In a joust of brews, student Yuxuan Xie claimed victory at this term’s Project Brew: Medieval Faire. Held on August 9, the student-led beer festival crowned Xie’s “Osmanthus Oolong Serenade” as champion among several uniquely crafted brews by nine talented Brewmaster and Brewery Operations students.
Held at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus Courtyard, more than 345 guests gathered to taste the talents of Brewmaster students and enjoy medieval-themed fun and festivities. This event marked the culmination of the fourth-semester students’ academic journey, as they showcased the skills and knowledge acquired throughout their studies at NC.
The evening’s highlight was the beer competition, judged by a panel of industry professionals, where Xie’s winning creation also earned him the prestigious $4,500 Matt Soos Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by Lallemand Brewing. This scholarship honours the legacy of Matt Soos, a Brewmaster graduate who passed away in 2015. Guests also played judge, casting their votes for the People’s Choice Award and crowned student Cooper Kelly’s Baby Dino–an homage to the historic German beer style Mittelalter Alter Einbecker Bier–as the winner.
The students’ involvement in the festival extended far beyond brewing. They were responsible for planning and executing every element of the festival, from marketing and social media strategies to creating promotional materials, giving them a well-rounded, practical experience in the industry they will soon enter.
“This term’s Project Brew was another huge success for our class,” said Alyssa Janssen, Instructor of the Beer Sales and Promotions course. “Our Brewmaster graduating class presented their creativity and skills not only with their Project beers but with the execution of the event itself. The class did an exceptional job bringing their unique theme of Medieval Faire to life with the decor, food menu, and even the styles of beer that they showcased.”
For Xie, participating in Project Brew was a monumental learning experience.
“Project Brew is not just about brewing beer,” he said. “Our class worked together to plan and arrange a large-scale event. This was challenging, and we were glad to receive a lot of support from our professors and the College. Similar to how this program teaches us more than just brewing, learning to organize a beer festival will be of great help when working professionally in the industry. I gained a lot from this program and project, not only professional knowledge but also a lot of personal experience and understanding of the industry.”
Guests got to experience delicious, medieval-themed food offerings prepared by students from Niagara College’s Culinary Arts programs.
Xie’s winning brew, “Osmanthus Oolong Serenade,” was crafted to introduce the flavours of his Chinese culture to a Canadian audience. The herbed specialty beer combines notes of osmanthus flowers with the earthy bitterness of green oolong tea, resulting in a refreshing and aromatic brew. Xie’s love of Oolong tea inspired him to infuse his cherished flavour into his beer creation, balancing the floral sweetness of osmanthus with the fresh, green flavor of the tea.
After being crowned as the Project Brew champion, Xie was filled with a newfound sense of confidence.
“I am not a very confident person, so I put a lot of effort into brewing this beer,” he said. “When it was announced that I was the winner, I was very excited, even though I appeared calm. This win has made me more confident to try more brewing experiments in the future.”
After graduation, Xie will be working at Equals Brewing Company, where he will gain experience with advanced brewing equipment and the operational model of a large company. He also hopes to continue experimenting with brews and Chinese ingredients, with the hope of one day opening his own Chinese-style craft brewery.
Project Brew is held every semester during the second-last week of the term. Beers from each event are sold in cans for a limited time at the Wine Visitor Education Centre on NC’s Daniel J. Patterson Campus (135 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake) until the inventory runs out, giving you the chance to sample this term’s winning brew and the other student creations.
