Niagara College Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program was launched in 2010 as the first of its kind in Canada. The award-winning, two-year program offers extensive hands-on training at an on-site, state-of-the-art Teaching Brewery to prepare students for employment in the expanding brewery, microbrewery and brewpub industries. The Niagara Teaching Brewery is springing into a new season with a variety of small batch offerings that go beyond pleasing the palate – they stand for solidarity, awareness and change.

The Teaching Brewery’s inaugural Brave Noise 2022 beer has hit the shelves at the College’s Wine Visitor + Education Centre.

The Pale Ale was brewed in mid-February by a group of students from the College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program as part of their support for the Brave Noise movement. The global collaboration advocates for making the beer industry safe and free from discrimination for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ people.

“As an initiative that promotes safe and discrimination-free breweries, Brave Noise is relevant to a broad range of NC brewing students,” said fourth-term Brewmaster student Angela McCallum, who coordinated NC’s involvement in the initiative. “Also, with its focus on inclusivity, it encourages all brewers to feel like they are part of the collaboration, rather than singling out certain groups.”

Her classmate Alex Moruzi was among those eager to be a part of the initiative.

“It’s anti-sexist, anti-racist, and anti-homophobic and it felt like something I should be a part of,” said Moruzi. “The industry is ready for a change and this is just the beginning.”

In addition to brewing Brave Noise beer, the College demonstrated transparency in its policies by submitting its codes of conduct to Brave Noise, and its commitment to long-term work through its ongoing support of relevant charities. QR codes linking to its codes of conduct and related resources have also been posted in prominent locations at the Teaching Brewery and throughout NC’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute.

“Our graduates represent the next generation of brewers,” said Maija Saari, associate dean of the College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute. “Projects like Brave Noise remind us, as educators, of the importance of imparting the skills and attitudes necessary to create a respectful and inclusive workplace as well as expert knowledge of brewing.”

Brave Noise Pale Ale was released on March 24 and will be available for purchase ($3.75 per can) while supplies last.

Photo courtesy of Niagara College