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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
19 hours ago11 min read


Baijiu Basics: Why China's Best-Kept Secret Is the Biggest Category Western Bars Have Never Stocked
The world's largest spirit. The smallest section on most American back bars. Here's what bartenders, retailers, and curious drinkers need to know about baijiu in 2026, and why the next five years will look nothing like the last fifty.
Mathew Benoit
May 1413 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
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