The app was unveiled 14 August during the "Hipster Happy Hour" cocktail party at SWE's Annual Conference, which took place this year in Seattle, WA. Jane Nickles, SWE's Director of Education, and the developers of the app made a lively presentation, after which attendees were able to download it to their iPhones and iPads. "SWE's new Wine and Spirits Quiz App was built by our partners at Jackrabbit Mobile, a mobile app development and design firm based in Austin, TX. With a talented and experienced team, they helped bring our vision to life," said Ms. Nickles.

This free download offers a series of fun, educational quizzes in fived major categories: Red (red wines, grape varieties, wine-producing regions); Yellow (white wines, grape varieties, wine-producing regions); Spirits (distilled spirits, liqueurs, vermouth, distillation, and cocktails); Sparkling (sparkling wines and roses as well as the grapes, regions, and wine-making techniques) and Dessert (dessert, sweet, and fortified wines).

Each category offers 100 unique questions and consists of ten levels of achievement, from Geek to Mastermind. After the first six months, one full category will be updated every month, so users will be able to continually challenge themselves. Levels 1 through 5 are sourced from the Study Guides for the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and the Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS).

Players receive instant feedback on their responses: a button leads to the correct answer, as well as to detailed information about the topic, including links to SWE's website and blog for further reading. Players continue through the levels by answering seven out of ten correctly, earning titles and badges as they progress. Users can also log in using Facebook and can invite and challenge friends.

The app is the latest in SWE's forward-thinking approach to education, following the recent release of an e-book, online review classes, and the partnership with Pearson's exam center network. "All of these constitute modern, accessible ways to pursue education and certification in wine, spirits, and hospitality," Nickles explained.