March might have this reputation for coming in like a lion and leaving like a lamb, but the most important thing to remember about March is that March 20th was the first official day of spring. No matter where you live in this country, even if you’ve already started seeing buds popping and flowers opening, there’s something incredibly special about the on-the-calendar first spring day that brings a fresh sense of hope and renewal to our existence.
After the year we have just had, a fresh look at things is both welcome and necessary. That’s why the timing couldn’t be any better for the announcement of DISCUS ACADEMY, the new spirits and hospitality industry education center from longtime industry advocates at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
After recognizing that the industry lacked a real institution for learning about the business of the spirits business the Academy was designed to provide education and training for distilled spirits industry professionals. A year and a half’s worth of work involving multiple working groups of industry leaders led the Academy to produce a curriculum and industry-recognized certifications related to the business of distilling, rather than training on production or spirits knowledge—a first of its kind.
Chris Swonger, President of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) explains, “Of course our first job is to get bars and restaurants back open. But then you have to look at DISCUS Academy as it pertains to long term sustainability.”
He continues, “We looked around and noticed there was a lot of education around the production of spirits. And great organizations like the USBG and Tales are also offering important education. So, in addition to doing what we can to help get everyone open again, and support ongoing education, we looked around to see where there were gaps or holes we could look to fill. One of the things we tried to do with the DISCUS Academy is not supplant anybody or be duplicative.”
Sarah Fitzmaurice, Chief of Resource Planning and Management at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States notes that the program unfolded naturally out of initiatives the organization had undertaken for a while, “For many years we’ve done a fire protection manual and the advertising code, so for a long time DISCUS has been a leader in providing guidance and education on some of these issues. It was natural to expand into these areas.”
The program is created to provide the spirits industry with best-in-class training and ongoing support in five key subject domains: Leadership Development; Business Management & Finance; Sales & Marketing; Safety & Risk Management; and Laws & Regulations, and courses are available to DISCUS members and non-members alike at cost-efficient pricing, with some in the program even available for free.
For those further on in their careers in hospitality, the Academy has forged a partnership with Cornell University, to offer two Leadership Development programs that provide professionals of varying leadership experience education tailored to their career stage.
For the first time in the industry a roadmap to go from bartender to brand manager and beyond has been drawn. Successfully navigating a career path in a way that best suits individuals is easy and affordable with remote classes that enable students to take a few years to finish their program that can be personally tailored to finishing a certificate in one of the tracks or via a self-directed survey of various classes offered. All certificates require a mandatory diversity, management, and responsibility course.
Examples of upcoming DISCUS Academy course content include:
- Fire Protection Best Practices
- Risk Management
- Foundation on the 3-Tier System
- Developing a Safety Program
- Understanding Financial Statements & Cash Flow Management
- Organizational Structure, Job descriptions & Compensation
- Trade Practice and Tied-House Considerations
Armed with this specific knowledge, and the topics covered in all of the courses, future employees to feel more confident to apply at spirits companies. Courtney McKee, CEO of Headframe Spirits and chair of the DISCUS Academy Curriculum Working Group, shares, “The Academy’s curriculum was designed by leaders in our industry who are experts — some legends — in their craft. Through the DISCUS Academy, we’ve created a broad series of courses that will serve as a masterclass in their respective subject areas and made them available through an easy-to-access online learning platform for available to everyone in our industry. We believe providing this education will foster a safer, financially healthier, and more diverse and inclusive industry. We know that the better each of us does, the better we all do together, and we’re proud to work in service of that vision.”
Beyond benefits for students of the program, the industry itself will benefit, seeing stronger and more informed talent pools. Career changers who bring skills from another industry can easily brush up on spirits industry specifics through the Academy, whether they do it on their own or as part of a structured onboarding program offered upon hiring. Swonger points out, “This industry is very complex in terms of regulations, so offering courses that help provide basic knowledge opens a lot of avenues for folks, thereby widening that hiring pool.”
It also speaks, long-term, to a more diverse industry. In reflecting on the large number of female and BIPOC spirits industry workers who were displaced during the pandemic, Fitzmaurice and her DISCUS colleagues expect that many may turn to the DISCUS Academy to increase their knowledge and find new career opportunities within the industry they love. As may others who found the pandemic drove a need for re-evaluation and career re-imagination. She concludes with a thought about the future of the spirits industry and the role the Academy will play, “Adding some diversity to the spirits industry talent pool is really beneficial for everyone.”
To learn more about the DISCUS Academy, visit their website
