“Wow, R2D2 from Star Wars got a glow-up,” you might think when you first spot the shiny, round-capped brewing equipment on JWU Providence’s Harborside Campus.

Five years ago, in partnership with professional local brewers, Johnson & Wales announced the launch of its Craft Brewing minor and Professional Craft Brewing certificate program, in which scores of Wildcats have concocted creations in those shiny canisters while learning to develop, craft and serve their own brew beer recipes.

Through JWU’s membership in the Rhode Island Brewers Guild, Wildcats participate in a variety of Guild-sponsored events that allow them to make friends and connections in the local industry, get them up close and personal with beverage creation and gain a reputation that JWU students can brew creative and tasty beverages.

_{SOME OF THE AWARDS THAT JWU STUDENTS AND FACULTY HAVE WON IN OFF-CAMPUS COMPETITIONS}

Increasing Diversity in Brewing

Who do you picture when you think of a craft beer maker? Although the “beards and flannel” stereotype prevails, the industry has grown to welcome brewers from a diversity of demographics. Johnson & Wales has been among those helping a range of beverage makers feel empowered to pursue their passions.

Two years ago, JWU Magazine reported on how craft beer’s #MeToo movement inspired a JWU scholarship for beverage students from underrepresented backgrounds. Today, the RI Diversity, Equity and Action (RIDEA) Craft Beverage Scholarship assists individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers as brewers, sommeliers and beverage managers.

Thanks to the RIDEA Committee and donors, each year a JWU undergraduate and a JWU continuing education student receive an up to $2,500 scholarship toward a beverage-related major, minor or certificate program at Johnson & Wales.

_{RIDEA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS CREATING ORIGINAL SAISON RECIPES IN JWU's COORS BREWING LABORATORY IN PROVIDENCE}

RIDEA is hoping to raise enough funds through events such as the upcoming RIDEA Craft Beverage Festival on June 3 to award the scholarship twice a year to two students each.

The first RIDEA Festival in 2022 attracted and celebrated more than 20 diverse craft beverage producers, with all proceeds benefitting JWU's RIDEA scholarship. This year's festival, hosted at Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket from 3-6pm on June 3, will again highlight women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ breweries, wineries, and spirits producers in and beyond Rhode Island.

If you go, be sure to stop by JWU’s booth and taste our Wildcats’ work!

Student Projects Serving the Greater Community

Because the brew ingredients are purchased by and produced at Johnson & Wales, student-made beers and ciders typically remain on campus, where they serve as a legacy of students’ work. They’re used as ingredients in culinary labs and baking & pastry labs, served in dining classes for students to hone their serving skills, or poured for guests at alumni events and fundraisers. Or they could travel off-campus and be entered in local competitions, where brewers facing off against Wildcat-created concoctions have realized that JWU students do so much more than cooking.

That’s what happened in March 2023. Associate Professor Jennifer Pereira, who among other ways to support JWU brewing arts runs the Brewing Education at JWU Providence Facebook page to showcase some of our Wildcats at work, is a brewing enthusiast.

More than familiar with Ocean State Homebrew Competition after having originally founded it (more on that shortly), Pereira entered some JWU student beverages that had been produced as part of various classes’ curriculum into the 10th annual competition. Although JWU is not a sponsor of the competition, the College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) did pay the entry fees as an investment in quality feedback and new experiences for Wildcats.

_{INSIDE PEEK AT JUDGING: A SAMPLING OF BEERS IN THE “BEST OF SHOW” ROUND OF THE OCEAN STATE HOMEBREW COMPETITION}

The competitions are serious business for entrants and judges alike. All entries are anonymous to avoid any bias. Judging is closed to the public, with one sample at a time served to a panel. And if you’re picturing hiccuping or merriment among the judges, you’re not picturing the Ocean State Homebrew Competition. At this professional event, no more than 12 of the sip-sized samples are served to any judging panel. The point is to evaluate, not indulge.

After the judges concluded their work in March, a celebratory public ceremony was held. That’s when the JWU student entries shone.

Ocean State Homebrew History

The entire competition began as a dedicated faculty member’s effort to create one of JWU’s hallmarks: experiential learning opportunities for students.

When students expressed eagerness for more professional evaluation on their work, Pereira founded the Ocean State Homebrew Competition (OSHC) in 2011 as a means for Wildcats to obtain industry feedback on their creations.

In its first year, the competition attracted 180 entries. Its second year saw 280, then 360 the third year. “It just kept growing,” Pereira recalls, noting how the competition gained coverage in national magazines.

Although it was originally hosted at JWU, the competition is no longer hosted, and is not sponsored by, Johnson & Wales. As soon as its attendance became too large for the Harborside Campus, Pereira worked with industry professionals to move the competition off-campus, where other brewers kept up its momentum.

_{BANNER FOR THE 10TH ANNUAL OCEAN STATE HOMEBREW COMPETITION}

As with other in-person gatherings, the COVID-19 pandemic affected OSHC in 2020, placing the nine-year annual competition on hiatus. This year, seeking a learning opportunity for her Brewing Theory & Analysis students, Pereira reached out to OSHC organizers and discovered they weren’t anticipating a 2023 competition. Not wanting students to miss out on such a great learning opportunity, Pereira reignited the event herself, using her passion, connections and experience. “I hope it will continue, as long as it continues to benefit anyone seeking feedback and experience in the industry,” she says.

Held at The Guild in Pawtucket on March 4, this year’s competition had 443 individual entries, with entrants spanning 22 states as well as Canada. Thirty-five categories (29 of beer, two of cider and four of mead) were judged throughout the competition, while the Best of Show judging round pitted the winners of all 29 beer categories against each other.

_{OCEAN STATE HOMEBREW “BEST OF SHOW” AWARDS: HAND-CRAFTED ETCHED GLASSES MADE BY LOCAL GLASSBLOWER GATHER GLASS}

After the intense judging concluded, the following awards for JWU student brews were announced:

• Gold medal in Specialty/Experimental 
• Silver medals in three categories: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Fruit Beers, and Specialty Cider & Perry 
• Bronze medals in three categories: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Monastic Ales, and Standard American Lagers
• Honorable Mention awards in Wood-Aged Beer and Specialty/Experimental 

Six OSHC medals awarded to JWU student projects will be added to the display cabinet outside the Coors Beverage Lab at JWU Providence, which already features dozens of awards for past student work.

_{A NEW CHALLENGE FOR JWU BREWING: FINDING ROOM IN THE DISPLAY CASE FOR MORE MEDALS}

“Now that competitions are coming back post-COVID, we’re hoping that JWU students entering competititons around the country will return to being a regular activity, and that our awards case will continue to fill,” says Pereira.

Gaining Judging Experience

Dan Andrews, a Professional Craft Brewing certificate student, was one of the volunteers at the OSHC, which helped him discover how cool the local beer craft community is.

Andrews had chosen JWU because he “wanted to have a hands-on learning experience as opposed to online programs” — and it can’t get more hands-on than both helping to judge the competition and entering his own brew. He was looking to gain judging experience to help with his upcoming Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) exam.

He was pleasantly surprised that Ocean State Homebrew was so large, featuring entries, judges and volunteers from all over; he also appreciated how organized and well-run the competition was.

“I put to use what I’ve learned in this course and it paid off.”
- Professional Craft Brewing certificate student Dan Andrews, OSHC medal winner

As for how he tackled his first time judging, he notes, “Professor Pereira has done a fantastic job preparing us for sensory analysis and judging, and it was a great way to use these new skills.” He hopes to continue judging at other competitions, especially if they are held locally so that travel won’t interfere with his busy schedule.

_{A SNAPSHOT OF JUDGING IN PROGRESS AT THE OCEAN STATE HOMEBREW COMPETITION}

In addition to being a first-time judge, Andrews was also a first-time beer competition entrant. “I have been a homebrewer for many years but never really thought I could make a product good enough for a competition,” he reveals. On his Farm Town Cream Ale winning a bronze medal, he comments, “I put to use what I’ve learned in this course and it paid off.”

Overall, Andrews says that his experience broadened his mind to what’s out there, and he’s appreciative of two individuals in particular. He praises Pereira for “her immense enthusiasm, love for beer and beverages, wealth of knowledge, and her drive to make us the best we can be.”

But professors aren’t the only teachers at JWU; our peers can also propel us to seek more. Andrews found inspiration in a Craft Brewing certificate classmate, Garrett Stephan, stating, “His knowledge and enthusiasm have sparked me to go big and embrace all this course and beer world has to offer.”

Beyond Beer

In addition to learning about beer, cider, wine, spirits, mixology and non-alcoholic beverages, JWU students can take Honey and Mead, taught this spring by Chef Jeremy Houghton. The students work with honey extracted from JWU students’ “Bee the Change” apiary club, which houses several colonies of honeybees on JWU’s Harborside Campus. As with students in Brewing Arts experimenting with and crafting their own beers, Honey and Mead students have an opportunity to create their own mead, choosing what type of recipe to research (braggot, capsicumel, etc.) and creating any style and flavor they wanted, such as cinnamon roll mead.

Houghton was among those volunteering at the Ocean State Homebrew Competition, as was his teaching assistant, Carson Cline '21, who began his JWU journey at the former Denver Campus and will earn his JWU M.A.T. degree next month. Houghton, a seasoned instructor, says he found as many learning opportunities at the competition as his students have found.

“It gave me an opportunity to see other people’s styles of mead that they create,” says Houghton. “Locally, it is difficult to find mead in some stores.”

_{HONEY EXTRACTED FROM JWU'S LOCAL HIVES CAN TRANSFORM INTO STUDENT-MADE FOOD AND BEVERAGE}

Houghton was impressed with the beverages at OSHC that turned out to be made by JWU students. “Their beer and mead entries were awesome! Even those that didn't score a medal should be proud of their achievements,” he said. “Many took this as a first step or attempt and will grow from it. I am excited to see their entries next year!”

Houghton advises future beverage makers to look for more competition, join the BJCP (an organization for judging certification) and look for local breweries holding tastings in your community. 

_{STUDENTS IN PROFESSOR SABITONI’S SPRING 2023 BEVERAGE APPRECIATION CLASS EXPLORE FORTIFIED WINE FLAVOR PROFILES}

Pereira reccomends that students looking to be part of an association that doesn't require an entrance exam join the American Homebrewers Association, a helpful launching point for aspiring brewers, cidermakers and meadmakers.

“There are also tons of local homebrew clubs across the country that are a great way to connect with like-minded enthusiasts and participate in group educational events and tastings,” says Pereira.

JWU Alumni in the Industry

Two decades ago when Pereira arrived at JWU, she soon found students eager to learn more about beer than their brief lab exposure. In 2004, she became faculty advisor to the informal club JWU Providence students formed and named JbreW. “JbreWers” gathered on weekends with Pereira’s guidance to experiment with recipes. She recalls how when students began competing in off-campus competitions, they at one point competed as the “Wet Willies.” Since then, names have matured, JWU programming has expanded, and the brewing industry has boomed.

A decade ago, when the Rhode Island Brewers Guild was formed, there were only five breweries in the Ocean State. There are now 40, including several that are owned by or that employ JWU grads.

For instance, Erika Tessier '14 co-owns Origin Beer Project in Cranston, R.I. with her spouse. (Erika is also a founding member of the RIDEA Committee that fundraises for annual JWU scholarships to help increase diversity in the industry.) Michelle Leach '17, who holds both a B.S. in Food Service Management and A.S. in Baking & Pastry Arts from JWU, is a manager of both Isle Brewers Guild in Pawtucket, R.I. and The Guild PVD Beer Garden in Providence, R.I. Professional Craft Brewing alum Mike Godet is a brewer at Vigilant Brewing Company in Bristol, R.I.Another JWU Professional Craft Brewing certificate holder, Kyle Toste, is a brewer at LineSider Brewing Company in East Greenwich, R.I., while certificate holder Brian Alber is an assistant brewer at Ragged Island Brewing Company in Portsmouth, R.I.

_{ISLE BREWERS GUILD IN PAWTUCKET, R.I. IS BOTH A JWU PARTNER AND AN ALUMNI EMPLOYER}

Next door to Rhode Island, Professional Craft Brewing certificate alumni Jon Connolly and Tim Auclair are owners/brewers at Angle Tree Brewing in Attleboro, Mass., while alum Stephen Sherman is a production manager at Canned Heat Craft Beer in Fall River, Mass. Kate Goodson, who earned her JWU certificate in 2020, is lead brewer for Jacks Abby Craft Lagers in Framingham, Mass., while Ken Vick is a brewer at Castle Island Brewing Company in Norwood, Mass.

Farther from JWU, Josh Latham, who earned his A.S. in Culinary Arts from JWU in 2010, is a brewer for Anheuser-Busch in New Hampshire. Rob Tomaso is an assistant brewer for Stone Brewing in California, Aaron Orebaugh is assistant brewer at Berthoud Brewing Company in Colorado, Josh Mersfelder '14 is head brewer at Local 315 Brewing Company in New York., and Matt Spivey is head brewer at Bainbridge Brewing in Bainbridge Island, Wash.

And that’s just a sip of where JWU brewing students are making their marks.

Where to Taste JWU Student Brews

As an active Rhode Island Brewers Guild member, Johnson & Wales participates in all three of the Guild’s fundraising events throughout the year. If a current student isn’t available to help pour with her at these events, Pereira can “tap” JWU Brewing alumni, including some of those mentioned above, to join her in pouring JWU brews for the public and talking about their programs.

One is coming up fast: several JWU students will be involved in the Newport Beer Festival — for which Wildcats have invented specialty batches of beer — on April 29. JWU also participates in the Ocean State Beer Festival coming up in August as well as annually participating in the Rhode Island Brew Fest, a winter festival held each January to celebrate American craft brewers.

_{TASTE THE RAINBOW: SIX SAISONS CREATED IN APRIL 2023 BY JWU STUDENTS FOR THE UPCOMING NEWPORT BEER FESTIVAL}

“We bring as many student projects as we can to these festivals and invite our 21+ students to participate,” Pereira says. “It’s such a great way for them to meet brewers in the industry, speak with the public and get direct feedback on what they make.”

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