educational resources
All of us here at StartABrewery are enormous fans of Educational Resources. We help to create them, participate in them, and enjoy spending time with breweries-in-planning as a result. In short, we cannot more highly recommend that you take the time to familiarize yourselves with all of the opportunities that are available – and then attend as many as you can, maybe more than once.
It is not possible to overestimate the amount of time and money that you will save by learning from others. We have been there, we specialize in different areas of the brewing world and we can speak to the trials and tribulations of not just ourselves but of our peers and those who have gone before.
In turn, we challenge you to set the bar high in your new brewery by educating your staff, offering experiential programs for your customers, and reaching out to your community.
We offer the following programs, reading material, and other assorted suggestions as examples of the myriad of available resources that can assist you on your journey. They are created, written, and/or recommended by our contributors, and are not listed as a sponsorship benefit or for any other obligatory reason.
PROGRAMS
Brewing & Business Education
Auburn University
Brewing Science and Operations Program
Mixing state-of-the-art education with Southern hospitality, Auburn University offers two graduate programs in Brewing Science and Operations – an 18 credit Graduate Certificate and a 33 credit Master of Science program. All 18 credits from the Graduate Certificate count toward the Master of Science.
The faculty have partnered with Oskar Blues Brewery (which was founded by an Auburn alumnus) and a wide array of craft brewers nationwide to showcase best practices in all aspects of the brewing process and brewing industry. Some scholarships are available.
Email: AU Brew
Brewing & Business Education
MSU Denver Brewery Operations
Bachelor's Degree Program
Beer pairs well with more than just pretzels, tailgates and running clubs. You’ll learn the science, the process, the business, and the service of beer while you earn a bachelor’s degree in Brewery Operations from MSU Denver, one of only a few four-year degrees of its kind in the world. Covering the breadth and depth of Brewery Operations, from the brewing process, beer analysis and quality control to packaging, sales and distribution, MSU Denver provides a university education to new or experienced professionals in beer industry operations.
Email MSU Denver Brewery Operations
msudenver.edu/programs/brewery-operations-major-bs/
Brewing & Business Education
San Diego State University
Professional Certificate in theBusiness of Craft Beer
Launched in the fall of 2013 in response to the city's burgeoning craft beer industry, San Diego State University's Professional Certificate in the Business of Craft Beer program reflects the explosive growth of the craft beer industry in San Diego — which ranks in the top 10 in the U.S.
Email SDSU Craft Beer Program
Brewing & Business Education
UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Brewing Program
For nearly 60 years, the Professional Brewing Program at UC Davis has been training homebrewers and aspiring professional brewers in the art and science behind craft beer. With online and in-person courses, as well as a NEW scholarship opportunity for the Master Brewers Certificate Program, there’s no better place to grow your skills and jumpstart your brewing career than with UC Davis.
Email UC Davis Brewing Program
Brewing & Business Education
UC San Diego Extension Brewing Program
Professional Certificate
Our UC San Diego program focuses on the science and technology of brewing as well as technical training through internships. Business electives are also available. Taught by leading professional brewers and industry leaders, the program consists of part-time, evening and weekend sessions that offer academic and practical training for entry-level brewing professionals and can be completed in 12 to 18 months.
Email UC San Diego Brewing Program
Brewing & Business Education
Colorado Boy Brewery
Immersion Course
The brewery Immersion Course is a mentorship program, where the student spends three days with us doing everything in the brewery, and also working with us on all aspects to get their brewery open. We work with the student until they are open and beyond.
Email Colorado Boy Brewing
Brewing & Business Education
Craft Beer and Brewing
Brewery Workshop: Accelerate Your Brewery
"The Brewery Workshop should be a requirement for anyone (business partners too) thinking about going from garage brewing to taproom." -Larry B. (Fort Collins Attendee).
“On the flight home I tried to come up with a value that I would still be happy paying for participation in this workshop. I came up with a value of 4X what I paid.” - Larry L. (Denver Attendee)
All previous workshops have sold out.
Email Craft Beer & Brewing
Brewing & Business Education
The Master Brewers Association of the Americas
(MBAA)
Master Brewers Continuing Education courses are a popular way to gain invaluable and interactive training. Courses range from short, one-hour webinars to in-depth, two-week courses. Master Brewers courses provide a solid brewing foundation for those who may have never attended a brewing school, but also offer advanced knowledge for those desiring to learn more.
Email MBAA
Brewing & Business Education
Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy
Siebel Institute and World Brewing Academy are the world leaders in brewing education, with more brewing-related programs, courses and workshops than any other school. Our Start Your Own Brewery course has been helping entrepreneurs build successful breweries for over 15 years, with instruction provided by industry veteran Ray Daniels and a team of experts with extensive brewery start-up and operations experience.
Email Siebel Institute
Brewery Business Education
Portland State University
Business of Craft Brewing Certificate Program
This program - the first of its kind - was developed in Portland, Oregon, a city known as the craft beer capital of the world. Our instructors are not only deep subject matter experts but also widely connected throughout the craft brewing community and regularly bring in guest speakers to share different perspectives.
This fully online program provides the knowledge and resources for aspiring and established craft brewing professionals to develop fully actionable business plans to launch new craft breweries or optimize existing business operations.
Email PSU Business of Craft Brewing
pdx.edu/professional-education/business-craft-brewing-certificate-program
Brewery Business Education
University of Vermont Professional & Continuing Ed
Business of Craft Beer Professional Certificate
Offered fully online, our program provides participants with essential business skills needed to be successful in today’s craft beer industry. Gain industry knowledge in brewery finance, beer sales, social media promotion, marketing, branding, operations and distribution.
Key program features:
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Fully Online Courses
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Learn from Real World Industry Experts
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Complimentary Career Coaching, Cicerone® Certification program and Capstone Project
Email UVM
Brewing Education
Colorado State University
Fermentation Science and Technology (FST)
Our program was developed with food and beverage fermentation industry leaders. You will get coursework in applied food fermentation, brewing, sensory analysis, and operations management. Additionally, we regularly connect you with fermentation science professionals who are experts in their fields.
Email FST
Brewery Staff Education
Cicerone®
Certification Program
The Cicerone Certification Program supports a community of passionate beer professionals through education and recognition of the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver an excellent beer experience. To learn more about our certifications or to take advantage of our educational resources, visit our website or send us an email!
Brewery Staff Education
Sense of Beer Style
The Sense of Beer Style Podcast is the essential training for those who want to lead in food in Beverage. Advanced Cicerones®, BJCP judges, beer educators and homebrewers Julia Herz and Jeremy Storton guide the audience through foundational beer knowledge (Prepisodes), and through each style (Stylecasts) in the BJCP 2021 guidelines.
Email Sense of Beer Style
Brewery Staff Education
TapStar Certification Program
TapStar is an independent certification for bars, restaurants, and brewery taprooms who go the extra mile to serve an excellent glass of draft beer. Certification is performed through an in-person auditing process, evaluating the draft system, draft service, and the draft beer quality. TapStar promotes certified retailers with beer drinkers to help bring them in the door.
Email TapStar
PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BREWING CHEMISTS (ASBC)
ASBC publishes methods, webinars, books, tools, a journal, and other resources dedicated to the science of brewing, including an annual meeting showcasing the latest research in brewing science. The ASBC Methods of Analysis are used industry-wide to help users understand and perform analytical methods in the brewing lab.
BREWERS ASSOCIATION
The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association organizes the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, and Craft Brewers Conference®, and publishes The New Brewer® magazine.
CRAFT X EDU
We provide scholarships for educational opportunities and grants for professional development for individuals and organizations in the craft brewing industry and allied trades; facilitate high impact introductions between the craft brewing industry and future employees, partners, fans, and leaders from all walks of life; and develop research, resources and curriculum for organizations that want to deliver engaging and educational experiences that revolve around craft beer and brewing.
THE MASTER BREWERS ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAS (MBAA)
The Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) is a nonprofit (501 C3) professional, scientific organization dedicated to advance, support, and encourage scientific research into brewing malt beverages and related industries and to make that research available to the public through conferences, discussion groups, journals, publications and seminars. Membership information is available here: https://www.mbaa.com/membership
PINK BOOTS SOCIETY
The Pink Boots Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with international membership which aims to be the primary resource for women working in the fermented beverage industry. The organization works to assist, inspire, and encourage women in the industry to advance their professional careers through education. Membership benefits include access to dozens of scholarships every year, events, and networking opportunities.
FREE BUSINESS COACHING
ACCION OPPORTUNITY FUND
At Accion Opportunity Fund we work closely with small business owners to provide them with fairly priced loans, educational resources, coaching, and support networks in English and Spanish. For nearly 30 years, we have served a client base that is more 90% women, people of color, and/or low-to-moderate income.
BREWERS ASSOCIATION MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
The Brewers Association Mentorship Program's Brewery Start-up track is for those who aspire to start a brewery and have taken tangible steps toward doing so, and for breweries who have operated for less than one year. This mentorship track pairs participants with experienced professionals that will provide intensive start-up focused mentorship in the following areas: brewery operations, business plan review, leadership, and brewery administration (sales and distribution, finance, marketing and branding, and human resources).
SAMUEL ADAMS BREWING THE AMERICAN DREAM
Since 2008 Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program has been supporting small business owners in the food, beverage, and brewing industries through access to business capital, coaching, and new market opportunities. Along with their non-profit partners, Brewing the American Dream has loaned more than $96.5 million and coached more than 14,000 business owners across the country, helping to create or maintain over 9,000 jobs. The goal is to help strengthen small businesses, create local jobs, and build vibrant communities.
SCORE
SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. With the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs since 1964. SCORE mentors are also available to work remotely via phone, email, and video. This allows you to connect safely with our expert mentors from your own home.
BREWERS GUILDS
Every state has some kind of guild or association to support and connect their brewers. Some even have regional or city-specific guilds, like New York, San Francisco & Los Angeles. As a brewery in planning, most guilds will have resources that can assist you with state laws, supportive brewers who can answer some questions, and they know industry-savvy people in all related fields that you might need for advice. Some guilds will have an “in-planning” membership and educational resources beyond simply their network of peers. Regardless, you should connect early in your planning stages to find out what resources might be available to you in your home state.