WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO LEARN ABOUT THE FULL DEPTH OF BEER & SPIRITS? Why, hands on, of course. And noses at the ready!

Knowledge and the dissemination of beer/brewing and distilling/spirits facts is near and dear to our hearts. We love to get down to the nitty-gritty of how to best understand different beers, malt beverages, spirits and more; how they’re made and where the flavors come from.

Our seminar offerings serve one main purpose. We instruct industry experts about things like quality control and sensory aspects of brewing and distilling. We host experts in various spirits topics for example and go on the road to cover relevant topics for brewers and distillers – mainly on the origin and sensory evaluation of flavors. Visit this page often to see what’s new.

[Seminars and events are listed below and application details are provided after the last Seminar/class listing.]

Find a Seminar or Event

  • GIN 2023

    Date: Tuesday, October 17–Friday, October 20

    Time: 9:00 - 5:00 pm

    Location: Lexington KY

    OUR FOURTH RUN GIN EXPERIENCE - A PROGRAM THAT HAS BECOME WELL KNOWN WORLDWIDE AND TAUGHT BY FIVE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED EXPERTS. PRICE CHANGE AND EXTENDED ENROLLMENT PERIOD https://bdastesting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TequilaMezcalandGinCourses2023_Brochure_Priced_03-14-23.pdf WILL RUN OCTOBER 2023 AND THE INVITE WILL BE FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES TO APPLY DATES NOW SET: OCT 17th to the 20th! FOUR out of a Maximum Placement of 16 now assured. The New Brochure is here.

  • Mezcal-Tequila 2023

    Date: Tuesday, August 1–Thursday, August 3

    Time: 9:00 - 5:00 pm

    Location: Lexington KY

    A HIGHLY REQUESTED REPEAT COURSE, PLUS MORE TEQUILA PRODUCTION MASTERY PRICE CHANGE AND EXTENDED ENROLLMENT TIME https://bdastesting.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TequilaMezcalandGinCourses2023_Brochure_Priced_03-14-23.pdf First offered in March 2022, the course was run by Dr. Ana with Eng. Marco Cedano in attendance. The three Irish Whiskey Course Instructors were also present, and Marco contributed much to the course, which prompted the request for more actual production details. So, now Dr. Ana will cover all matters Agave and the Mezcals and then, award winning Tequila master and tequila production book author, Marco will teach us how to make and market Tequila. And the limits of making agave syrup-based spirits if you are distilling outside of Mexico. Books from both these masters will be included in the course package. Dr. Valenzuela-Zapata will educate us in the full history, science, and taste of Mezcal. Outlining the features of the Agave plants, the various species known, via her taxonomic research into this vast group of plants, and how the fructans - storage carbohydrates, and other constituents are ultimately converted into a plethora of flavorful spirit beverages. Attendees will learn every facet of the mezcal topic, including the origins and emergence of its most well-known family member - Tequila, along with so much more. The training is hands on and there will be samplings of various classes and brands of this worldwide classic spirit, allowing us to follow the journey of the beverage from agave to glass. Eng. Marco Cedano will instruct on how to produce high quality Tequila, with instruction of a nature not found in many other courses held outside of Mexico. It is an honor for us to have had him accept our invitation to join us as it was for us for Dr. Ana to join us in 2022 and agree to return in 2023

How to Apply for a Course or Class at BDES

Read through the seminars and events details that we offer here.

Fill in a form  form and submit to us. gary@bdastesting.com  or tony@bdastesting.com

Seminar/event attendee placement is on a first come, first served basis, and usually limited to 16-18 persons maximum.

If accepted to the course, ONE invoice will be issued, based on details supplied, to cover the seminar/event deposit (non-refundable unless the event program is postponed or cancelled). A secure and specific link appears on the invoice to cover the course payments. Our invoices can be paid in installments. When paying the deposit you elect to pay a specific amount (the deposit fee). DO NOT CLICK THE PAY IN FULL AMOUNT unless YOU WISH TO DO SO IMMEDIATELY!

A deposit, once received, will reserve your placement. Based on course, and detailed in the specific brochure, the final amount is due by a set date. You can make a note to pay on or by this day the final amount, or pay in installments as your budget allows. As long as the full amount is paid by the specified deadline you are set for that seminar, program event or book signing etc.

No refunds are offered at that time – however, if you cannot attend an event/seminar/program for any reason, you may send someone else along in your place or you may apply 75% of the attendance fee to a future offering. At this time we usually allow carry over of the full amount to future courses.

Classes in Lexington or On The Road

For more on seminars and events contact Gary at gary@bdastesting.com or Tony:  tony@bdastesting.com

We run seminars/programs in Lexington and Tony Aiken and Gary are often invited, and on the road, to instruct live and on your stage at breweries and distilleries. Contact us for more information.