Certificate in Irish Whiskey (Online)
£90.00
The SQA-accredited Certificate in Irish Whiskey offers a rich, comprehensive introduction designed for both beginners and professionals looking to deepen their expertise. Led live and directly by our expert educator in a real-time, this interactive online masterclass traces the entire production journey from its historical, business, and legal frameworks to the art of distillation and maturation.
To perfectly fit your schedule, we offer highly flexible pacing tailored directly with you post-purchase, allowing you to complete the curriculum either as a comprehensive 2-day live course (6–8 hours) or via a convenient 1-day hybrid format utilizing EWA’s official pre-course learning platform.
Throughout this interactive session, whether you choose to order one of our specially curated tasting kits, build your own flight, or pour from your personal collection at home, you will actively participate in a comprehensive sensory journey, analyzing benchmark expressions that represent the absolute finest style profiles of each category—all while having the unique opportunity to get all your definitive whiskey culture questions answered in real time.
The SQA-accredited Certificate in Irish Whiskey offers a rich, comprehensive introduction designed for both beginners and professionals looking to deepen their expertise. Led directly by our expert educator, this masterclass traces the entire production journey from raw materials to the triple distillation and art of blending. To perfectly fit your schedule, we offer highly flexible pacing tailored directly with you post-purchase, allowing you to complete the curriculum either as a comprehensive 2-day live online course (6–8 hours) or via a convenient 1-day hybrid format utilizing EWA’s official pre-course learning platform.
Throughout this online masterclass, you will analyze a meticulously curated flight of benchmark expressions representing the absolute finest style profiles of each category, while having the unique opportunity to get all your definitive whisky culture questions answered in real time.
You can join this masterclass on our scheduled public dates, or book it as a bespoke private program tailored exclusively for your corporate team or group. These private sessions can be seamlessly organized online, hosted at one of our premium partner venues, or delivered directly at a location of your choice.
Following the course, candidates will complete a structured 50-question multiple-choice online assessment. Upon successful completion, you will be awarded a personalized Completion Certificate and an exclusive EWA Pin Badge, distinguishing you as a verified industry expert.
Master the world of Irish whiskey in a premium professional environment.
Please refer to the course details section below for the specific upcoming dates and venue locations.
The SQA-accredited "Certificate in Irish Whiskey" is an immersive, classroom-based masterclass designed to provide a rich, comprehensive introduction to the industry for both beginners and professionals. Led directly by certified educator Baris Mercan, this rigorous program brings the distillery experience to life, tracing the entire production journey from raw materials and traditional distillation styles to the intricate art of blending, wood chemistry, and maturation laws right at your table.
You will actively participate in a technical sensory journey, analyzing a meticulously curated flight of benchmark expressions guided step-by-step through global industry standards in an interactive, shared learning atmosphere.
Why Join This Masterclass?
- Fully Live & Interactive: This is not a pre-recorded video. You can ask our expert educator any definitive whisky culture questions in real-time, get instant feedback on your palate, and engage with fellow participants.
- SQA-Accredited Framework: Learn through a globally recognized curriculum that breaks down the precise science, history, revival, and strict production regulations of Irish whiskey categories without confusing jargon.
- Post-Purchase Guidance: Once registered, we will happily guide you on how to prepare your tasting flight or bottles to ensure your home setup is fully optimized for the technical analysis.
- Official Certificate & Pin: Upon successful completion, you will walk away with an official certificate and an exclusive EWA Pin Badge to showcase your professional credentials.
- Join the Spey Academy Alumni: Registration automatically grants you access to our exclusive Spey Academy Alumni network, a community of passionate spirits lovers.
- Perks for Future Learning: To support your ongoing journey, all participants receive an exclusive 10% discount code valid for their next Spey Academy course.
Course Details & Format
- Platform: The session is held live and interactively via Google Meets. Your access link and preparation details will be shared with you via email right after your purchase.
- Scheduling: Following your purchase, we will contact you directly to coordinate and finalize the best days and times for your live online sessions.
- Delivery Format Options: To best fit your schedule, this accredited course can be structured in one of two formats:
- Recommended Format: Delivered as a comprehensive 2-day classroom course, comprising a minimum of 6–8 hours of interactive learning directly with your educator.
- Hybrid Format: Condensed into a 1-day intensive live session by assigning Modules 1 & 2 as pre-course online learning via EWA’s official learning platform, allowing us to focus our classroom time entirely on advanced topics and technical tasting analysis.
Module 1: Irish Whiskey History
How Irish whiskey is reclaiming its golden age. Understand the dramatic political, social, and economic forces that shaped the Irish distilling landscape from global dominance to near extinction and its modern renaissance.
Module 2: The Business of Irish Whiskey
How laws, GI protections, and global demand shape the industry. Learn how Irish whiskey is strictly classified, regulated, marketed, and protected under geographical indication laws around the world.
Module 3: Production Process
What actually creates flavor before distillation begins. Explore raw materials, mashbills (malted vs. unmalted barley), milling, mashing, and fermentation choices that define the spirit’s baseline character.
Module 4: Pot Still Spirit Production
The technical heart of Ireland’s signature distillation style. Understand triple distillation mechanics, copper pot still design, reflux, and cut points that create the famously smooth and spicy Irish distillate.
Module 5: Maturation
Where spirit gains its structural depth and complexity. Understand wood chemistry, cask selections, warehouse conditions, finishes, and the legal maturation requirements unique to Ireland.
Module 6: Blended Irish Whiskey
The art and science behind category balance and consistency. Learn how master blenders combine malt, pot still, and grain whiskeys to construct world-class complexity and signature house styles.
Module 7: Bottling
The final technical decisions before the whiskey reaches the glass. Explore structural choices including chill-filtration, coloring, dilution strength, and bottling presentation benchmarks.
Module 8: Sensory
Learn to connect flavor profiles directly back to production. Through guided tastings, you will link Irish whiskey's diverse aromas and structural styles back to specific mash bills, distillation processes, and wood management.
Final Assessment
Test your knowledge with a final online assessment. On successful completion, you’ll receive a digital badge and certificate, with optional printed certification and green lapel pin.
- 50 multiple-choice questions covering all modules
- Completed in a single one-hour sitting
- Minimum 60% pass mark
- You can flag questions for review and revisit them before submission. Results are available immediately.
This course is for people who want more from Irish whiskey.
- The Enthusiast
You love whiskey already but feel there’s a deeper layer of Ireland's rich distilling heritage you’re still missing. - Hospitality & Retail Professionals
You want to speak about premium Irish styles with absolute clarity and confidence, moving beyond memorized tasting notes to drive commercial success. - The Curious Beginner
You’re tired of pretending to understand complex whiskey terminology and want a proper, rock-solid foundation in the spirit. - Industry Professionals
You want structured knowledge that connects historical context, triple distillation science, dynamic wood chemistry, and flavor profiling into one coherent framework.
For our live online masterclasses, we focus on an exceptional selection of expressions tailored to elevate your technical understanding. This training is conducted fully online. If you wish to purchase one of our specially curated tasting sets designed exclusively for this course, please contact us after your purchase.
Alternatively, you are welcome to build your own flight or enjoy the bottles you already have at home; we will be delighted to guide you on how to prepare your selection once you are registered.
Our interactive, real-time online masterclasses bring you face-to-face with the liquid's theory, providing an immersive, shared sensory environment where global industry standards are taught directly to your screen.
Recommended Flight Styles for Technical Analysis:
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Single Pot Still Whiskey: Dissecting Ireland’s signature and historically defining style, driven by a unique mashbill of malted and unmalted barley.
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Irish Single Malt: Analyzing the foundational impact of 100% malted barley distillates and traditional copper pot still character.
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Blended Irish Whiskey: Understanding the intricate art of blending diverse distillate styles for balance, complexity, and brand consistency.
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Irish Grain Whiskey: Demystifying the production mechanics of column stills and the light, sweet structural profile they contribute to the category.
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Cask & Maturation Influences: Exploring how different wood selections and finishing techniques shape the modern landscape of Irish whiskey.
- In-Person Masterclasses: All digital course materials, curriculum outlines, and preparation guides will be delivered directly to your registered email address prior to the session. All physical tasting flights and technical analysis tools will be fully provided at the classroom venue.
- Online Masterclasses: All digital training assets and access credentials will be shared via email. If your registration includes a physical "Tasting Kit," our operations team will contact you directly within 24–48 hours to confirm your delivery address and organize the secure shipment of your kit.
- Tasting Sets Selection: Please note that tasting expressions, flight selections, and curated kits are dynamic. They are carefully tailored to the specific theme, production focus, and sensory goals of each masterclass and may vary accordingly.
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