Everything there is to know about the Beer Sommelier Scholarship

This year, WhiteFrontier is getting ready to offer a scholarship. The scholarship will finance the studies of a woman wishing to become a beer sommelier.

Want to show off to your friends because you know all about that much-loved beverage called beer? Want to become an expert in binch? Then you're in the right place! WhiteFrontier will train you up.

Why finance beer sommelier training?

Well, quite simply because the profession is little known, and it's wonderful (well, we love it, anyway). It's also been observed that lots of waitresses hesitate before training because of the cost and time commitment. Offering this scholarship will allow one or more women to discover the beer world and become an expert in it.

How is the scholarship going to be financed?

By doing what we do best: brewing, of course. And yes, we've invited several women from Valais to come and brew a beer. The profits from its sales will be used to finance the scholarship.

This project is shaped by women from Valais brewing a collaborative beer. What they have in common: they're all women who push their limits every day and inspire us. This beer is set to be launched on 8 March, International Women's Day.

The whole project started with a brainstorming session. Each woman helped develop a recipe based on each person's tastes, coming up with a format, label design and name.

The choice was pretty simple, really… It didn’t take long to discover they all liked bitter citrus drinks. Spritzers, orange campari and negronis were the stars of these ladies' cocktails.

Bitterness wins out over sugar. “We need a light, drinkable, refreshing beer for spring,” they said. Hence the choice of a light pale ale with blood orange.

The design was then created to show a link with sisterhood and women helping each other. The short ladder represents mutual aid, with bright colours reminiscent of blood orange, a platter that symbolises service and sommellerie, and a mischievous, complicit gaze, a central part of this meeting of minds.

Finally, the name was easy. The study of beer has a name: zythology. Zytho it is, then... And it has nothing to do the fact it rhymes with the French words for "clit" and "bullshitter"... Nope, no "clitho" or "mytho" here :).

Bière journée de la femme Zytho, sommelier de la bière

So who are the women who took part in the brewing?

Femmes valaisannes entrepreneurs inspirantes et influentes

The whole project was supported by Véronique Besson-Rouvinez, co-President of Rouvinez Vineyards.

The training course: Swiss Beer Sommelier

Everything you need to know about the course: https://gastrosuisse.ch/fr/formation/formation-continue/sommelier-sommeliere-de-la-biere/

Organised by Gastrosuisse, this course gives you everything you'll need to become a beer sommelier. If you pass the final exam, you get a beer sommelier diploma.

How to apply for the scholarship

You can apply directly via this email. Send us your CV and a short paragraph explaining why you want to do this training.

What are you waiting for? Grab your pen and a sheet of paper... Or your computer and... your hands, and write to us. We'll be delighted to read your application.