, retail, hospitality and distilling.
A structured first step for bartenders, distillers, front-line teams and curious enthusiasts.
No prior spirits qualification is required.
Learn the WSET approach to tasting spirits.
Certificate awarded after passing the examination.
What you will explore
Course topics
Designed for
Duration: 45 minutes
Pass mark: 70%
Each question is worth one mark.
See available dates and complete enrolment details on the AWSEC course page, or review the official qualification specification.
WSET Level 3 Award in Sake
Explore how production methods influence sake style, quality and price. Taste a wide and diverse range—including styles rarely available outside Japan and sake produced beyond Japan—to strengthen analytical tasting and communicate about production with conviction.
Build calibration and quality-assessment skills through comparative tasting throughout the nine-lesson programme.
The monitored online programme is a required part of the hybrid course.
Classroom and online study combined.
Required online preparation supports entry.
Course materials and examination language.
Advanced learning journey
Nine sessions
Advanced outcomes
Students must complete the monitored online study programme that begins two weeks before the classroom element.
Tasting: Blind tasting of two sakes · 30 minutes
Theory: 50 multiple-choice questions and seven short-answer questions · 1 hour 40 minutes
Pass mark: 55% in every paper and both units
See current fees, instalment options, available dates and complete qualification details on the course page.
View course & enrol ↗WSET Level 2 Award in Sake
Take a deeper look at traditional Japanese sake, from raw materials and production choices to distinctive styles, grades and labels. Learn to explain, taste, recommend and serve sake with greater confidence in professional or personal settings.
Lectures, discussion and hands-on tastings.
Intensive structures for different schedules.
Course materials and examination language.
Awarded after successful completion.
From production to confident recommendation
Course journey
- What sake is and essential kanji
- Tasting and assessing sake
- Rice, starch and steamed white rice
- Kōji mould and kōji making
- Water, yeast and alcoholic fermentation
- Post-fermentation options
- Speciality styles, categories and grades
- Delicate, dry, fruity Ginjō and rich Junmai styles
- Storage and service
What you will be able to do
Level 1 is not required. Some basic sake knowledge—through Level 1, professional experience or personal study—is recommended.
Closed book · 1 hour · 55% passing grade
See current fees, discounts, available dates and complete qualification details on the course page.
View course & enrol ↗WSET Level 1 Award in Sake PREMIUM
Build a clear understanding of the main sake types and styles, the key factors shaping aroma and flavour, and confident service. Use WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting Sake® to explore each sample in a structured and approachable way.
Learn essential pairing principles through a guided experience with draft sparkling sake, caviar and a curated selection of savoury and sweet foods.
Choose the material language that best supports your learning.
What you will explore
- Basic principles of sake production
- Main types and styles of sake
- Factors affecting aroma and flavour
- WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Sake®
- How to serve sake confidently
Closed book · 45 minutes · 70% passing grade
See current fees, discounts, available dates and language options on the course page.
View course & enrol ↗WSET Level 3 Award in Wines
Develop in-depth knowledge of grape growing and winemaking, and learn to explain how they influence wine style, quality and price. Build confident analytical tasting skills through a programme designed for committed enthusiasts and wine professionals.
Connect natural and human factors with the character of the final wine.
Level 2 or equivalent knowledge is strongly recommended.
English course materials support structured advanced learning.
Choose your study format
Both pathways lead to the same WSET Level 3 qualification and examination. Choose the learning structure that best suits your schedule.
Standard classroom course
A complete face-to-face learning and tasting journey with extended educator contact and more than 100 wines.
- Tastings grouped by wine style
- Three revision stages across the programme
- Detailed Old World, New World, sparkling and fortified coverage
Block Release
Live virtual teaching combined with two intensive tasting days in Hong Kong, created for busy professionals and global learners.
- Live virtual lectures and revision with Jennie Mack
- In-person exam at AWSEC Hong Kong
- E-book or physical study pack option
Unit 1: 50 multiple-choice questions plus four short written answers · 2 hours
Unit 2: Blind tasting of two wines · 30 minutes
Pass mark: 55% in every paper and both units
Successful graduates may apply to use the WSET Certified logo. Both study formats lead to the same recognised qualification.
WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
An internationally recognised and comprehensive qualification covering major grape varieties, important wine regions and the styles they produce. Designed to strengthen wine knowledge for both professionals and enthusiasts.
Each session uses a carefully selected wine lineup to connect theory with style, quality and the factors that shape every glass.
Compare important varieties, origins and wine styles.
Describe style and quality with greater confidence.
Basic prior wine knowledge is recommended.
Course materials and examination language.
What you will explore
- Tasting technique and food pairing
- Factors affecting red, white, sweet and rosé wines
- Principal international grape varieties
- Important regions and wine-producing countries
- Classification and labelling terminology
- Sparkling and fortified wine styles
Closed book · 1 hour · 55% passing grade
Successful graduates may apply to use the WSET Certified logo.
