Certified Spirits Specialist (CSS Exam) FAQ

What does CSS stand for?

CSS stands for Certified Spirit Specialist. The test is administered by the Society for Wine Educators, the same group that administers sommelier testing. A Certified Spirit Specialist quite simply put is a hard liquor sommelier. Hopefully in the future, there is a catchier term for this certification as Certified Spirit Specialist doesn’t have the same allure to it as sommelier (or the even catchier phrase that I’ve been hearing lately – somm).
If you don’t know what a sommelier is – a sommelier is a wine steward who specializes in wine pairing, grape and terroir knowledge, and service. There are three levels of sommelier testing. The first being certification, anyone who is interested in wine and continuing their education can take this test. The second is an advanced degree or a Master Sommelier candidate. Anyone who has passed the first examination can take the second test, which is much more difficult and specializes in blind tasting, practical knowledge, and service. The third level, Master Sommelier is invite only to take the exam and is extremely difficult to pass. There are only 105 Master Sommeliers in the world of which just 15 are women.

What is on the CSS exam?

The Society of Wine Educators gives you a study guide before you take the test, which is comprised of 126 pages that it is broken into eight sections:

1.) About Spirits: Fermentation & Distillation
2.) Whiskies of the World
3.) Brandy
4.) Vodka
5.) Liqueurs & Cordials
6.) Gin
7.) Rum
8.) Tequila

Each section talks about the mash used to make each spirit, fermentation techniques, distilling techniques, government regulation, aging techniques, and tasting wheels.

How difficult is the CSS exam?

Extremely difficult. Let’s put it this way, I spend most of my day in a bar. I spend most of time reading books about booze. All of my friends like to talk about spirits. I studied by reading the entire text very carefully and by using flashcards and I still barely passed the exam. Most of you who take the test will spend the day in a course covering many of the topics, I however did not have this luxury and I wish that I did.

What should I study?

I assume that each time they proctor the exam that it is a different test. I would recommend reading the study guide and reviewing all of the key terms and study questions. This is what I used to make my flashcards. Then after you have studied, I recommend reading the text one more time to pull all the information together. I was really surprised by how many liqueur questions there were and how little that I knew about liqueur when I got to the test (just a head’s up, pretty much anything in the world can fall under the liqueur category).

How long did you study for?

I studied intently for four weeks. I think I would have done a lot better had I read the entire text one last time as I missed some questions that weren’t on my flashcards – but I know were in the text.

Are you glad that you did it?

I’m very glad that I did it. I learned a lot and it pushed me to be more creative by trying to make my own cold-compress liqueurs. (A liqueur made by steeping and maceration rather than distillation.) The test is very expensive, and that would be my only balk. Although, no more expensive than a good dinner and a hotel room in a city. Overall, I think this is really going to change the world of bartending, just like the sommelier testing changed what it meant to be a wine geek. As more and more bartenders, bar chefs, and mixologists get certified the more widely recognized this title is going to become and it is only going to be a good thing to have a standard that states how knowledgeable someone is about their field of work. I encourage anyone who has an intent interest of spirits to at least read the study material for this exam.

How much does the exam cost?

Depending on a few factors, it is around $300.

How do I take the test?

Click here to go to the Society of Wine Educators web page. The test is typically only offered on certain dates in certain major metropolitan areas. You have to contact them to find out about test dates. I was fortunate that Mark Merrick from East Bend Liquors was able to put together a group and find a proctor for the exam so that we could take it in Portland.

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