By Olivia Foster

Metropolitan State University of Denver has honored craft beer legend Charlie Papazian by naming its new brewing lab after the renowned industry promoter. Papazian founded the American Homebrewers Association, the Great American Beer Festival and the Brewers Association before retiring in 2016.

Papazian’s book, The Complete Joy of Home Brewing, is a widely used resource in the world of brewing. He is known as the founder of American homebrewing by many brewers today.

“It gives me a cool bubbly feeling, because we’re talking about beer, to think about how great it will be for students to get a hands-on experience with all facets of brewing and hospitality.”
- Charlie Papazian

The brewing lab will be located on the ground floor of MSU’s Hospitality Learning Center. It will boast a 3.5 barrel brewing system for students of the Brewery operations Program to utilize along with other hands-on learning tools.

“Right now, I’m using a five-gallon brewing system,” Papazian pointed out. “The 3.5 barrel brewing system that the students will be using is on a much bigger scale. That makes a difference in how to approach a brew because when it’s that big, you have to be more careful.”

Learning to brew beer will not be the only highlight of the new lab. Students will also gain experience in budgeting brews and ingredients, brewery operations, marketing, and following cleanliness procedures.

“It gives me a cool bubbly feeling, because we’re talking about beer, to think about how great it will be for students to get a hands-on experience with all facets of brewing and hospitality,” Papazian said.

Dave Thibodeau, a Metro State alum and Co-Founder and President of Ska Brewing Co. in Durango, sits on the MSU Brewing Advisory Council. He said the lab will be a great way for students to get a holistic introduction to the brewing industry.

“As an employer, it would mean a lot to me to see that someone had gone through that program,” Thibodeau said. “Especially in Colorado, where there are so many quality breweries, this program is helping to raise the bar and they keep elevating the program.”

The lab named after Papazian carries on his lifelong passion for teaching. Knowing that his work is continuing to inspire the next generation of brewers gives Papazian a sense of fulfillment.

“It’s exciting to know that, since I was a teacher for eight years, that I will continue to have an impact in the classroom,” Papazian said. “It’s a combination of the work I did as an elementary school teacher and teaching others about brewing through my books and starting the American Homebrewers Association and the Brewers Association.”

The installation of a student-run brewing system represents a full-circle moment for Thibodeau.

“Charlie Papazian has been a big influence for me and I’m really proud that Metro is where I went to school, so this completes a cycle for me,” Thibodeau said. “If this lab had existed when I was in college, I’d never have thought about anything else. That would have been it, so I’m really excited for the students who get to go through the program.”

Olivia Foster hails from St. Paul, Minn., and is currently studying journalism and communication at Wartburg College in Iowa.