Edinburgh Whisky Academy exports its knowledge to China
Scotland’s only Scottish Qualifications Authority-approved whisky educator has signed an international partnership with Shanghai-based whisky school, the Chief Whisky Society.
,The Edinburgh Whisky Academy (EWA) provides whisky education to bar staff and whisky enthusiasts at venues across mainland China and the new Edinburgh Whisky Academy partnership will see the Scottish organisation provide China-based training to EWA Diploma standard for all of the Chief Whisky Society’s teachers as well as endorsing their whisky school as a centre of excellence in China for whisky education.
The CWS also runs and organises China’s biggest whisky festival, Whisky L.
The agreement marks the EWA’s first international partnership and was welcomed with a special signing ceremony in Shanghai, attended by Chief Whisky Society founder, David Lee as well as Edinburgh Whisky Academy managing director, Kirsty McKerrow and EWA expert, Vic Cameron who delivered the first course as part of the new partnership.
The Edinburgh Whisky Academy was founded by Kirsty, who has worked as a brand ambassador for brands including Glenmorangie and Ardbeg and whose family is steeped in whisky heritage with her forefathers starting Mackinlays whisky in 1815. She established the Edinburgh Whisky Academy in 2015 to fill what she felt was a vital gap in the Scotch Whisky education market.
Pictured in Shanghai signing a new international whisky education partnership between the Edinburgh Whisky Academy (EWA) and the Shanghai-based Chief Whisky Society (CWS) are: Jacob Tang and Derek Zhang from CWS, EWA MD, Kirsty McKerrow, CWS founder, David Lee, EWA expert, Vic Cameron and Willis Xu from CWS.
Kirsty said: ‘The international market for Scotch Whisky has grown substantially in recent years and with that has come a desire by customers across the globe to learn more about this complex spirit.
‘More and more establishments are recognising the business benefits of having staff who understand Scotch Whisky, from its history and production and maturation processes to the ability to demonstrate how to nose a whisky. We’re delighted that our first international partnership has been created in such an important emerging market for the Scotch Whisky industry.’
The Edinburgh Whisky Academy offers three whisky courses and has provided training for some of Scotland’s top distillers and hospitality providers, including Macallan, Ian Macleod Distillers, Chivas, Interbev, Montpeliers and Whyte & Mackay.
The Academy’s Diploma in Single Malt Whisky is the only one of its kind and offers a fully SQA certified qualification for brand ambassadors, spirits retailers, whisky and hospitality professionals, whisky writers and bloggers and distillery guides.
Other SQA certified courses include the Introduction to Whisky Certificate, an online course aimed at satellite distributors, sales staff, tour guides as well as those enthusiasts new to whisky and a Diploma in the Art of Tasting Whisky. The EWA also offers an SQA certified Diploma in Gin.
For more details visit https://www.edinburghwhiskyacademy.com/
Author
TAGS
FOLLOW US
