Best Online Spirits Classes

Created by world-renowned liquor empire Pernod Ricard, BarSmarts provides cocktail enthusiasts with essential bartending training and knowledge, which they can study and complete at their own pace.

BarSmarts is one of the go-to spirits education platforms for bartenders and is designed to provide its students with a comprehensive foundation for any and all gigs. This resource was originally created for Pernod Ricard, but it has since become an industry standard.

The company offers two options to choose from, BarSmarts Basic, an introductory course, and a more in-depth option, BarSmarts Professional. The introductory course discusses the basics of spirits and liqueurs (and how they are produced) along with service and bartending essentials. BarSmarts offers training involving tasting methods, spirits production and history, cocktail fundamentals from the 1800s to the present day, and management techniques.

A third concept, Staff Certified, allows establishments—whether they are currently open or not—to provide both BarSmarts programs to their staff members and track participants’ progress throughout. These programs consist of videos, a written workbook, and various exams.

Upon registration, you’ll be able to take the course at your own pace. BarSmarts courses are around $29 each.

WSET is an internationally recognized, rigorous program designed for wine, spirit, and sake enthusiasts and professionals, with participation locations around the world and online for convenient learning.

Since 1969, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has become a household acronym for professionals in the industry across over 70 countries. With a Wine & Spirit Education Trust accreditation, students have the advantage of a trusted name to back up their knowledge and skill set.

Now, with an amped-up online learning experience, WSET is offering its various wine, spirits, and sake classes through more than 800 providers in multiple languages. Depending on your location, you will need to find which third-party teaching and examination centers near you offer instruction.

For spirits, WSET offers three award levels, most of which are available online. Level 1 is a hands-on crash course for beginners and covers primary spirit categories from an all-around sensory perspective, while the more intermediate Level 2 ventures into spirit production methods, along with serving and cocktail fundamentals and technique.

Both levels include a patented tasting approach and a final exam, and the time commitment ranges from six to 84 hours. Graduates receive a certificate of completion and a lapel pin.

Costs vary based on the provider you choose.

Inspired by famed 19th-century American bartender Jerry Thomas, JERRY offers programs for professional bar and restaurant individuals, including courses on hospitality and beverage management, building client rapport, and responsible alcohol serving practices.

Named for one of the liquor world’s original icons, Jerry Thomas, JERRY acts as a digital bar mentor, giving service professionals a modern and accessible means of learning on their computer, tablet, or phone at their own pace.

With the help of world-renowned industry talent, this program focuses on important subjects like hospitality, beverage, prep, sustainability, responsible service, ethics, management, and more. JERRY's educational offering is a holistic approach broken down into 15 to 40-minute courses, featuring reading materials and videos. Plus, each JERRY course features a guided activity to help you apply what you have learned to the workplace.

When you have completed certain courses, certificates will be available to you.

You can either purchase a JERRY subscription, which costs $149 per year, and provides unlimited access to a library of courses across its core topics; a bundle; or you can purchase each course separately for around $20 each.

For those spirit aficionados who are looking to advance their credentials by passing the prestigious Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS), a Society of Wine Educators membership and resource account may be a match. 

By joining the Society of Wine Educators (SWE), beverage pros and enthusiasts have access to a large selection of perks, including prep materials for exams like the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS).

The one-hour CSS exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. There are no prerequisites required to take it. Achieving a score of 75% or better allows you to use the CSS post-nominal as part of your professional signature. Once you have passed, you will receive a certificate to frame and a CSS lapel pin.

For approximately $135 a year, the Professional level membership is more cost-efficient than one introductory WSET course—a worthy investment, considering the return of the program and the prestige attached to the SWE name. Still, the exam itself comes at an additional cost, as do the study materials. There is no cost for an actual course, however.

While study material costs are the same for members and non-members, members pay about $525 for the CSS exam, while non-members pay approximately $850 (those savings alone means the annual membership cost pays for itself).

As a member of the SWE, you’ll also be privy to its online Wine and Spirits Academies, both of which are free to members at the Professional level (as long as you hold a current exam attendance credit). These platforms provide certificate students with plenty of literature around their chosen subject, plus graded quizzes, exercises, and more.

Designed for whiskey experts around the globe, receiving one of the Whiskey Certified Specialist Program accreditations or reaching for a Master program is considered top of the field.

The Council of Whiskey Masters is dedicated to bringing remote education to whiskey lovers everywhere. Become a certified expert online through the organization’s Certified Scotch, Bourbon, and Whiskey Specialist programs.

There are no prerequisites for the Scotch or Bourbon courses, but a student must pass either the Certified Scotch or Bourbon Professional exam in order to enroll in the Certified Whiskey Specialist program.

The Scotch and Bourbon programs (Level I) cover history, production methods, tasting, regions, distilleries, and more. The Whiskey Specialist exam (Level II) spans both subjects while delving into other categories and regions including North America, Ireland, and Japan.

The cost for the Scotch and Bourbon programs start around $395 each, and the Whiskey course is about $495. Note: There are additional fees if you do not pass on your first try.

The Council of Whiskey Masters also offers online exams for Certified Scotch Professional, Certified Bourbon Professional, and Certified Whiskey Specialist courses. These exams are remotely proctored and do not allow any study material to be present in your space when conducting the exam.

Completion of the Certified Whiskey Specialist program is required for participation in the Master of Scotch course, which must be completed in order to enroll in the Master of Whiskey program. The Master-level exams are completed in person in either Kentucky or Scotland.

The exam panels of the two Masters programs will be overseen by Keepers and Masters of the Quaich for the first two years of the program, and as the first 10 Masters of Scotch are named, they will assume these roles and oversee subsequent exams.

If you’re looking to become an accredited whiskey expert at one of the highest levels available, aim for the Master levels.