When I walk into Total Wine and More, I’m like a kid in a candy store. I can roam the aisles for hours, studying wines, liquors, and beers while I imagine how each of them tastes.
Fortunately, the education program at Total Wine keeps me from having to imagine for long!
Every month, Total Wine offers classes on the beers and wines available in their stores. Each class has a theme or focus with the goal of making students more intelligent beer and wine connoisseurs.
A Good Kick in the Can
I attended a class* on canned beer, aptly named “A Good Kick in the Can”. Along with learning the benefits of storing beer in cans (portability, easy refrigeration, and more) we learned the origins of canned beer and the ups and downs (and back ups) in its popularity.
And, of course, we tasted some!
A variety of samples were offered, spanning the variety of beers available on the shelves just outside the classroom. Don’t think that the beers were your garden variety corner-store six packs; some of them were craft beers including locally produced Grandma’s Pecan — an Enlgish style brown ale made by The Dudes in Torrance — and Saint Archer Blonde Ale from San Diego.
The Saint Archer Blonde Ale was a fun one to taste. Just one day before the class, I had gotten an email announcing that it was available in cans. And here I was, tasting it and learning about its production. I took this as a sign that Total Wine was on top of their beer game in the store, so their costumers would be on top of their beer game at home.
Each sample of beer was about two ounces. Similar to wine, we used the Five S’s to rate each taste: See, Swirl, Smell, Sip, and Savor. Since Total Wine’s classes are fun without being too serious, the Sixth S was applied as well: Swallow. There was a container available for dumping (and I dumped a few) but most of them were enjoyed completely.
As I left the class, I wandered over to the beer aisle in the store. While I still felt like a a “kid in a candy store”, now I felt like I had moved up a grade or two.
Class Schedules and The Total Beer Beer Experience (May 5-18)
Beer and wine classes are offered monthly. In addition to regularly scheduled classes, special events take place throughout the month.
For a list of classes and special events, visit the Total Wine and more Event Calendar. Be sure to use the state and city filters to find the store closest to you. (The previous link is already set for the store in Redondo Beach).
There’s also a link with descriptions for each class if you want to get more information before singing up. Note that each class is about $15 per person and includes samples of all the beers or wines the class is focused on.
May is a great month to learn about beer at Total Wine thanks to their Total Beer Experience. This two-week-long event features daily craft beer tastings, exclusive beer seminars, and special craft beer deals in store and online.
- Beer and Wine Classes and The Total Beer Experience at Total Wine & More
- 1505 Hawthorne Blvd, South Bay Marketplace, Redondo Beach, CA 90278; 310-542-1460
* I was invited to attend the class on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review.