Liquid. Lively. Fun.
The Academy of Wine & Spirits is an accredited school for wine lovers and hospitality professionals — teaching in classrooms across the Caribbean, North and South America, live on Zoom, and online at your own pace.
Christian Esser.
Christian is a Wine & Spirits Educator with more than 20 years in wine and hospitality. He trained in culinary arts and hotel management in Salzburg, earned a viticulture degree at Lincoln University in New Zealand, and was Wine Director at Grand Old House in Grand Cayman.
He has been part of Cayman Cookout every year since 2009, is an official educator for both Cognac (BNIC) and Armagnac (BNIA), and in 2025 launched The Rum Ambassador with WIRSPA to bring Caribbean rum education to the world.
Today the Academy and its approved educators teach students and hospitality teams from Cayman to the Bahamas, the United States, South America and Europe.
Nicolas Ratkovich.
Nicolas combines scientific precision with sensory mastery. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and trained as a sommelier, bringing a rare mix of science and tasting to the classroom.
His certifications include the General Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (UK), a Diploma in Rum and Spirits from Andrés Bello Catholic University (Venezuela) and a cachaça production course from the Federal University of Lavras (Brazil).
He co-wrote Certified Rum Ambassador™: The World of Rum with Christian, the official textbook of our rum courses, and is the educator to learn from if you want to master how spirits are made and tasted.
Every course is accredited by the UK CPD Certification Service.
Two LUXlife Hospitality Awards 2026, including Best Luxury Beverage Education Provider.
From a 90-minute first taste to educator level, in wine, spirits, rum and more.
In the classroom, live on Zoom, or online at your own pace — with real tastings.