The Brewing and Brewery Operations diploma program launched at the KPU Langley campus in 2014. As the BC craft beer industry rapidly expanded, so did the need for qualified, well educated staff. In 2013 KPU responded to this need by putting together an industry advisory council with the intent of not only providing a option for education in BC but also to develop a curriculum that met the specific needs of the local industry. Building a state-of-the-art brewery on campus was essential for the program to provide a place for the students to develop hands-on skills in addition to academic theory during the two year program.
Issue: Winter 2017-18
Brewtiful BC: Cider Saved Our Farm
Like many people of my generation, my first introduction to cider was the kind that came in two-litre bottles of syrupy, fizzy, boozy stuff. Flash forward 10 years and you’d have to be living under a rock not to have noticed the apple infiltration at craft beverage events.
Issue: Fall 2017
Costa Rica: Craft Beer in Paradise
There are few places left in the world that haven’t been hit with an explosion of interest in craft beer. For the beer-minded traveller such as myself, it’s nice have…
BC Ale Trail spotlights Kelowna scene
Blending an agricultural past with a new reputation as a tech centre, Kelowna is rich in history, innovation and fermentation.
Fest of Ale 2017: Behind the Scenes
I love beer festivals. They are an integral part of the craft beer culture that has captivated our province. And what better way to learn about beer than in an…
Teaching the Old World New Tricks
In October I travelled through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France, on the lookout for craft beer as well as the famous traditional beers that have influenced the modern brewing movement. Craft was easy to find in the Netherlands and France, but scarce in Germany.
Issue: Winter 2016-17
A Growing Hopportunity
BC has a long history of hop cultivation, and at one time was the largest producer of hops in the British Commonwealth, primarily in the fertile land of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Issue: Fall 2016
Dreams Do Come True – A Craft Beer Judging Experience
Okanagan Fest of Ale has been held for 21 years in Penticton, B.C., making it one of the longest running beer festivals in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been going for…
Craft Beer Road Trip
Craft beer and camping are two of my favourite things about living in British Columbia. Last year for my 30th birthday I wanted to combine the two in an epic…