Certified Specialist of Spirits or WSET Level 3 Spirits - which should I do?

After completing my final WSET Level 4 Diploma Wine exam in October 2025, I wasn’t quite ready to stop studying. So, I enrolled in WSET Level 3 Spirits.
Why?
I’ve worked in wine and spirits distribution, alongside spirits brands, and spent years telling the stories behind the products. But there’s a lot of technical knowledge you simply don’t pick up from working in the industry.
Having grown up and lived in rum-producing countries and with the growth of the cocktail culture, understanding spirits at a deeper level feels particularly relevant.
Somewhere along the way, I thought: why not study for the Society of Wine Educators’ Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) at the same time?
Some people may question why I would do both simultaneously.
I’ll admit it: I do have a bit of an obsession with learning!

Having completed both, here’s my take:

WSET Level 3 Spirits

Strengths
• Strong emphasis on Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT)
• Short-answer questions require deeper understanding
• Excellent for developing tasting, writing & communication skills
Challenges
• In-person exam adds to travel expenses
• Higher cost & expense of sourcing samples
• Webinars heavily focused on tasting preparation

​SWE Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS)

Strengths
• Strong focus on brands across all categories
• Excellent trade/competitive-set perspective
• More affordable
• 100% online
• Deeper history, category knowledge & industry context
• Useful for teaching, presenting & storytelling
Challenges
• Tricky multiple-choice exam! 
• Less emphasis on standardized tasting methodology
• No live tasting component

​My verdict?

​CSS was the more accessible and affordable option, with broader content and strong relevance for trade professionals.
But I don’t see them as competitors:
WSET strengthened my tasting and analytical framework while CSS expanded my knowledge of brands, categories, and history.
Ultimately, studying the same subject from two different perspectives was far more valuable to me than simply collecting another qualification.
Now… perhaps I really should take a break from studying...NOT!
#caribbean #spirits #wset #societyofwineeducators #jamaica #barbados