Budding brewmasters are ready to flourish their student-crafted beers at Niagara College’s upcoming craft beer festival.
To be held at the College’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus on April 11, Project Brew: Brews in Bloom will celebrate students from NC’s trailblazing Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program. Final term students cap off their studies by planning the event and crafting a variety of unique beers for guests to sample – some were made individually, and others in collaboration with other students or alumni from the program.
“This event is such a fantastic opportunity for the students to join both beermaking and event planning skills in a real-life experience,” said Victor Oliveira, Catering and Special Events Manager and Professor, Culinary Tourism and Beverage Studies. “It’s always so gratifying to see them enjoying their own success.”
School of Wine, Beer and Spirits Professor Alyssa Janssen also noted that Project Brew is a valuable learning opportunity for students.
“Each student has a key role in making this event a success, from the design phase, to building marketing strategies, to the day-of operations,” said Janssen. “They manage the entire event planning process, along with brewing all the beers showcased at the event. It's a fantastic opportunity for the class to apply the skills they've learned throughout their time at Niagara College.”
Project Brew beers were personal for Charlie Pooley, who followed his passion for craft beer from Winnipeg to Niagara. He created an Extra Special Bitter, ‘Grandad’s Bitter’ hoping to impress his English grandfather with a version of his beer of choice. He also made a Belgian Blond Ale with added Rose Hip and Hibiscus Tea, inspired by a personal favourite, infused with a tea often enjoyed enthusiastically by his coworkers at Gather Tasting Room in his new hometown of Crystal Beach.
“The most rewarding aspect of Project Brew is simply making a beer and knowing that you feel confident in it, putting in all the effort you can, and having people experience the product that we made ourselves,” said Pooley. “I believe that having the individual who made the beer, explaining it to you while you get to try it is a great way to build connections and be engaged with the community.”
Pooley values the experience he is gaining through Project Brew – from promoting his products, to enhancing his public speaking skills – as well as the many takeaways from the program. In addition to beer production, he noted that he had an opportunity to expand his understanding of flavours and aromas for recipe creation, learn about sales and promotion, and plan an entire event for Project Brew.
“Essentially, we learned every single aspect of this industry,” said Pooley. “There are so many things I have learned … I 100% recommend it to anyone who is looking into this program.”
Brewmaster alumni Tanner Hinrichsen (Class of 2014), who is now Brewmaster for Saulter Street Brewery in Toronto, enjoyed brewing the Project Brew White IPA collaboration beer with current students and planned to return for the event on April 11.
“It was great to be involved and come back and brew at NC. The current graduating class was great to work with,” said Hinrichsen. “The last time I brewed there was roughly April 2014, so it was a cool experience to come back a decade later.”
Net proceeds from Project Brew will benefit the College’s Matt Soos Memorial Scholarship, in memory of Matt Soos, who graduated from the Brewmaster program in 2015. The scholarship was established by Railway City Brewing, and Muskoka Brewing, where Soos worked at the time of his passing, shortly after graduating from NC. The $4,500 scholarship is awarded every year at Project Brew to a student who brews the best beer.
The event is supported by the Soos family, to honour Matt’s passion for the craft beer industry. The Soos family is devoted to honouring Matt’s passion for creating uniquely flavoured quality beer.
In addition to announcing this year’s scholarship winner, a People’s Choice Award will be presented at Project Brew; the winner will be determined by the beer earning the greatest number of guest votes.
Project Brews to be available for sampling at the event include: Jasmine Tea and Orange Wheat Beer ‘Jo Bloom,’ Sweet Stout ‘Chocolate Salty Stout,’ Fruited Sour ‘Guava the Hutt,’ Extra Special Bitter ‘Grandad’s Bitter,’ Gose ‘Go Go Gozah,’ Belgian Blond Ale with Hibiscus ‘Hibiscus Royale,’ Amber Lager ‘Amber Knight,’ Witbier ‘Blooming Blanc,’ Imperial Stout ‘Imperial Storm Stout,’ Maibock ‘OurBock,’ American Pale Ale “Kvik Kveik,’ White IPA ‘Beer with No Name,’ American Lager ‘Fuungmaa,’ and Brut IPA ‘Pressed for Time.’
Spring-inspired dinner and dessert fare, made by students from the College’s School of Culinary Arts, will be available for purchase. The menu was designed by Benchmark Chef Justin Downes, in collaboration with the graduating Brewmaster class.
Floral arrangements from NC’s Teaching Greenhouse will also help bring the event’s ‘Brews in Bloom’ theme to fruition.
A limited number of advance tickets are available for Project Brew: Brews in Bloom ($35 plus tax) while supplies last via Eventbrite here. The ticket price includes five beer tokens, a beer glass and an exclusive Project Brew giveaway. Additional tokens are available for purchase ($2 per token). Guests must be 19 years or older to participate.
Project Brew will be held on April 11 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Commons.
NC’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program was launched in 2010 as the first of its kind in Canada. It is part of NC’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits – within its trailblazing Culinary, Tourism and Beverage Studies division. The division hosts weekly pop-ups as well as signature academic events throughout the year. Visit niagaracollege.ca/culinaryarts/events/.
Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.