Edinburgh Whisky Academy course heads to New York

Whisky enthusiasts will be able to complete the Edinburgh Whisky Academy’s flagship single malt diploma in person in New York City.

The Edinburgh Whisky Academy (EWA) will run the single malt whisky diploma course at Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn on 10 and 11 September.

Certified by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), the diploma is the only one of its kind and the EWA’s highest award.

Last year, the EWA made its single malt whisky diploma available virtually for the first time. It had previously only been available as a two-day, in-person course in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Kirsty McKerrow, founder and managing director of the EWA, said: “North America is a key market for us. Over the past year, more than 1,000 candidates have accessed our courses from the region, with the vast majority studying online.

“To be able to travel and teach our flagship course in person really complements our hugely accessible online offer and further strengthens our position as the go-to Scotch whisky educator.

“With the travel and hospitality industries finally opening again at scale, it seemed like the perfect time to take EWA across the Atlantic where we’ll hopefully meet with candidates – past, present and future – to share a dram and talk all things Scotch whisky.”

The course will cover raw materials, batch distillation, maturation and world whiskies, plus a session on sensory skills. Two modules are delivered online for self-study: the history of whisky and distillation, and the business of whisky.

Students will gain the SQA certification after a final assessment, which will include nosing and tasting nine whiskies. The course will be capped at 25 students, who will be taught by EWA lecturer Vic Cameron.

Booking is available via edinburghwhiskyacademy.com, and is priced at £1,100 (US$1,390) per person.