Sustainable Brewing Students Bring Home Awards

Kalamazoo Valley Community College's sustainable brewing students continue to earn national recognition for their award-winning beer and outstanding craftsmanship. The 2024 U.S. Open College Beer Championship was hosted in June in Oxford, Ohio where the sustainable brewing students and staff took home third place.

The U.S Open College Beer Championship is for student brewers enrolled at schools, colleges and universities that teach brewing courses. The U.S. Open College Championship is the only competition of its kind focusing on student brewers.

This year's group took home four medals, gold, silver and two bronzes. The winning beers from the college were Hecate House Special (gold), KVCC Pale Ale (silver), Ginger Makwa (bronze), and Party In The Back (bronze).

This program is no stranger to placing in competition, with first place wins in 2017 and 2022, and taking home third place this year and in 2019.

Brewery Operations and Maintenance Coordinator at Kalamazoo Valley Community College Jeff Harms was extremely proud of his students and the teamwork that ensued. Harms describes this team as, "a deeply passionate class - a real engaged group that wanted to learn about brewing. They have a great balance between depth of knowledge and hands on training."

Harms said the students, faculty and staff believe that their gold medal winning Hecate House Special is one of the best beers that they have brewed. "The depth of our curriculum differentiates us from other programs. To be a successful brewer you must understand why you do the things that you do," he said.

With the guidance of instructors and assistants, students brew beers themselves and serve them to the public during the college's Taps on Tuesday events held at Kalamazoo Valley's 418 Restaurant located at the Marilyn J. Schlack Culinary and Allied Health Building in downtown Kalamazoo.

Brewing program students can pursue a certificate of achievement, an associate degree and a transferable degree to Western Michigan University. To learn more about sustainable brewing at Kalamazoo Valley, visit www.kvcc.edu/brewing.