Canada’s first teaching brewery is housed under Niagara College’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations program. Last week, the federal government gave the college a $1,789,330 grant to lead a project supporting the Canadian craft brewing industry by improving quality assurance and control measures in small and medium-sized breweries.

The project’s goal is to create a Craft Brewer Quality program, which will allow students to team up with industry professionals to learn every aspect of the business partnering with 16 breweries across New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta.

The project will be led by Niagara College and will also involve Durham College in Oshawa, Collège Communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick in Bathurst, New Brunswick and Olds College in Olds, Alberta.

“We are absolutely thrilled for the support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. It really shows that the federal government is committed to supporting the craft beer industry in its ongoing growth and development,” said Lyndon Ashton, manager of the college’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute Innovation Centre.

“Since the 1980s, the craft brewing industry has grown to 24 percent of all beer made in Canada. Of key importance now for the growing industry is developing a systematic way to increase quality assurance and consistency in the products sold to the public.”

Photo courtesy of Niagara College