New year, new you, right? Might as well get beer-educated to better 2018 you.
So what’s the difference between a gose and a Berliner weisse, or even an ale and a lager? What does IBU actually mean? Love craft beer, but wish you knew a little more about that great altbier you’re sipping on? Here are four education options that will take you from clueless to craft beer virtuoso.
Low-key Learning
For an education you can get in your pajamas, check out CraftBeer.com. Created by the Brewers Association, a not-for-profit dedicated to small and independent brewers, CraftBeer.com offers online courses for brewers and consumers alike. Get started with their Beer 101 Course. For $20 and an hour of your time you’ll get a “quick hit introduction to craft beer,” according to the site. If you’re looking for a slightly meatier course, try their Beer and Food Course. The class teaches how to bring craft beer into the kitchen and onto the plate through lectures, beer tasting sessions and interactive tasting forms with menu planning tips and recipes.
Next Level Knowledge
The University of Washington, Tacoma, KeyBank Professional Development Center and 7 Seas Brewing Co. teamed up to offer “Mastering Beer Styles: Exploration and Evaluation” last fall and plan to expand and offer more in 2018. Majority of the 10-week course is held at 7 Sea’s Tacoma brewery and taproom, located beside the campus. Students will get tours of the facility and sit-downs with regional brewing professionals, as they explore the history, terminology and style characteristics of beer. Combine this course, offered once a year, with the university’s “Business of Craft Beer for a Craft Beer Certificate.”
Hands-on
Whether brewing your first batch, or looking to perfect a recipe, Portland U-Brew (P.U.B.) can help you out. You’ll be guided by a master brewer through every step of the brewing process, from grinding and mashing the grain to bottling. And the best part: they clean up for you. Owner, brewer and cellarman Jason Webb, who has 24 years in the brewing industry, takes good care of your brew while it ferments. A month later you return to bottle it, or keep it in a keg for your next party.
All-in
If you’re ready for business, Skagit Valley College’s Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy in Mount Vernon, Washington, is for you. The four-month program provides a farm-to-glass overview of the craft brewery/distillery business. Students learn the science of brewing in the brew laboratory and local breweries and distilleries to earn a Craft Brewing Certificate. Courses are taught by industry professionals, and students complete local internships as part of the experience.
This article originally ran in the 2017 fall print issue. For the full story and more like it, click here.
