Applied Craft Brewing students benefit from new brewery in Claver Hall

Regis’ Applied Craft Brewing Certificate Program has been brewing up big news during the fall semester. St. Peter Claver, S.J., Hall is now home to a brewery, offering students a chance to learn skills of the craft brewing trade on the Northwest Denver Campus. And in September, students enrolled in the program took home top prizes at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival.

"Regis students have proven that they are leaders in their industry, earning medals at the most prestigious American beer competition," said Matthew Peetz, director of the brewing program. "These students came to Regis to learn how to brew beer and have used what they learned in the classroom to become masters of their craft."

The brewery, officially open in a brewing space near the Claver Grill, is led by Regis’ Applied Craft Brewing Certificate Program, which teaches students how to become leaders in the industry as they learn the science and business of brewing. Program leaders said the brewery has been almost a decade in the making.

“The intention was always, at some point, to have a brewery on campus,” Peetz said. Over time, the concept evolved, and the program decided that a small brewery would “be really hands-on for students so that they could brew beer and take a lot of risk and experiment with recipes they’re designing.”

Until now, the program has relied on partnerships with Colorado breweries to give students insight into how the brewing process works. During visits, students often watch portions of the process. With the addition of the brewery on campus, students will get to participate in the beer-making process from start to finish.

“It will be not a brewery that is trying to sell beer, but rather a pilot system that students can use to test recipes on and learn how to brew beer,” Peetz said.

As part of the Applied Craft Brewing certificate, students take four eight-week courses, including Business of Craft Brewing and Biological Brewing Fundamentals, and complete an internship with a local brewery.

Last year, a donor approached the program to help establish the brewery for the program.

Since the Applied Craft Brewing certificate program was started at Regis in 2014, alumni have gone on to work at 75 breweries across Colorado, collecting awards at top beer competitions, including the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, along the way. Many alumni work at distilleries and cideries and one student opened a brewery in France.

“The students have really gone on to achieve everything that can be achieved in the brewing industry, whether it’s starting your own brewery or winning awards at the most prestigious competitions,” Peetz said.

Learn more about the Applied Craft Brewing program.