A beginner level qualification for anyone looking to learn the basics of beer. Through a short and interactive course, you’ll learn the foundations of beer production, styles, service and tasting.
About the course
The WSET Level 1 Award in Beer provides a great introduction to the world of beer. Learning though 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.
View the qualification specification
- The main ingredients used to make beer
- Malt (malted grains) 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)
Your learning will be assessed by a closed-book exam of 30 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 45 minutes. Exams will be available both online and in-person.
WSET is committed to making our exams fair and accessible, and ensuring that no candidate is placed at a disadvantage. If you have any special requirements or need to request reasonable adjustments, please discuss this with your chosen course provider.
This qualification is regulated by Ofqual.
No prior beer knowledge is required, just enthusiasm! All our classes are delivered in English therefore a good level of English is beneficial.
WSET’s approach focuses on learning through tasting, so you can experience the influence of ingredients, processes and other key factors on what’s in the glass.
You won’t be assessed on your tasting skills at Level 1, but tasting is an important part of the course. You'll learn the basics of how to taste and describe beer using the WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer.
The beer samples you taste on the course will vary by course provider, but we recommend that 14 beers are tasted across a range of styles.
Recommended tasting samples
- An introduction to tasting beer: Porter or stout, American pale ale or American IPA or hazy IPA, Weissbier
- Malt-driven styles: International pale lager or blonde ale, Munich dunkel or brown ale
- Hop-driven styles: Bitter or traditional Czech or German pilsner, American pale ale or American IPA or hazy IPA
- Yeast-driven styles: Tripel or dubbel, Saison or witbier
- Sour styles: Geuze or Berliner weisse
- Beer and food: Munich helles, Porter, Dubbel, American pale ale
Study options
This qualification is currently in the pre-launch stage, which means we are busy preparing expert beer educators to offer the course and exam. We expect to have the first courses available to book in early 2024.
We will be offering four study options here at WSET School London, which you can explore below.
To register your interest in WSET beer courses, please complete this form, and you’ll be the first to know when the first courses are available to book.
- Where: WSET School London
- Duration: 9:00am-5:00pm on one day (includes exam)
- Private study: Not required. There are recapping and revision exercises throughout the day
- Samples: In-class beer samples included
- Includes: Your workbook, nine beer samples, six hours of tuition, your examination, and exclusive offers via our Student Deals Card
- Who: Those who want to complete the course as quickly as possible
- Price: XXX
- Where: WSET School London
- Duration: 6:30-8:30pm once a week for three weeks (includes exam)
- Private study: Not required, but this format gives you the flexibility to pre-read or recap topics between classes
- Samples: In-class beer samples included
- Includes: Your workbook, beer wine samples, six hours of tuition, your examination, and exclusive offers via our Student Deals Card
- Who: A popular option for those working close to London Bridge or those who are unable to study in the daytime
- Price: £XXX
- Where: WSET School London
- Duration: 10:30am-2:00pm over two consecutive Saturdays (includes exam)
- Private study: Not required, but this format gives you the flexibility to pre-read or recap topics between classes
- Samples: In-class beer samples included
- Includes: Your workbook, beer wine samples, six hours of tuition, your examination, and exclusive offers via our Student Deals Card
- Who: A popular option for those wanting to explore the local area or those who are unable to study on weekdays
- Price: £XXX
- Where: Online via WSET’s Online Classroom*
- Duration: Four weeks self-guided study to be completed around your schedule
- Private study: At least three hours a week
- Samples: Wines not included. We recommend you taste a minimum of six beers and you‘ll get guidance on what styles to taste
- Includes: Access to WSET's Online Classroom for one year, a dedicated online tutor, your examination, and exclusive offers via our Student Deals Card
- Enhanced features: Revision videos, flash cards and exam tips
- Who: Those who need a flexible study option, international students or those far away from our classroom centres
- Technology requirements: We recommend that you use a laptop or desktop device and have a reliable internet connection. To sit your examination online you will also need one additional smart device such as a smartphone or tablet
- Price: £XXX
*More information on how online examinations work will be shared with you once you enrol. If you are a student in Mainland China or the UAE, it’s not possible for you to take the exam online due to technological restrictions.
Course dates
| Start date | Study option | Location | Price | Booking deadline | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 02 Jan 2025 | Day Release | London Wine & Spirit | £100 | Sunday 22 Dec 2024 | 10+ | Book Now |
This course was great! Solid information and really interesting. The course had a comfortable vibe, focused without being stressful and friendly without being sloppy. Lovely teachers!
Katie, Level 1 Award in Beer (pilot)