Submitted by Development and Alumni Relations
Tim Miller has a strong sense of school spirit.
The 54 year old is one of only 12 students in Niagara College’s Artisan Distilling program, whose classroom is a sweet-smelling Teaching Distillery – the first of its kind in Canada – complete with stills, mash tuns and fermenters that get his creative juices flowing. As passionate as he is about crafting spirits, it is not a career choice that he considered until recently.
A former chef, Miller’s journey began in the kitchen. After starting a family he realized that his schedule, working long hours into the evening and on weekends, was no longer ideal and that money would be tight. Switching gears, he became a machinist to better provide for his growing family until an illness left him with a disability and unable to work.
Miller found positives in the situation, like getting to spend quality time with his three children and coaching lacrosse. Supporting a family on a disability pension, however, was challenging.
“After about nine-and-a-half years, I thought to myself, ‘I can do better than this … I need to do better than this,'” he recalled.
In better health and ready for a change, it seemed meant to be when Niagara College’s program guide showed up in Miller’s mailbox one day. He was intrigued to find that the College offered a Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program, with a Teaching Brewery on campus that was the first of its kind in Canada. “Being from the culinary world and having dabbled in home brewing, I thought the program would be a good fit for me,” he said.
As expected, his instincts were spot on. Miller excelled in the College’s Brewmaster program and found a tight-knit community of fellow students who he remains connected with after graduating in 2019.
“Having my triple chocolate stout be nominated for the U.S. Open Beer Championship and winning medals at the Niagara College Brewing Competition was an incredible feeling,” said Miller. “The best moments, though, were just brewing with my classmates every week. I still keep in touch with many of them – to bounce ideas off of and to collaborate on brew projects.”
Miller is thankful for the lasting connections and hands-on experience gained at NC. He is also thankful for the donor-funded scholarships and bursaries that he received during his studies.
“On a disability pension you don’t have a lot of income coming in, so when you are given a scholarship it makes an incredible difference,” he said. “The support I received lifted a weight off my shoulders and helped my overall well-being.”
Receiving financial support also helped Miller budget for an International Field Studies trip to Munich, Germany offered through the College’s Be World Ready program. He visited the country’s historic brewing sites and one of the most prestigious brewing schools in the world, the Technical University of Munich. For Miller, the opportunity was a valuable experience and confirmed that brewing is a universal language – it can be done anywhere.
Inspired by his travels, Miller has since connected with breweries from Newfoundland to Colorado to Norway and has found that Niagara College is known worldwide.
“The Brewmaster program is definitely a foot in the door anywhere,” he said.
Upon graduation later this year, Miller will be one of two graduates with a dual credential from the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management Program and the Artisan Distilling Program at Niagara College. Whether he ends up working locally or globally as a brewer or distiller, Miller feels that his specialized skillset will lead him to something great.
“Not knowing what the future was and having this world pop up is mind-boggling,” he said. “It’s amazing to think that it all started when the NC program guide came in the mail that day.”
With his studies nearing completion, Miller is reminded of his early days getting ready to embark on a new life chapter at Niagara College.
“When I was starting in the Brewmaster program, I decided to order three branded uniform shirts, which my wife, Kristiina, questioned me about it,” he chuckled. “I recently admitted my reason for ordering so many at the time. I wanted to be able to pass on a shirt to each of my kids, as a reminder to them to always follow your dreams no matter what, and to never give up until you have done what’s in your heart.”
