A popular solidarity beer from the Teaching Brewery is returning this spring.

A group of second semester students from the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program worked on brewing Ukrainian Golden Ale for their final exam on March 17, while the remainder of students from the same class will brew it on March 24.

The Teaching Brewery’s version of the beer debuted in 2022, following the onset of the War in Ukraine, when NC Brewmaster Professor Jon Downing began to lead different classes of students in the brewing of Ukrainian beers as a show of solidarity and support.

They use a recipe from Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine which halted beer production to make Molotov cocktails during the war. The recipe was modified to suit local ingredients and systems at the College.

In July 2022, the Teaching Brewery won a silver medal for its Ukrainian Golden Ale (Ukrainian beer category) at the U.S. Open Beer Championship.

Downing, who lived in Ukraine and launched two microbreweries there during the early nineties – a pivotal time after Ukraine gained independence in 1991 – has led students in brewing the beer about 10 times over the last three years.

“With the ongoing Russian invasion, it is vital that we do not forget or ignore what is happening,” he said.

The latest batch of the Teaching Brewery’s Ukrainian Golden Ale is expected to be ready for purchase at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre in mid-April.