Learning Beer basics with WSET

Learning how to taste beer properly at WSET

As someone who’s spent more weekends than I care to admit fiddling with hops, malt, and yeast in my own kitchen, I came into the WSET Level 1 Award in Beer (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) with a fair bit of home brewing experience but it was really no more than a collection of individual bits of knowledge.

Over the years, I’d picked up bits and pieces of knowledge from books, YouTube videos, and the odd brewery tour, but it all felt a bit patchy. I knew I loved beer, I knew I loved making it, and I knew I could make beer that was mostly decent most of the time but when it came to really understanding it, tasting it properly, or even explaining what made one beer different from another, I knew I had some gaps to fill.

WSET’s one-day intensive course (it did not feel intensive though) turned out to be exactly what I needed: a clear, structured, and genuinely enjoyable way of pulling all those loose threads together into something coherent—and, more importantly, correct. If a one day course doesn’t suit you then there are four choices for study over various time periods including a purely online learning version.

Held in a bright, airy classroom just a stone’s throw from London Bridge, the course brought together a small but lively group of beer lovers. One thing that really struck me was how broad the pupil base was: some people had been sent on the course by their employers working in pubs, bars, breweries, or distributors looking to deepen their product knowledge. Others, like me, were homebrewers wanting to solidify and sharpen their skills. And then there were a few who simply loved beer and fancied learning a bit more about how it’s made and how to taste it properly. It made for a great mix of perspectives and questions throughout the day.

We kicked off with the fundamentals: how beer is made. I wasn’t expecting to learn much here, having brewed my fair share of ales at home, but the way WSET broke it down with precise terminology and a clear logical flow, helped me understand the whole process on a much deeper level. Processes I'd been vaguely aware of, like malting, mashing, fermentation and conditioning, suddenly clicked into place with new clarity. And crucially, it gave me the correct language to talk about it all, which made a huge difference both for brewing and for appreciating beer more generally.

Using the systematic approach

Then came the structured tasting and for me, this was where the course really shone. Using WSET’s Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer, we were taught how to assess appearance, aroma, flavour, and finish properly. I’d always thought I had a pretty good palate from my home brewing, but this was a real eye-opener. Learning to be systematic, to really focus on different elements rather than just vaguely thinking “hoppy” or “malty”, made me appreciate beer in a totally different way.

The beer selection for tasting was excellent too, covering a real range of styles: a crisp Pilsner, a floral IPA, a rich porter, a tart sour, and even a Belgian-style wheat beer. Each one was chosen to highlight different characteristics, and tasting them side-by-side, with proper guidance, really brought the nuances to life. The teaching style was friendly but still hugely informative, and brought many questions from the pupils that were all answered clearly and understandably.

A segment of the tuition included beer and food pairing, which is a subject that has been ignored to some degree previously, and is perhaps something restaurants and the catering industry should be paying more attention to. This was very interesting and demonstrated some amazing examples of how differing foods and beers can affect each other.

The class atmosphere stayed friendly and open all day, with lively discussions encouraged. It was fascinating to hear everyone's impressions and tasting notes. One person’s “citrusy IPA” might be another’s “pine forest after rain” and it made clear that while there’s a structure to tasting, there’s still a lot of room for personal experience and interpretation.

We rounded the day off with a short multiple-choice exam which, if you’d been paying attention (and pacing yourself through the tastings!), was very manageable. A nice boost of confidence. Being the level 1 course even a raw beginner should not struggle to have picked up enough knowledge to achieve at least a pass mark, and that official certificate at the end definitely feels well earned.

For anyone with a passion for beer, or like myself a part time homebrewer or perhaps someone who has joined a part of the hospitality industry this course is worth every penny. It gives you a proper foundation, tidies up all the scattered bits of knowledge, and equips you to appreciate and talk about beer with real confidence. I left feeling sharper, more inspired, and very ready for my next home brew project.

WSET Level 1 Award in Beer: an absolute must for beer geeks, home brewers, or industry people or anyone looking to take their pint appreciation up a notch. Needless to say if you were inspired by this course then the pathway is open to you for the WSET level 2 award in beer which will take you much deeper into beer production, understanding and industry.

To learn more click here: https://www.wsetglobal.com/wset-school-london/wset-courses?subject=Beer