Taste and Compare Academy of Wine, Spirits and Food
Your Place for Wine and Spirits Education in Portland and Eugene
  • Home Page Taste and Compare Academy of Wine, Spirits and Food
  • Portugal 2020!
  • Portugal 2020! Reservations
  • Wine Travel- Come with us to the Great Wine Regions of the World!!
  • French Wine Scholar
    • FWS Endorsements
    • FWS Program Brochure
  • Wine Scholar Guild Membership
  • Certified Specialist of Spirits
  • Certified Specialist of Wine
  • Wine FUNdamentals
  • Spirits for Enthusiasts
  • Bios
  • Follow us on Facebook!
  • Join our Mailing List
  • Contact
The Certified Specialist of Spirits recognizes a core achievement in having mastered the fundamentals of knowing fermentation and distillation of all major spirits types and categories, mixing history, development and distinguishing characteristics of style and terroir that make each spirit special.

The CSS was created by Master Distiller Chris Morris and Hoke Harden, Spirits Educator, and gifted to the Society of Wine Educators.  The Society offers professional educational third-party certification credentials to aspiring trade professionals.  The Society was founded in 1974  as a not-for-profit (501c3) organization with the mission to advance wine and spirits education through professional development and certification.

Taste and Compare Academy offers the Certified Specialist of Spirits  ‘Spirits Intensive ‘ package, with a 12 hour instructor-led “Spirits Intensive”, including a comprehensive tasting of more than forty spirits'; and arranges a certification examination proctored by the Society of Wine Educators.

 Professional certification requires a score of 75 or more from an objective test of 100 points within one hour.

For the best results, sign up early, receive your Study Guide, self-study, then sit the Spirits Intensive as the final review prior to taking your examination.
Note:  Neither Taste and Compare Academy nor the SWE guarantees you will pass the examination if you take  the entire package.  That solely depends on your ability to answer the questions asked.  Based on past results, however, those students who have thoroughly read the Study Guide and have taken the Spirits Intensive have a high pass rate.
Click on the right hand icon at the bottom of the page to see a full page copy of the brochure.

If you are working in the industry or are a student or alumnus of the Oregon Culinary Discount, or if you have taking the French Wine Scholar Study and Certification program, contact Hoke Harden at 415-378-5516 for special pricing.