In Western Washington, beverage production traditions run deep. Washington State was an early pioneer in the craft brewing movement and the modern cider revival. Only California makes more wine. And, with more than 100 craft distilleries, it’s long been a leader in distilled spirits. But it goes back even further than that. In 1885, German brewer and gold prospector Leopold F. Schmidt arrived on the banks of the Deschutes River and deemed it a great place to make beer. The next year, the first batch of Olympia Pale Export was brewed, setting the stage for more than a century of beverage greatness.
Today, South Puget Sound Community College is carrying on Schmidt’s famous legacy with a two-year associate’s degree in brewing, distilling, and cidermaking — the first of its kind in the nation — delivered on the same riverbanks where Olympia Beer was born. ADI caught up with Chris Patrick, associate director of the program and a longtime commercial brewer, to talk about what it’s like to study at SPSCC, who’s a typical student, and what he likes most about educating the next generation of beverage pros.
What are students learning at your program?
We are a community college, so we’re open-door admissions. We do placement exams on your own time. So for those people who feel like, “I’ve been out in the field for 10 years and I’m not in that career, I don’t have the math skills” — no, no, no, come on in. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. And then we’re going to give you hands-on learning. We’re going to teach you how to distill. We’re going to teach you the fermentation science. And I really love being able to have that one-on-one with students talking about why this beer or this spirit tastes this way.
Who’s a typical student?
I would say there is no typical student. We have 22-year-old students who are coming in because they like beer and spirits and they learn they love the science of it. We also have retirees who are mechanical engineers who have already finished out their careers and want to make spirits. It’s a smattering from all over the place. It’s beautiful.
You’re launching a full bachelor’s degree program next year. What will that be like?
We’re happy to be standing up a craft beverage management and quality assurance bachelor’s of applied science next year… The bachelor’s is really where we’re going to be like, “Okay, what’s your business plan? What are the gritty details? Here are the regulations you need to follow at the state and federal levels.” And it really kind of gives that deep dive so students walk away confident.
What do you like most about teaching?
We learn together. As much as I might know about brewing, and I’m still learning about distilling, I can learn from the students and how they view them as well. I like that aspect the most.