On Friday, December 6, student brewers from Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program will serve up their top-secret recipes – unique beers infused with ‘killer flavours’ at Project Brew: License to Brew.
Nineteen student brewers will be at Market Square in St. Catharines for the College’s celebrated student-run craft beer festival. The event, held each semester, features highly innovative and thirst-quenching beers crafted by NC students, and is a chance for beer lovers in the community to sample their small-batch creations.
“This term’s graduating class has learned the complexities of planning a beer festival,” said April Tyrrell, faculty advisor for the event. “They developed their event-planning skills through the hands-on application of marketing the event, creating a sponsorship package, designing the floor plan and décor. The execution of the event will bring everything together at Market Square.”
Former Science teacher-turned-Brewmaster student Nate Brynes holds a glass of his “sour and hazy kveik pale ale” which will be served up at Project Brew on Dec. 6.
Student brewer Nate Byrnes recognizes the irony in the event’s theme; James Bond’s drink of choice was a martini, not a beer.
“We’re putting a spin on the Casino Royale theme. One of the class beers we’re producing is a gin-inspired beer in honour of Bond,” said Byrnes. “We like the James Bond that drinks beer.”
This winter, students will be previewing a variety of styles and flavours, from fruity sours to a darker coffee maple stout, berry porter, and chai-spiced brown ale, among others.
“The beers being produced are our own creations from start to finish,” said Byrnes, who noted the breadth of hands-on experience students are exposed to in preparation for Project Brew will prepare them for their careers as brewers and business owners.
Largest female brewing class in program history
The event is hosted by students in their fourth and final term of the Brewmaster program which includes eight female students – representing the largest number of women in a NC Brewmaster class to date.
“The students in this class have been amazing. The dedication they have shown to learning their craft, taking part in industry events and how they have come together as a team in the brewery shows that diversity really benefits everyone,” said NC brewmaster professor Jon Downing who has been with the program since its inception. “It is going to be fun to see how they grow and become a part of the brewing community. The craft brewing industry is constantly changing and improving. I know they will each be a huge asset no matter where they end up or what they do.”
Laura Milukow, fourth-semester Brewmaster student, stands with her batch of “Golden Spruce,” a double-dry hopped mango IPA with spruce tips and juniper.
Brewmaster-in-training Laura Milukow returned to her home province of Ontario in 2018, joining the program after six years working in forestry in western Canada. Her brew, Golden Spruce, has a personal touch; a double dry hopped mango IPA with juniper and spruce tips – a tribute to her time spent tree planting.
“I planted over half a million spruce trees out west, so it was a really important ingredient to me,” said Milukow, who is an environmentalist at heart. Milukow describes the flavour as “woody, refreshing and seasonal.”
“I’m inspired by seeing other women in the industry, and having so many female brewers in the class definitely gave it a different dynamic. We were all excited to brew together,” she said.
Milukow hopes to be part of the movement of more women and diversity represented in the craft brewing industry. “When I tell people I’m brewing, they assume I’m making wine. No, I’m making beer,” she said proudly.
“The fact that there are eight of us in this class, it seems like it’s looking up,” said Milukow. “The women in this class are going to be among my closest resources once I hit the industry.”
“We’re proud to have strong female representation in this class and hope to see women’s interest in brewing grow in the years to come,” said Tyrrell. “The students have learned how events like Project Brew can be an inclusive space for all people. Our female graduates are creating their own inclusive spaces as they boldly head into the craft beer industry.”
Proceeds from Project Brew support the Matt Soos Memorial Fund, which awards a scholarship each year to the student who brews the best beer at the College’s August Brewmaster Competition.
Meet the brewers, get a sneak peek at the brews, order tickets and find more details at niagaracollege.ca/projectbrew.
The winner of this graduating class’ Project Brew Award, sponsored by Praxair is 4th semester Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management student Kelsey Desnoyers. Kelsey won “Best in Show” as voted on by a panel of judges for her beer Cuckoo for Cocoapuffs #myncstory pic.twitter.com/BMvnL1C9d6
— Niagara College (@niagaracollege) December 7, 2019
