The Concept

This effort, fondly dubbed "Raising the Bar" by the Imperial Beverage Team, is about learning. Growing the knowledge of our friends in the hospitality and retail industries, so that they—in turn—educate the consumer. To literally and figuratively raise the bar, and along with it the expectation that any server, bartender, retailer or manager has in himself, and his team.

Raising the Bar is Born
This project was conceived as a way to influence the knowledge of the Imperial Beverage staff. Initially, we thought, "let's develop something that will support the learning of our own team." But as we talked through the project, we realized we were thinking too small. The more we talked through the project, the more we realized that this had the potential to create an understanding of beer and wine on a more intimate level for not just our staff, but also our customers. Even our suppliers are excited to use this tool, and the feedback and excitement from them has been invigorating.

From its quiet inception to its release, nearly 18 months later, the Imperial Beverage Team has worked to compile data, form questions. To sort this vast query of knowledge into intelligible questions that would help others learn about the many intricacies of beer and wine. The site itself was built to provide each student with their own experience, as exam questions are provided at random, along with each multiple choice answer. No two students will receive the same test.

How the Site will be Maintained
What you find here is a living, breathing thing. Questions will be added with regularity, contributed by staff, suppliers, and friends of Imperial Beverage, after being vetted for accuracy and fit within the current curriculum. Existing exam materials will be reviewed for relevance on a quarterly review schedule, and adjustments will be made accordingly.