Knowledge in Every Pint: New Campus Brewery Enhances Craft Brewing Program

Claver Hall became home to an on-campus brewery this fall, offering students a chance to learn skills of the craft brewing trade on the Northwest Denver Campus. Program leaders said the brewery has been almost a decade in the making.

“The intention was always, at some point, to have a brewery on campus,” said Matthew Peetz, director of the brewing program. Over time, the concept evolved, and the program decided that a small brewery would “be really hands-on for students so that they could brew beer and take a lot of risk and experiment with recipes they’re designing.”

At the forefront of this global craft brewing craze is the great state of Colorado, and its mile-high capital city of Denver. Home to more than 400 breweries and counting, Colorado employs more than 7,000 individuals in this most noble of professions, in a statewide industry worth more than $1.7 billion.

Regis University’s Applied Craft Brewing program is designed for working adults who are fascinated by brewing, but still need to keep their day jobs. Through hands-on experiences and mentorship from local brewers, students learn the fundamentals of brewing and develop the skills to improve their own craft.

Since the Applied Craft Brewing certificate program was started at Regis in 2014, alumni have gone on to work at 75 breweries across Colorado, collecting awards at top beer competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, along the way. Many alumni work at distilleries and cideries and one student opened a brewery in France.

“The students have really gone on to achieve everything that can be achieved in the brewing industry, whether it’s starting your own brewery or winning awards at the most prestigious competitions,” Peetz said.

We’ll raise a glass to that!