So… Who Are You Studying With?

It has been great to see the recent updates from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) 2026 graduation ceremony (not least the smart new branding, which we’re big fans of).

Seeing Napa Valley Wine Academy's CEO Christian Oggenfuss in attendance also caught our eye, as we’ve recently partnered with NVWA - "the most-awarded WSET provider" - to offer their candidates access to our Certificate in Scotch Whisky course.

Ian Harris (ex-WSET CEO) & Kirsty McKerrow (EWA Founder & Managing Director) in Speyside, October 2025

These connections reminded us of a conversation Kirsty had with Ian Harris (ex-WSET CEO) about the relationship between different drinks education providers. The conclusion was simple: rather than being in competition, the offer of EWA and the likes of WSET are more complementary than they might first appear.

From what we see day to day, that rings true.

An interest in education, particularly in whisky and spirits, rarely has a clear endpoint. People don’t tend to take one course and stop. They build on it and branch out or come back for more because they love to learn. Education in this space is more cumulative than competitive. 

We see it in our Approved Course Providers, many of whom are also WSET educators. (Of course they are!) If you’re passionate about teaching, why limit yourself to one framework?

We hear it from candidates too. While we’ve never formally tracked it, it’s common to hear people talk about studying across multiple providers. Maybe this is all obvious. But rather than asking “which is better?” (because let's face it, we're biased), we're interested in how these different experiences build on each other.

So, if you feel like telling us, the comments are open below... which drinks education providers have you studied with?