Metro State is Crafting the Next Generation of Libations and Food Experts

By Natasha Lovato

The aromas of honey, barley and spices waft through the doorway of a Metropolitan State University of Denver classroom. Rows of taps replace rows of desks, and towering fermentation tanks replace a chalkboard. Students feverishly brainstorm in groups, preparing for their final project — creating new spirits and beers.

With more than 7,000 breweries and 1,500 distilleries in the United States alone, the alcohol industry is booming. Job prospects are ample, but there’s also need for a thorough understanding of the science, analytics and art of brewing and distilling.

As whimsical as it might seem to start a full-blown business from a homebrew kit received as a Christmas present, program administrator Scott Kerkmans said the days of self-taught homebrewing are over.

“The industry is just too competitive now,” Kerkmans said. “You have to make good beer to be able to stand out. To put quality as one of the primary goals of your brewery, you need an education.”

The three-year-old MSU program covers all aspects of the beer industry to make sure students leave with solid job prospects. The program unites fermentation science and business enterprise through multiple degree offerings, such as Brewery Operations or Craft Brewing and Pub Operations. With classes in hospitality, engineering, chemistry, biology and business, every major, minor and certificate program is broad and comprehensive.

MSU seniors Melanie Barnier and Alec Vail both praised the hands-on projects at the on-campus beer lab.

“You can’t find that experience online or anywhere else. It’s very interesting and very helpful,” Barnier said. Although Barnier and Vail share an interest in brewing and distilling their own libations, their career goals couldn’t be more different.

“I’m actually in the individualized degree program, so I made my own wine degree, but beer and spirits was also an important component to what I wanted to do,” Barnier said. “I’ve studied the science behind it in chemistry classes, as well as brew science, and to see the way it comes together is really interesting.”

Barnier wants to travel the world making wine and spirits. On the other hand, Vail wants to specialize in the business aspect of the liquor industry, but he knows he needs to see the full picture.

“Being a business student in marketing, one of the things that better helps me understand the product being created is to understand the other side of the process,” Vail said.

The beer production and quality analysis lab are among the newest additions to MSU, situated where the Tivoli Student Union pool hall used to be. The thirst for knowledge spans beyond campus, however. Strange Craft Brewing and Rising Sun Distillery are neighboring businesses that teamed up with MSU Denver for an expansion of the learning experience. Strange Craft owner Tim Myers and Rising Sun owner Dawn Richardson help students produce and release beers and spirits of their own. The classes are split into groups as they rotate between Rising Sun and Strange Craft, learning from working professionals about developing a quality business and quality products.

Richardson details her business model while students circle around sampling gin they helped bottle.

“I wanted to make good, quality products from the beginning, and the image for Rising Sun to be known as organic. It’s a lot of hurdles but it’s a much smoother product and that’s what I want to show the students. Supporting local farmers, not using chemicals, it helps and I believe that,” she said. “You can’t change the world, but you can change a sliver of it.”

Next door at Strange Craft, Myers led a group around the facility while discussing hops, fruit and barley. “You can’t start brewing without tasting your barley,” Myers said, sprinkling grains into each student’s hand to snack on like Grape Nuts.

Students then mulled over the infinite possibilities for beer and spirit creations to present for the grand finale of the semester. The libations accompany dishes from culinary students for a delectable soiree of final projects.

Students crowded the entire second floor of Metro’s hospitality building in a festive finale to the semester. Culinary students presented shrimp and grits, green chile, mango salsa with chips, chicken pot pie and more, while also pairing the food with a beer of their choosing.

Other students created craft cocktails with flavors ranging from peppermint-berry vodka to jasmine gin. Strange Craft debuted the beers they helped produce with the class while guests were invited to indulge in the entire experience.

Younger students also attended, eager to preview the creations in their upper-division courses. New York native and second-year brewing operations student Kevin Van Dyne traveled across the country for the program.

“I knew this is what I wanted to do, and I knew Denver was the best place to be for it,” Van Dyne said. “I can’t wait to get into brewing my own stuff. Right now I’m learning the business and science behind it all. Once I’m done with school, I want to start up my own brewery in New York, but I love Colorado. Who knows, I might not want to leave.”

Native Natasha Lovato celebrates the Colorado lifestyle through hiking, biking or playing bingo while enjoying a sour ale or two.