The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) provides qualifications in wines, spirits, beer and sake. Its courses run in stages, from an introduction to the drinks industry to advanced product knowledge and tasting skills.
The Distillers’ Company was one of the four organisations that founded WSET as an educational charity in 1969. That long-standing relationship continues today through representation in WSET’s governance, support for bursaries and prizes, and opportunities for students to benefit from mentoring.
WSET has three levels of dedicated spirits study:
Funding from The Distillers’ Charity helps people facing financial barriers study for WSET Level 2 and Level 3 Awards in Spirits. The bursaries are administered through The Drinks Trust’s DEVELOP programme, which connects people in the drinks and hospitality industry with fully funded training and career support.
In 2025, 20 students were funded through WSET spirits qualifications. In the preceding year, support enabled 25 people to study: 18 at Level 2 and seven at Level 3.
Applications are managed through The Drinks Trust and are available at set times during the year. Prospective students should check the current application page rather than relying on previous opening dates.
Check current WSET bursary opportunitiesThe Company also sponsors prizes at WSET’s annual graduation and awards ceremony. These recognise outstanding performance in the Level 3 Award in Spirits and provide funding for recipients to continue their learning through study connected with a spirit-producing region.