Niagara College Teaching Brewery is proving it has the recipe for success.
The Teaching Brewery’s Brewmaster Strong Ale has entered the international spotlight with a bronze medal win at the recent United States Open Beer Championship. The strong yet subtle ale with caramel, light chocolate and roasted malt flavours and a 7.5% alcohol content, was awarded bronze in the Old Ale category.
“It’s very rewarding to know that the beers our students brew are high quality and can stand up against the best beers in the world,” said NC Brewmaster professor Jon Downing.
The U.S. Open Beer Championship, held in Atlanta, Georgia, is the only brewery competition to include professional breweries and award-winning home brewers. More than 3,000 beers and ciders were entered into the competition in 81 different categories. The NC Teaching Brewery was among 20 international breweries to compete in the U.S. Open Beer Championship this year, along with others from Canada, England, Iceland, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden and Finland.
Students from Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program not only had a major role in creating a medal-winning beer for the championship, some of them also had an opportunity to help judge the entries. In June, nine students travelled to Atlanta where they joined professor Jon Downing, who is also director of judging for the competition, as well as other judges from the U.S. England, Finland and Canada. All judging in the competition was blind; judges did not know what they were tasting.
“There are very few events of this scale held, so the experience our students gained is very valuable,” said Downing, who noted that sensory training is an essential component of the college’s Brewmaster program. “The event was a great opportunity for our students to not only try a large number of the best beers in the world, but to interact with other judges.”
“The greatest part of this year’s championship was watching young brewers experiencing hundreds of beers that they have never tried and listening to them describe some the complex beers especially in the herb and spice category,” said Dow Scoggins, head beer server at the U.S. Open Beer Championship. “Once you have judged at the U.S. Open, you are welcomed back in future competitions. I believe many of these students will be back.”
Niagara College also played a major role in the development of another medal-winning beer celebrated at the competition which took top honours in the non-alcoholic category: MADD Virgin Craft Brewed Lager. MADD Virgin Drinks Canada turned to Niagara College’s research department, Niagara Research, to develop its alcohol-free lager. In addition to college researchers, product development tapped into expertise of staff and students at the NC Teaching Brewery. The product is now available for purchase in Canada and the U.S. at Sobeys, Shoppers Drug Mart and Walgreens.
Downing was also proud of the fact that alumni from Niagara College’s Brewmaster program were behind many medal-winning beers at this year’s U.S. Open Beer Championship, from such Ontario breweries as Neustadt Springs Brewery, Grand River Brewing, Wellington Brewery, Sawdust City Brewing, Cameron’s Brewing, Nickel Brook Brewery, Forked River Brewing, and Mill Street Brewery.
While the 2014 U.S. Open Beer Championship marked the first medal ever for Brewmaster Strong Ale, the Niagara College Teaching Brewery has been a consistent winner at the international competition. Just months after it opened in 2011, the NC Teaching Brewery won two silvers and a bronze medal at the competition. In 2012, it captured two gold medals and two silvers along with a prestigious top-10 overall rating in the competition; and in 2013, the Teaching Brewery gained a silver and two bronze medals.
For info about the U.S. Open Beer Championship visit usopenbeer.com
