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Beverage Alcohol Certifications Explained: WSET, Cicerone, CMS, CSS, AFNA, HBC, FBC & How to Choose the Right One
If you work in beverage alcohol long enough, the same question keeps coming up. A new hire asks what they should study. A distributor rep wants to level up. A retail manager wants a credential on the wall. A brand owner wants their team trained.
And every time, the same alphabet soup gets thrown around. WSET. Cicerone. CMS. CSS. AFNA. Sommelier. Master this. Certified that.
Mathew Benoit
May 2711 min read


Best Learning Techniques for Retail Training (2026 Guide)
Discover the best learning techniques for retail training. Learn how spaced repetition, active recall, and contextual learning improve knowledge retention.
Mathew Benoit
May 96 min read


Learn Brands Partners with PKGD Group to Launch PKGD University, Including the Industry's First Raicilla Certification
Today, we're proud to announce the launch of PKGD University, a professional credentialing platform built in partnership with PKGD Group, one of the leading importers of heritage, producer-owned agave spirits in the United States.
Mathew Benoit
Apr 83 min read


Wine Training for Retail and Restaurant Staff: How to Sell Wine with Confidence
If your staff can't explain the difference between a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Grigio, they're not selling wine. They're stocking shelves.
Mathew Benoit
Mar 176 min read


Free Alcohol Training Courses for Retail Teams: The Complete List
If you run a liquor store, bottle shop, grocery alcohol department, or convenience store, you already know the math. You hire someone, spend a few weeks getting them up to speed, and then they leave. You start over. Repeat.
Mathew Benoit
Mar 119 min read


California RBS Certification: How to Get Certified (2026)
If you serve or manage alcohol service at an on-premise venue in California, RBS certification is required by law, and new hires have 60 days from their first day to complete it.
Mathew Benoit
Feb 126 min read


Learn Brands Partners with 360 Training as a Certified Reseller of Compliance Training Courses
Learn Brands is proud to announce a new partnership with 360training, making Learn Brands a certified reseller of 360training’s industry-leading compliance and workforce training courses.
Mathew Benoit
Dec 15, 20253 min read


Alcohol 101: Free Beverage Alcohol Training for Retail Staff
If you manage or work in alcohol retail, having a well-trained staff is essential. Whether you run a liquor store, grocery store, convenience shop, or bottle shop, your employees need to understand how alcohol works, how it is categorized, and how to serve it responsibly.
Mathew Benoit
Nov 22, 20255 min read


Low/No Alcohol, RTDs, and Premiumization: Top Alcohol Industry Trends for 2025
The alcoholic beverage industry is evolving quickly, and 2025 is set to be a defining year for key trends. Among the most impactful shifts are the rise of low/no-alcohol drinks, the explosion of ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails, and the continued premiumization of spirits and other beverages.
Mathew Benoit
Oct 21, 20257 min read


How to Taste Alcohol Like a Pro: The 5-Step Method for Beer, Wine, and Spirits
Anyone can drink. Tasting is a different skill, and it's the one that separates a rep who moves product from one who just hands over a sample.
When you can taste with intention, you can describe what's in the glass, assess quality before you present it, match a customer to the right bottle, and justify a premium price in terms a buyer actually feels. That's true behind the bar, on the sales floor, and in front of an on-premise account. The good news is that tasting is learnab
Mathew Benoit
Sep 16, 20256 min read


Types of Whiskey Explained: A Product Knowledge Guide for Retail & Restaurant Staff
Whether you’re stocking shelves, serving cocktails, or answering guest questions, this course gives you the essential talking points you need to recommend whiskey with ease.
Mathew Benoit
Aug 27, 202511 min read


De-escalation Training for Retail Staff: A Complete Guide
Strong customer service starts with the ability to manage difficult situations. That’s why we created the De-escalation and Conflict Management course on Learn Brands: a training built for real retail environments.
Mathew Benoit
Jul 21, 20255 min read


How to Stay Calm and Avoid Burnout Behind the Bar and on the Retail Floor
Support your team. Improve customer experience. Boost retention.
Retail environments like liquor stores, bars, tasting rooms, and distribution hubs can be high-pressure and fast-moving.
Mathew Benoit
Jul 7, 20255 min read


Closing the Knowledge Gap on Impaired Driving: The Learn Brands and CDOT Partnership
At Learn Brands, we believe education has the power to create safer communities. That’s why we’re proud to support the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) latest initiative to better understand — and close — key knowledge gaps around impaired driving.
Mathew Benoit
Apr 29, 20253 min read


Distributor Sales Training for Beverage Alcohol Brands: Turning the Three-Tier System Into a Competitive Advantage
The brands winning shelf space aren't the loudest. They're the best trained. Here's how beverage alcohol brands use distributor enablement to turn three-tier complexity into a competitive advantage.
Mathew Benoit
Feb 24, 20254 min read
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