The Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers (CIBD), the most widely recognised provider of technical education in the distilling industry, has launched a brand new self-assessed and on demand technical short course in Whisk(e)y Production.

The Whisk(e)y Production course is the latest in a hugely popular series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses. It is aimed at distillers producing whisk(e)y in distilleries of all sizes, providing a practical understanding of all stages of the whisk(e)y production processes.

The course provides essential knowledge and best practice for whisk(e)y production at a commercial scale. 
The course covers raw materials, how to understand their specifications, how they’re used to produce wort, fermentation, batch and continuous still distillation, maturation and blending. It also explains how to assess and analyse whiskies using laboratory and sensory methods. 
This course has been developed in collaboration with leading distillers and spirits experts. These include:

• Billy Mitchell – Consultant, Will and Spirit Limited
• Ian Thorn – Master Distiller and Operations Manager, Starward Whisky Distillery
• Chris Thomson – Master Distiller, Pernod Ricard
• Kim Møller-Elshøj - Consultant, Whiskymaker & Co

The Whisk(e)y Production course provides the same technical excellence found in all CIBD qualifications, without needing to take a formal exam. 
The course includes a downloadable PDF with technical information including :

• A summary of the key points of the course
• Details of the significance of the analyses carried out during productionKey calculations for whisk(e)y production
• An overview of whisk(e)y production from raw materials through to blending

The course features text, videos, animations, quizzes, and online games to  enhance learning. At the end of the course, learners receive a Certificate of Completion.

On this announcement, Ed Wray, Technical Development Manager for distilling, explains:
“This short course provides in-depth scientific and technical information specifically about whisk(e)y production. It is written in collaboration with experts in the field and with the technical rigour and accuracy that you expect from the CIBD. If you want to gain an understanding of whisk(e)y production from grain to glass, or you want to optimise your whisk(e)y production processes, then this is the course for you!”

30th September 2025