Virtual Beer Appreciation and Tasting - A Personal Enrichment Short Course

Whether you are a novice beer drinker or a seasoned enthusiast, this program will offer a rich educational experience that combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on tasting sessions. Since it’s fully virtual, anyone from the country or the world can enroll and join us. 

• Participants will be introduced to a high level overview of the brewing process, including the range of ingredients used in beer production that impact the flavor and sensory profiles of individual beers. They will learn about various beer styles, tasting techniques and sensory analysis. There may also be content in sessions regarding food pairings, the social, cultural and historical significance of beer, and the future of beer in our society.
• Participants will be made aware of which beers will be the focus of each session at the time of registration so they can opt to participate in the guided tasting sessions if desired and purchase the beer on their own, before the start of the session. All participants will still have access to the content knowledge imparted in each session regardless of the degree to which they may elect to participate in the guided tasting.
• All sessions will be open for individual enrollment or can be bundled as a series.
• All sessions will be available live-online via Zoom and will last for 90 minutes each.
• Sessions will all follow the same format:
  • Class starts with an introduction to the beers that will be tasted and the style guidelines to which they belong.
  • Beers are tasted one by one. Before the guest pours the beer, we will talk about the production, raw materials and fermentation profile that we should expect from the style.
  • Once the beer is poured we will walk through a guided tasting of each beer where guests will be instructed how to evaluate the sensory profile of the beer properly.
  • Once we’ve evaluated the sensory profile of the beer, we will have a general discussion about the production of the beer and the science of why the beer tastes/smells the way it does.
  • We will close the class with questions about the tasting and invite guests back to the next session. 

Intended audience:

• Adults (aged 21 and older) who are interested in a deeper knowledge and appreciation for the brewing process, the ingredients used, and how different brewing methods influence flavor profiles.

*This is a non-credit certificate.