Last week I made my over to Bermondsey to join the WSET for their Level 1 Awards in Spirits, safe to say I did not know what to expect.

The Wine and Spirits Education Trust provide courses in wines, wine service, spirits and sake and you can attend even if you’re just an enthusiastic gin snob like myself.

The day consisted of a run through of all the different spirits, how they’re made, what defines them and importantly, how they should taste. Then we moved onto the tasting, have you ever spat enthusiastically in a room full of suited businessmen? I have.

We slurped our way through vodka, tequila and everything in between (I am now partial to £90-a-bottle cognac) and we learnt how to properly taste and properly describe that taste. It was completely fascinating.

Granted I may not retain all the detail I needed for the exam such as the percentage makeup of different grains in different spirits but I will remember key facts like:

Gin is actually just a flavoured vodka

Vodka is just alcohol that’s distilled to 97/98%

You can make London Dry gin anywhere, but it can only be flavoured through distillation

It’s official: the best single malt comes from Japan *ducks and runs for cover*

Golden tequila is basically just silver tequila with added colour

When made from 100% blue agave tequila is actually delicious

Single Malt Whisky means it’s made from a blend of whiskys from one distillery, not from a single batch

The world of spirits is much more complex than you might imagine and everything you thought you knew about single malt whisky and why you like that gin could well be very wrong. That guy at the bar who so confidently only orders Jack Daniels probably doesn't know why, but thanks to marketing he knows he only drinks Tenessse whiskey. It's incredibly intersting to know how all these spirits are made and which ones really are quality, plus it makes standing in the drinks aisle in Waitrose or ordering at that cocktail bar a lot less intimidating.

The main thing I’ve taken away from it?

My gin snobbery is now confirmed and even more dangerously, qualified. I have always preferred a London Dry gin and I now hold gins who use maceration and additives to give flavour with a healthy degree of suspicion. Why artifically add cucumber (you know who I’m talking about) when you can delicately and artfully balance flavour with a range of unique botanicals? Also, it turns out cognac is really delicious - I spy a revival.

If you’re a home cocktail enthusiast, a drinks geek or looking for an original birthday present then I couldn’t recommend this day course enough.

Roanna Day Roanna is the Digital Editor of Red Online.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io