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Beer judging - the inside story
Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes at an international beer competition? From blind tastings to the challenges of selecting a medal-winning beer, experienced beer judge and Brewers Association American Craft Beer Ambassador for Europe Lotte Peplow takes us inside the judging room and shares what it takes to become a judge. What it’s like to judge beer At almost all competitions, beers are judged blind with the judging criteria based on how accurately a beer reflects the relevant style guidelines, produced by the Brewers Association, Beer Judge Certification Programme (BJCP) or the competition organiser. Judges are typically presented with a flight of 8-10 beers and assess each beer on the basis of visual appearance, aroma, taste/flavour, mouthfeel and aftertaste according to the style guidelines. Judges will often include an element of overall impression and sometimes drinkability or enjoyment of the beer. Judging generally takes place in a large hall or room with rows
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Malta & Gozo: a wine story shaped by the Mediterranean
The Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo have a wine history shaped by centuries of settlers, traders and empires. Each has left its mark on the islands’ culture, agriculture and relationship with the vine. Joséf Bonello, Brand Ambassador for Wines of Malta & Gozo, takes us on a brief journey through Malta and Gozo’s long and eventful wine history. Inhabited as early as 6500 BCE and home to some of the world’s oldest free-standing stone temples, the archipelago has always absorbed influences from afar and shaped them into a distinct identity that continues to evolve today. One of the most enduring cultural legacies arrived with the Phoenicians in the 8th century BCE. Skilled seafarers and traders, they introduced organised viticulture to the islands, laying the foundations of a wine story that stretches back millennia. Some of the earliest physical evidence of Maltese winemaking lies beneath the sea off Gozo, where a Phoenician shipwreck dated to around 700 BCE revealed amphorae pro
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A brief history of Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest might now be known around the world for huge beer tents, litres of lager and plenty of lederhosen, but it began as something very different. What started as a royal wedding celebration in Munich more than 200 years ago has grown into the world’s largest folk festival, with beer becoming an increasingly important part of its story along the way. Read on as beer writer Mark Dredge explores how Oktoberfest became the celebration we know today and the beers that have helped define it. What is Oktoberfest? Oktoberfest is the most famous beer festival in the world, though to call it a beer festival is to undersell it: this is the world’s largest folk festival which just happens to serve a lot of lager. Oktoberfest lasts for at least 16 days, beginning in mid-September and usually ending on the first Sunday in October. This world-famous event, which dates back to 1810, actually began as a wedding celebration, a horse race and an agricultural fair to encourage Munich residents to e
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What is rakı? Inside Türkiye’s iconic aniseed spirit
This article is inspired by a WSET Bitesize webinar exploring the history, production and cultural significance of rakı. The webinar was presented by WSET educator Dennis Byram, whose Turkish heritage and spirits expertise bring a uniquely personal perspective to one of Türkiye’s most iconic drinks. You can watch the full webinar recording on the WSET Events Hub. Rakı is one of Türkiye’s most distinctive spirits. Made from grapes and flavoured with aniseed, it is traditionally enjoyed with food and water, which turns the clear spirit a characteristic cloudy white. But understanding rakı means looking beyond how it is made. For centuries, it has been part of dining and social life in Türkiye, developing alongside the people and cultures that have shaped the country. Its story reaches back through the Ottoman Empire to much older traditions of distillation in the region. What makes rakı unique? Rakı is often described as an aniseed-flavoured grape spirit, but that only gets you so far. U
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Finding confidence in wine: why you don’t have to know everything
When you’re the nominated wine person in your friendship circle, whether through training or simply blind enthusiasm, it can feel daunting having to make wine choices for the whole table. The questioning looks and the faith in your abilities can all add to the pressure. Wine writer and WSET Level 3 graduate Annona Dodoo knows how daunting wine can feel when you’re still finding your feet. Here, she shares what helped her build confidence and why you don’t need to know everything to enjoy wine or make a good choice. You’re at dinner with a group of people and as the person studying wine, you’ve automatically been given the responsibility of choosing the bottles for the table. The wine list comes to you, and so does the waiter. You can feel all eyes on you as you make your way through the list, hoping to make a good choice. You recognise a couple of wines, and using what you’ve learned, you’re able to make your choices. The bottles arrive and are poured for you to taste. You give a nod o
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What is abbey-style Dubbel?
There are two mysteries commonly associated with the monastery-derived Belgian beer style known as dubbel. The first, at least for non-Dutch speakers, is how its name is properly pronounced. And the second is where that name came from. Beer and spirits writer Stephen Beaumont digs into where dubbel came from, what defines the style and why it deserves more attention. Understanding Dubbel The pronunciation question is easily resolved: dubbel is ‘double.’ Not ‘dooble’ or the Frenchified ‘doo-bell,’ as it is sometimes characterized, just ‘double.’ The origin bit is similarly simple, but also not. For while the dubbel was most definitely first brewed in an abbey, most likely a Trappist abbey, how it was crafted and from where it got its name is a murkier business. The Trappist monastery most closely associated with the style, the Abbey of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart of Westmalle, whose Westmalle Dubbel celebrates its centennial as a commercial beer in 2026, declares that the name Dubbel “
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How rice is used in beer
Rice beers are, as the name suggests, alcoholic brews that use rice as a primary grain or adjunct alongside, and sometimes instead of, malted barley. This may sound like an unusual brew in the first instance, but various breweries have been using adjuncts (added ingredients that sit outside of water, yeast, hops, and malted barley) such as rice or corn in their brewing process for years, so it's not a new or uncommon concept. These ingredients are often added to support brewers in achieving a specific flavour profile, mouthfeel or style of beer. How rice made its way into American lager Whilst rice has been used in fermented beverages for thousands of years, perhaps the most successful example being in Japanese sake, it didn't enter Western brewing until the 19th century. German immigrants in the U.S. faced challenges because barley production struggled to keep up with demand, while the American six-row barley available to them was higher in protein and lower in starch than the Europea
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Gin's botanical blueprint
Botanicals is a word often seen in relation to gin, but what actually are they? Drinks journalist Jacopo Mazzeo explores what botanicals are and how they add a new level to this juniper-based spirit. At its broadest legal definition, juniper berries (Juniperus communis) are the only botanical required for a spirit to be called gin. They provide the unmistakable resinous, piney backbone, along with bright citrus notes and subtle peppery spice that are the hallmarks of the spirit. An evergreen shrub or small tree, juniper is one of the most geographically widespread plants in the world. Much of the juniper used in gin production, however, comes from southern Europe, particularly Italy and North Macedonia, where the berries are prized for their high concentration of aromatic oils. Gins made using juniper as their sole botanical have been produced throughout history and continue to exist today, with Menorca’s traditional Gin de Mahón being a notable example. Yet they are the exception rath
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The engineering of non-alcoholic spirits
Remove alcohol from a spirit and you change the way it smells, tastes and feels. Ethanol carries aroma, contributes warmth and texture and helps give a spirit persistence in the mouth. Recreating those qualities without it is a complex production challenge. In a recent WSET webinar, Hendrik Giersiepen, R&D Director at Casa Lumbre, explored how producers are approaching that challenge, drawing on his work developing the non-alcoholic blue agave spirit Almave. From capturing aroma and rebuilding mouthfeel to keeping the finished liquid microbiologically stable, the absence of alcohol has implications at almost every stage of production. Non-alcoholic spirits are still finding their feet Available market data on non-alcoholic spirits is, in Giersiepen's words, “blurry” and heavily focused on Western markets. The category is also much younger than its beer and wine counterparts. Alcohol-free beer has had decades to develop. Germany's first major non-alcoholic beer was launched in 1979, mea
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Why side-pull taps are changing the way we drink beer
Walk into the right taproom on a Tuesday night and you might spot something a bartender treats less like a chore and more like a small ritual. A stainless faucet turned sideways. A deliberate pour building layer by layer, foam rising ahead of the beer beneath it. This is the side-pull faucet, a piece of Czech brewing culture that has quietly been finding its way onto bar tops well beyond its homeland. It's a two-handed pour, unhurried by design: one hand steadies the glass while the other coaxes the handle open in small increments, reading the foam as it builds. The question worth asking is whether this changes how beer actually tastes, or simply how it looks in the glass. Read on as beer educator Ryan Guererri goes deeper into the details behind the side-pull tap and whether it does make a difference. What makes a side-pull tap different? Unlike a standard tap where the bartender pulls the handle down fully and lets gravity and pressure do the work, a side pull faucet operates a bit m
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Why Albariño is more than a refreshing summer wine
Albariño has become a familiar name for wine lovers looking for something fresh, vibrant and a little different. But there's much more to this grape than a chilled glass of crisp white wine. Inspired by her recent study trip to Rías Baixas, Julia Lambeth DipWSET, an educator at WSET School London, explores what makes Albariño distinctive, what conditions it needs to thrive and how growers and winemakers are creating a surprisingly broad range of styles. From Vinho Verde to Uruguay, the story of Albariño may start in Spain but it doesn't end there. You can watch the original webinar recording on the WSET Global Events Hub. What makes Albariño distinctive Albariño tends to perform best in moderate climates, where it can retain its naturally high acidity without losing ripeness. That fine balance is why it often grows well in coastal regions. One of the key things to note about this variety is that it has relatively thick skins. For a white grape, that can be easy to overlook because the
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Sparkling sake: styles and production
Sparkling sake (supākuringu nihon-shu in Japanese) is, as you might expect, sake with a slight effervescence. It is still a relatively new and evolving category. Carbonated and bottle-fermented styles began to be marketed in the late 1990s, when brewers were looking for new ways to attract consumers to sake in Japan. The first commercially released sparkling sake was Ichinokura’s Suzune, launched in 1998, with many other producers following. Production methods are not tightly defined or regulated, and there are no standard label terms. This gives producers plenty of scope to create different styles, with variations in alcohol level, mousse texture, sediment and sweetness, ranging from off-dry to sweet. Different sparkling sake production methods Sparkling sake can be unofficially grouped into three styles: carbonated, bottle-fermented and live (unpasteurised). Carbonated sparkling sakes The simplest method of making sparkling sake is to inject carbon dioxide (CO₂) under pressure once t
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From 40% to cask strength: understanding whisky ABV
There are many individual pieces of information on a whisky label that can help you glean what a whisky might be like before you’ve opened the bottle. Many of them - the distillery, the region, the cask type - may give a hint as to its flavour or style. But there’s one that sometimes goes understated: ABV. Discover the story behind whisky ABV, how it has evolved and what it means for the whisky in your glass with drinks writer Mike Gibson. Alcohol by volume is essentially the percentage of ethanol in a particular volume of liquid. In wine, the figure can be a good gauge of things like style and body, because it’s often the ripeness and sugar content of the grapes that dictates ABV in the finished wine, and in that sense, to an extent, it’s out of the winemaker’s hands. In spirits, though, it’s different. From cask strength down to the ubiquitous 40% seen in the majority of supermarket staples, the ABV of the spirit you buy is invariably a deliberate and precise choice on the part of th
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How malt shapes beer
A pale lager and a stout may both begin with barley. Yet one can smell of fresh bread and light honey, while the other brings coffee, dark chocolate and burnt toast. Many of these differences start in the malt house, before the grain reaches the brewery. Malt is grain that has been allowed to begin germinating, then dried to stop its growth. It provides the starch that will eventually become fermentable sugar, but the type of grain and the way it is malted also help shape the beer’s colour, aroma, body and flavour. Preparing barley for brewing Barley is the most widely used brewing grain because several useful features come together inside it. The endosperm contains starch, stored as energy for the young plant. The embryo is the part that will begin to grow when the grain takes up water, while the tough outer husk protects everything inside. That husk also becomes useful in the brewery, where it can help form a natural filter bed as the brewer separates the sweet wort from the spent gr
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The multiple sides of Roussillon
Between sea and mountain, Roussillon is a multifaceted region producing a wide range of wine styles and colours. On the front line of global warming, can this diversity be key to its resilience and success, or does it risk fracturing its identity? Join Iris Fabre, an educator at WSET School London, as she delves into the rich diversity of Roussillon. Roussillon is rarely considered on its own. Often attached to its neighbour Languedoc when discussed, if not relegated to a larger, more vague ‘Southern France’, the French region is still incredibly underrated, despite having much to offer. Nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains, Roussillon belonged to the Spanish kingdom until the 17th century and maintains a very strong Catalan identity, as opposed to the Languedoc, whose cultural heritage is Occitan (hence the ‘langue d’Oc’). Roussillon shares a warm Mediterranean climate with its neighbour, but with drier conditions and a more rugged landscape. The mountainou
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Cask vs keg beer: what is the difference?
Two beer taps can sit side by side at the bar and deliver noticeably different drinking experiences. One may draw beer from a cask through a handpump, while the other serves beer from a pressurised keg. The choice between cask and keg affects how the beer develops after leaving the brewery, how it is dispensed and its temperature and carbonation when served. So, what separates the two? Casks: a traditional vessel? Beer has been stored and transported in wooden casks for centuries. The wood could influence the beer as it rested, although this is distinct from the deliberate barrel ageing used by some brewers today to introduce flavours from oak or from wine and spirits previously held in the vessel. Most modern casks are made from stainless steel or aluminium, making them easier to clean, move and reuse. Traditional sizes include the 54-imperial-gallon hogshead (245 litres), the nine-imperial-gallon firkin (41 litres) and the 4.5-imperial-gallon pin (20.5 litres). Cask-conditioned beer
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The secret language of wine: what is mouthfeel?
Why do some wines feel silky, grippy, creamy or fresh, even before we begin to describe their aromas and flavours? Mouthfeel is one of the most important, and often overlooked, parts of the tasting experience. When you start making tasting notes to record your wine tasting experiences, you'll probably find that they are littered with terms like “smooth”, “rounded” or perhaps “fresh” or “full-bodied”. These are all words that refer to what we call mouthfeel. Mouthfeel, simply put, is the physical sensation that a wine (or other drink) creates in your mouth while you taste it. It encompasses all those other things that are not the aromas and flavours. And all those “other things” are really important in determining our experience of tasting a wine. As so often in wine, once you tune into it, you’ll probably find that you are already perceiving the elements of mouthfeel. Learning how to assess mouthfeel is also a key part of your wine tasting practice, helping you determine a wine’s balan
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Gin: the spirit of juniper
From ancient remedies and the notorious Gin Craze to today’s wave of botanical innovation, gin has travelled a long and often turbulent path. Drinks journalist Jacopo Mazzeo explores how juniper came to define the spirit and the production choices behind the many styles of gin we know today. A Brief History of Gin Compared with many of the world’s greatest spirits, gin has remained remarkably consistent in its defining character throughout history: a distillate flavoured primarily with juniper. Yet the journey that transformed it into the popular drink it is today has been anything but straightforward. Over the centuries, gin’s fortunes have swung from respected medicinal remedy to symbol of social depravity, before it eventually emerged as one of the most innovative and dynamic categories in modern distilling. For millennia, humans have recognised the functional properties of juniper berries, incorporating them into foods and drinks. The ancient Egyptians are thought to have used juni
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Think you know Bordeaux? Think again
White wines from the Médoc. Red wines carrying the Entre-deux-Mers name. The return of Bordeaux Claret. If those combinations sound surprising, you're not alone. For many people, Bordeaux means structured red blends, famous châteaux and centuries of tradition. Yet some of the region's most interesting developments are happening well beyond the wines it's best known for. During a recent WSET webinar with the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB), three emerging appellations and styles took centre stage: Médoc Blanc, Entre-deux-Mers Rouge and the newly redefined Bordeaux Claret. None appeared overnight. Each has roots stretching back years, or even centuries, but now has a clearer identity and a bigger role to play in Bordeaux's future. Together, they show how one of the world's most established wine regions continues to adapt without losing the character that made it famous. A new chapter for Bordeaux New appellations often make headlines because they sound like something
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Navarra rosé and the enduring magic of Garnacha
Mention rosé and Provence is often the first region that comes to mind. Yet for centuries, Navarra in northern Spain has been producing rosado with a style and identity entirely its own. From historic Garnacha vineyards to the traditional saignée method still used by many producers today, Navarra has played an important role in shaping how premium rosé is understood in Spain. Inspired by a recent webinar with Teresa Guilarte DipWSET, we explore the history, winemaking techniques and grape variety behind one of the country’s most celebrated rosé regions. A region defined by contrasting terroir To understand Navarra rosé, it helps to start with the landscape. Located in northern Spain, Navarra sits at the crossroads of several climatic influences. To the north, the Pyrenees bring cooler temperatures, forests and Atlantic influences. To the south, the Ebro Valley introduces warmer Mediterranean conditions, with sun-drenched landscapes that can feel almost desert-like in places. The result
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Wheat beer explained
From hazy Bavarian wheat beers to bright and refreshing Belgian classics, wheat has helped define some of beer’s most distinctive styles. But what exactly does wheat contribute during brewing, and how does it influence what we taste in the glass? In this guest article, beer educator Ryan Guerreri explores the brewing science, flavour characteristics and classic styles behind one of beer’s most versatile ingredients. Wheat beer is a broad category of beers united by the use of wheat alongside barley. Although the name suggests a single style, it actually encompasses everything from soft, banana-forward German hefeweizen to bright, tart Berliner Weisse and citrusy Belgian witbier. While barley remains the foundation of most beer recipes, wheat contributes distinctive texture, appearance, and drinkability. Understanding wheat's role in brewing can help tasters better identify what they are tasting, smelling, and seeing in the glass. Whether examining brewing techniques, flavour characteri
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The evolution of low and no-alcohol beer
The rise of low and no-alcohol beer has been one of the most significant shifts in modern brewing. As more consumers moderate their drinking, brewers are proving that flavour, style and technical quality do not need to depend on alcohol. Few understand that challenge better than Nirvana Brewery, one of the UK’s early pioneers in dedicated alcohol-free brewing. Drawing on insights from a recent WSET webinar with Head Brewer James Rabagliati, this article explores how brewers have helped transform the category. Brewing beer, not substitutes Alcohol-free beer has not always been brewed with style diversity in mind. For many years, the category focused primarily on creating alternatives to existing beers rather than building distinctive products in their own right. When Nirvana Brewery was founded in 2016, alcohol-free beer was still often treated as a compromise. Choice was limited, styles were few and many products felt more like alternatives rather than beers people genuinely sought out
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Discovering Slovakia through wine
Slovakia is not a country many people immediately associate with wine. Yet this small Central European nation has been producing wine for more than 2,000 years and is home to a remarkably diverse and historically significant wine culture. Inspired by a recent WSET webinar with Lucia Dovalova, this blog explores the history, geography and grape varieties that have shaped Slovak wine, along with the producers helping bring greater international attention to the country today. A small country with a rich wine heritage Slovakia’s winemaking history stretches back thousands of years, with evidence suggesting vines were present in the region as early as the sixth or seventh century BC. During the Roman era, viticulture expanded further, with new grape varieties introduced under the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Over the centuries, migration, trade and cultural exchange all helped shape the vineyards that exist today. Like much of Europe, Slovak viticulture has faced periods of disruption
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Qvevri: The ancient vessel at the heart of Georgian winemaking
Long before stainless steel tanks, oak barrels or modern winery technology, wine was being fermented beneath the earth in buried clay vessels. In Georgia, that ancient tradition never disappeared. In this guest article, Georgian winemaker and educator Shalva Khetsuriani explores the story of qvevri, the remarkable vessel that has remained central to Georgian winemaking for thousands of years and still influences how wine is made today. Every ancient wine civilisation once made wine in clay. Almost all eventually abandoned it, but one never did. That civilisation is Georgia. For more than eight millennia, wine has been woven into the country's landscape, culture and daily life. Today, more than 500 indigenous grape varieties are known in Georgia, making it one of the richest reservoirs of vine diversity anywhere in the world. Regions including Kakheti, Imereti, Kartli, Guria, Samegrelo, Racha-Lechkhumi and Atchara each preserve their own grape varieties, local traditions and distinctive