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I was enjoying a Counter Weight Brewing Workhorse Pils (German-style Pils), last night at a local restaurant, and that got me thinking about today's Beverage Notes, which touch on one of the great beer styles of the world. It's a style that has become the new darling of the craft beer industry. I am speaking specifically about Pilsner.
What is a Pilsner beer? A pilsner is a crisp, pale type of lager, often with a balanced addition of slightly bittering hops (as opposed to aromatic hops). The style first appeared in 1842 in the city of Pilsen, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), created by brewer Josef Groll. Typically, it has a clear golden color, active and persistent bubbles, and a clean, refreshing taste with a bitter hop finish. Why are these great styles of beers? The clean, refreshing taste is key. Unlike Ales, and especially IPAs, a Pilsner will be much lighter on the palate. This is because it is a Lager, and Lagers are known for a clean, very easy-drinking style due to higher levels of carbonation. These beers are also typically between 4.5% and 5.5% alcohol by volume (abv), which is great for today's more attentive lifestyles. The other key point about Pilsner is the hops. Over the past 10-15 years, craft brewers have used an increasingly heavier load of hops in their beers, with the mindset that more is better. This is how we get the very hazy, heavily aromatic style of IPAs, especially the NEIPAs. Well, a bit of palate fatigue has set in, and drinkers have gotten weary of all those hops - especially those very heavy resin, super aromatic hop varieties. Well, back in the 1840's, the brewers in Pilsen only had a couple of hops to use in their brewing process, and these hops were/are more bitter and crisp, rather than highly aromatic. Using these hops allowed for a balanced beer that was light and very easy to drink, but finished with a slight bitterness that was/is refreshing. I like to think of these bittering hops in my Pilsner the same way I look at acidity in Sauvignon blanc. It provides that refreshing quality in the beer without having to add a lot of weight to the glass. This is why Sauvignon blanc are extremely popular and why Pilsners have really become the backbone of the American brewing industry. Many of the traditional American premium beers (from Budweiser to Miller and on down the line) are really just based around a traditional German Pilsner style. German Pilsners tend to have less bitter hops and are lighter, cleaner lagers. The Czech Pilsners are the style emulated by many American craft brewers today. We are seeing many craft brewers discovering the beauty of the Pilsner style, and are making this the new benchmark in competition and versatility in beer production. Pilsners are highly versatile food partners. Their high carbonation cuts through fat, while the sharp hop bitterness cleanses the palate after rich bites. Here are the best food pairing examples categorized by meal type: Pub Classics & Fried Foods
Light Mains & Seafood
Cheese & Charcuterie
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 Paso Robles in California is the stated place of origin on the Broadside Cabernet Sauvigon, while Saint-Estephe is the appellation name for the Château de Pez from the region of Bordeaux in France Morning
Wine Education Notes for Everyone... Knowing where a wine comes from is one criterion we have to meet: understand that wine, be able to explain it to a guest, and perhaps make qualified food-and-wine pairing recommendations. But how do we know where a wine comes from, let alone the grape(s) used to make the wine, and other techniques used in the production of the wine that affect its style, and even the quality in the glass? This is easily done by knowing and understanding the appellation of the wine. But what is an appellation, and how can it tell us all this info? Appellation is a term that essentially refers to the geographical place where the wine grapes were grown. But depending on the place, the appellation can provide additional information. The wine world is often divided into two broad systems when it comes to labeling practices and the info an appellation will tell us: classic European wine regions, and everywhere else. It is well understood that modern winemaking really has its origins in Europe, where wine has been grown and made for thousands of years. Throughout this history, wine was almost always associated with the place it was made, and the wines were often referred to by that place name. If you went to the city of Bordeaux in France, you would drink Bordeaux wine. If you went to the village of Barolo in Italy, you drank Barolo. People appreciated the wines from certain regions and would order them or promote them by the place names, and over time the best quality wines and regions became famous. We still know many of these regions today as they appear on our wine lists. We call them the classic wine regions, or classic appellations. As wine production spread beyond Europe, the wine villages and classic appellation names were no longer used to identify the wines. This coincided with a more accurate understanding of the grapes being grown in Europe and taken to other parts of the world, and wine was often referred to by the grape name - no matter where it was grown and made. This is how we have Chardonnay from California, Chile, Australia, and so on. But Chablis (made from Chardonnay grapes) only comes from one small region in France. So, for the rest of the world, the grape became the major identifier for any wine, but we still wanted to know where it was produced. As such, most labels will state a geographical place of origin for the wine - such as Napa Valley, Mendoza, Willamette Valley, etc. These place names are effectively the appellation: they tell us where the wine comes from, but not much else. Sometimes these places can be quite broad - "California," for instance, which means the grapes used in the wine can be grown/sourced/blended from anywhere in the appellation, which is the entire state of California. Or appellations can be as small as one single vineyard - DeCarle Vineyard, for instance, which is used by Nickel & Nickel on one of their wines. All of the grapes must be sourced only from that vineyard, if it is stated on the label. Generally speaking (but not absolutely always the case), the more specific the appellation, the more unique and also often the higher quality the wine will be. There is one other big difference between the classic European appellations and the rest of the world appellations, and that is that in Europe they have additional regulations (or protections) attached to the use of the appellation name. The regulations help to define the wines from these regions, ensure that they are maintaining style traditions or winemaking standards that establish a minimum quality level for the wines in the regions, and protect against fraudulent use of the appellation name to promote wines from outside the region. Essentially, this is like a trademark to protect the producers in specific regions AND to ensure that the buyer of the wine is getting what they are paying for. Many European regulations will not only state a place of origin, but also the grape or grapes used in the wine, the total volume of grapes a producer can make from a certain area of vineyard (yield), as well as winemaking practices, use of oak aging, and even release dates and labeling guidelines. It is a system that has been revised for more than 100 years in places like France, Italy, and the rest of Europe, and it is very much adhered to. Breaking the rules is considered fraud, and violators can be prosecuted. At the end of the day, place often does matter with wine. Knowing the origin of the wine through the appellation can tell us a lot about the bottle before we ever taste it - especially for classic European wines. Knowing the cuisine of the same region can be a huge help in making suggestions for pairing. But even if you don't know or sell the regional cuisines of certain wine regions, it is possible to make recommendations for food styles that may be similar. We will cover some of these food & wine pairing basics in future notes, but for today just understand that: - Appellations are stated on all labels, - Appellations refer to the place a wine is grown, and that if you are in Europe, you can get more info about the wines by knowing the guidelines for the appellation, - In Europe, the appellation may not say the grapes outright on the label, but it will tell you the country, region, town, or even vineyard a wine was grown in, - In the rest of the world, appellations simply tell you the place of origin for the wine, and the more specific the place, often the more unique and (for the most part) the higher quality the wine will be. Please let me know if you have any questions. Brian Mitchell WSET's academic calendar year begins on Aug 1, 2025, and this time of year finds us busy building out all of the new dates for courses, workshops, and exams. This does take us some time as we have to look ahead and plan out the best path for our students in coordination with he course dates. This year, we have mirrored the plan generally used and refined over the past five years, as it seems to work for us and our students. This calendar includes dozens of course dates at all levels, as well as twelve workdays designed to help with exam prep. Our exam schedule follows the same pattern, as well, which involves a coordinated date on the first Saturday of each month for remote exams, as well as 10 in-person exam dates throughout the year. Keep in mind that we can also add customized remote exam dates if the schedule suits your needs better. We ask our students to consider the established dates first, as this minimizes the administrative needs on our side, but if those established date just do not work out for you then please contact us and we will work to find a date and time that works best for your schedule. Here are the 2025-2026 critical dates to keep in mind...
 Practice your WSET Level 3 course at home with the perfect wines.
NEWA has partnered with e-tasting.com to provide students with tasting sample kits. Finding the correct wines and buying bottles is not convenient. This is why e-tasting.com developed for you the perfect tasting samples in terms of quantity and quality, thanks to their patented process for preserving the quality of the wine. These tasting sets are carefully crafted in Napa, California, ensuring that each sample retains its authenticity. This makes the tasting experience easier during your online wine training. Students currently enrolled in a NEWA course may request a discount code (also included in your welcome letter) in order to receive a 5% discount on your tasting kit orders. The Level 1 kit has 10 select wine samples, each coordinated to the WSET Level 1 curriculum. The Level 2 kit has 12 select wine samples, each also coordinated with the curriculum. The Level 3 kit has 64 select samples, each coordinated to the WSET Level curriculum. Students can also request WSET styled tasting notes by selecting the "tasting notes" option at check-out to obtain a description of each Vinotte in accordance with the WSET's systematic approach to tasting. These tasting notes will be sent by EMAIL after order confirmation. Please note that it is not required to taste samples for the exam at Levels 1 and 2, as these are theory only examination qualifications. Level 3 does involve a tasting component to the exam and it is strongly encouraged that students taste the recommended list of samples in the WSET Specification in order to develop their tasting skills and practice their response material. E-Tasting.com is solely responsible for the transaction and purchase of the kits as well as the shipping. You can verify delivery in your area on the respective product page. All inquiries and customer support issues should be directed to E-Tasting.com. NEWA is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged packages and samples. I am working on a proper January update that I will post later this week, but I did want to get a quick note out about the Level 3 Wine Exam and Tasting workshop that I will be hosting on Saturday Jan 18 (this week).
We have a number of students that are currently signed up and attending, but the new space we are using for our classes and exam at Worldwide Wine & Spirits in Southington, Ct, has a fantastic classroom with tons of space. Whenever I do one of these quarterly workshops, I like to extend the opportunity to anyone interested in attending to join us. There typically is a charge for the course (I do have costs involved), but since I am already committed to hosting the event, I have added a sale price on to the normal $99 attendance fee, dropping it to $49.50. This means you get to hop on to a full day of tastings and discussion with some wine theory thrown in as well, all at the WSET Level 3 course material. So if you are currently studying or considering joining a level 3 course, or perhaps just simple like to taste wine in a more organized and professional setting, please consider joining me this Saturday. We start at 9:30 am. Typically break for lunch at 12:30. Finish up by about 3 pm, or so. Taste four flights of wine with presentation and group discussion and a breakdown of each wine in a blind tasting format, working through the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting. For any questions please reach out to me. To register for the workshop - please use this link: Tasting Workshop and Exam Prep - WSET Level 3 Wine (18-Jan-2025) Cheers, BMitch I recently had a request to add the Hugo Spritz to my corporate cocktail library.
But what is this Spritz and who is Hugo? Doing a quick search on line you get a mix of ideas and uses. Some people consider the Hugo to be the Alpine Spritz, where you are working with alpine flavors and aromas to achieve a different variation on the Spritz. Essentially using Elderflower as the base rather than Aperol. This is because the drink originates in the Alpine region of northern Italy called the Dolomites. Elderflower and similar floral ingredients are more common than the citrus used for Aperol's flavor. Not really sure who Hugo is, though. I'll get back to you on that one. But I recently had a drink that I liked very much called an Alpine Spritz made with Braulio Amaro, Cardamaro, and a touch of lemon juice + lemon swath as garnish. Served in a footed glass – you can use a wine glass or simply use a highball as well, depending on what you have available. I tested the recipe out and I basically got to about ¾ oz each on the Braulio and Cardamaro with ¼ lemon juice, topped with Soda. Like all cocktails though, you can adapt based on yoru personal preferences. Braulio is a great Amaro, and this drink can be a great cooler weather addition/alternative to the Spritz category. I would like to see more additions with Amaro and Fernet (not just Branca) to the drink category offerings at more restaurants and bars. These are great Sessionable Cocktails styles with lower abv for the Sober-Curious. And they are great aperitif cocktails, as they are refreshing, slightly bitter (kind of mouthwatering like acidity in a white wine), and help to get your palate ready to eat. Lower abv also means you can have a drink, and then maybe another, without a major impact on your senses, so to speak. Here are a few of my standard recipes fo these drinks... Hugo Spritz 1/2oz St Germain or other Elderflower liqueur 1 spring mint muddled with Elderflower in glass 4oz Prosecco 1oz Club Soda to fill Lemon and Mint Spring for garnish Build in wine or other short footed glass, or in a highball Alpine Spritz 3/4oz Braulio Amaro 3/4oz Cardamaro 1/4oz Lemon juice Club Soda to fill Large lemon swath expressed and to garnish Build in Highball or footed beer glass or wine glass Fernet con Coca Fernet and Coke anyone? 1.5oz Fernet of choice 4-5 oz of Cola Lemon wheel garnish I have a growing collection of Amaro and Fernet on my kitchen bar. I am slowly posting thoughts on these items on my Substack, so check it out if you are interested. Jose Andres is one of the most creative and inspiring people in the culinary world. With a background that includes El Bulli, he emigrated to the US 30 years ago, and has gone on to build a global restaurant empire rarely seen. I have eaten at several of his restaurants and the experience was at the top of my list. I cannot wait for it to happen again.
Additionally, he is a humanitarian through and through. The releaf organization he supports - World Central Kitchen - is as inspiring as it gets. Often being one of the first NGOs on the ground in disaster areas, they support people at their worst moment, virtually anywhere. Serving meals is one of the best means of support that people in a disaster can be helped with. We are deep into Dry January in the short term, and an increasingly sober-curious world in a broader sense. Being in the drinks industry this causes me some obvious conflicts in how to approach things, but I have had to adapt and embrace this trend. I have long held to the system of drink less, but drink better in my personal life. Many of us in the industry feel as though we are truly a generation or two away from seeing this trend work it way through. It feels as though it be a long time before a plateau and a correction might occur. Don't get me wrong - people are still drinking - but what they drink and how often they drink has definitely shifted, especially among younger generations. Industry pros are learning and addressing this trend head-on. If you are not, then you are being left behind. This week, Jose Andres posted a great note on Substack discussing current trends in the low and no alcohol drink conversation. I think it warrants a read. Here is the link... A great cocktail program is intentional. https://open.substack.com/pub/joseandres/p/what-does-drinking-look-like-in-2025?r=17ewma&utm_medium=ios Well, it looks as though winter has finally found the northeast. Plus, we finally have some decent rain in the forecast, so the pressure on the plants and lawns (looking ahead here) has lessened. We will see what a weak La Nina winter has in store, but so far it’s just a little cold and dreary.
New England Wine Academy Gift Certificates Make an Awesome Last-minute Gift You can buy a gift certificate in any amount right up to or even past the holiday. Follow this link to find 'em! Everyone could use some knowledge, so why not a course with NEWA and WSET? WSET UPDATE and Holiday Schedule Reminder We have a number of course registrations quickly coming due. WSET has pulled back on the very restrictive dates that they have implemented in the past with regard to submitting registrations for courses ahead of the holiday break, but there are still some very obvious office closures around Christmas and New Year’s that will affect the registration days. Please take a look and sign up earlier than later if you are considering a class in early January. It will definitely be beneficial. Also, if you are considering a WSET course as a gift for someone special, we have gift certificates available in any denomination. Or if you simply want to buy a class for someone else and keep it a surprise - let us know. We can hold the registrations until they are finally due so that your person will not receive an email for a class and blow a surprise before you can gift it. We are here and happy to work with all your needs. Quick household update from my earlier post... The kids have all left! Yes, the last one left for Colorado just after Thanksgiving, and in the first week out there has settled in an apartment, gone on a date, and has even secured a job! Busy guy, but that is what 25 gets you. Sorry to see him so far away, but it has given us an opportunity (for obvious reasons) to travel to Boulder this winter - and that's just what we are doing. Aside from my son being there, now, one of the things that has attracted my interest in going out to Boulder is that Bobby Stuckey, Master Sommelier, has a restaurant group in the Boulder area, and I have always wanted to check them out. Here is my chance, I guess. You can read about Mr Stuckey via this link and see his incredible restaurants. If you are really interested you can also find his wines available on national distribution. The label is called Scarpetta, and the wines are affordable and great tasting. I'll report back about the dining scene if I manage to get to one. Speaking of Master Sommeliers - What is the deal with them and is it still a relevant title to pursue? I get questions about the Court of Master Sommelier (Americas), titles, and processes, all the time. I am an Advanced Sommelier, which means I have passed what some people refer to as the Level 3 Somm exam. This was a three-day exam that involved (day one) a service presentation to two Master Somms, and then another service presentation to two Master Somms, all evaluating you on knowledge and execution of service standards, knowledge of products and menus, hospitality skills, and handling certain situational needs that may arise, and a bit of decanting. (Day 2) practical tasting of 6 wines in a blind setting in front of a panel of Master Sommeliers. Each wine is verbally dissected down the "grid" to draw a conclusion and hopefully identify as closely as possible the grape/style, vintage, and quality level. (Day 3) a multi-part written exam that starts with an evaluation of your knowledge of how to operate a beverage program and evaluate certain products in a professional setting, followed by a lengthy written theory exam. I prepared for this exam with hundreds - probably thousands - of hours of study over several years, with a somewhat extended delay due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 - I passed in October of 2021 in St Louis, Mo. This is just for the Level 3 / Advanced Sommelier exam, though. The Master Exam is way harder and passed by very few people. Some say it's just a little too hard, and kept that way on purpose so the title MS is not overly extended. However you want to think of it, it's still exclusive and rigorous. Maybe one day a fella will get to it, but probably not. To get an up-to-date view of this title and what's involved you can check out this article that came out last week. Do you like it mixed or straight? Here is another pretty interesting article about the evolution of the cocktail. It came out this week and goes into depth about whether we are a mixed cocktail culture or a straight culture and what is the preferred way to enjoy your spirits. Personally, I like it both ways depending on the spirit, the occasion, the weather, etc. Take a peek and let me know your thoughts. And finally back to the household... As I believe I reported earlier, kid #3 had moved to Michigan earlier this fall. The update is that she is now working as an EMT, and boy is she starting to accumulate some stories. The daily routine is not really a routine. The people she encounters - often on their worst day - are just amazing. It's a real eye-opener to see how people live, how they handle often terrible situations, and how they persevere through life. I am blown away by how she (my kid) handles herself in these situations - and even thrives on the job. Steady nerves and lots of kindness. Good things to think about. Happy holidays to all and have a great start to your 2025, if I don’t see you before. Did I mention we have gift certificates? We’re excited to be launching a major update to the WSET Level 3 Award in Spirits on 1 February 2025.
Any current student candidate in the Level 3 Spirits program will be sitting the current exam which correlates with the current material. Students sitting for a course after Feb 1, 2025, will receive updated material and will be automatically registered for the updated exam (Issue 3). It is important to note that there is a transition period for the sitting of exams, and if you have a partial pass in either unit, you will have the opportunity to sit the Issue 1/2 (older) exam for a period up to Feb 2026. After this date all exams will be issued in the new material update and students would be advised to review the new material and/or retake the course if they were interested in sitting the new exam. As always, please reach out to NEWA via email if you have any questions.  WSET Digital Certificates
We are very pleased to announce that beginning this month, all level 1 and level 2 candidates that sit and successfully pass their respective exams, will receive digital certificates from WSET. Why has WSET introduced digital certificates? WSET has partnered with Accredible, a world leading digital certificate platform, to bring you a fast, sustainable, and secure alternative to paper certificates. For more information about digital certificates, visit the WSET FAQ section. What is a digital certificate? A digital certificate is essentially an online version of a paper certificate that a candidate receives after they finish a WSET qualification. Instead of being a physical piece of paper, it’s a unique webpage that is linked to the candidate’s email address, which can easily be shared on social media, or to potential employers. What are the key benefits of digital certificates? Digital certificates will bring you a huge range of benefits, including the following:
How do they work? We’re keen to keep digital certificate management as easy, simple and low-effort as possible, and the process will be as follows:
Level 3 Candidates will continue to receive paper certificates for the near future. Help & support We understand that you’ll likely have lots of questions about digital certificates. Please read our FAQs. For more information, or if you would like to discuss the specific details of this system please email out to New England Wine Academy. The new system will be implemented with December 2024 exam candidates. |
ABOUT THE Author
Brian Mitchell runs The New England Wine Academy, and is responsible for the content of this blog. With 30 years of drinks industry experience, Brian has learned a few things, but everyday he is learning more. This blog helps to bring that knowledge to you. Archives
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we advocate making responsible decisions
we advocate making responsible decisions