Fermented & Distilled Academy

Level 1

Spirits Fundamentals

What makes a spirit what it is? Level 1 gives students a useful foundation in production, standards, category identity, and tasting.

Course promise

By the end of Level 1, students should be able to explain what makes the main spirit categories different and use a simple, repeatable tasting method.

The course keeps returning to one practical framework: get sugar or create sugar, ferment it, distill it, then decide whether to age, blend, filter, flavor, sweeten, or bottle it as-is.

At a glance

Format2–3 hour class
CredentialAcademy-issued certificate of completion
Best forBeginners, enthusiasts, guests, and staff
FocusShared science, major categories, and tasting method

What students learn

The foundation

Shared production science

Sugar or starch, fermentation, distillation, maturation, proofing, blending, finishing, sweetening, and flavoring.

Whiskey and bourbon

Whiskey as a grain-based class, bourbon as a more specific American whiskey type shaped by corn and charred new oak.

Brandy and rum

Fruit-first spirits versus cane-first spirits, and why raw material and fermentation style matter.

Gin and vodka

Neutrality versus botanical design, including why juniper matters and why vodka is classified differently.

Agave spirits and liqueurs

Recognition-level understanding of agave-based spirits and sweetened/flavored spirit products.

Guided tasting

Look, smell, sip, evaluate structure, describe finish, use water thoughtfully, and compare categories.

Class flow

A clear two-hour structure

  1. Set the frameGoals, definitions, why standards matter.
  2. Shared scienceSugar, fermentation, distillation, oak, proof.
  3. Core categoriesWhiskey, bourbon, brandy, rum, gin, vodka, agave.
  4. Guided tastingGlassware, smelling, tasting, comparison, water.
  5. Review and Q&AReinforce production choices, standards, and sensory cues.