American Brewers Guild

About a month ago, I applied to the American Brewers Guild Craft Brewers Apprenticeship Program (CBA). The school specializes in providing a complete practical brewing science and engineering education by means of a 28 week program.

The 28-week program is comprised of 22 weeks of intensive formal instruction in brewing science (e.g. chemistry and microbiology) and engineering, followed by a single week spent at a working brewery, then five weeks of practical on-site training as a working brewer at a host brewery with a selected Guild approved mentor. A win-win-situation, the employers appreciate the help and the grads get a valuable chance to put their knowledge to work.

Yesterday, I received a letter notifying me of my acceptance into the program. The school is booked out until 2012–so I have a ways to wait for my June 2012 session, but I’m stoked about this opportunity. Some of my favorite brewers have graduated from the guild: Todd Ashmam – Fifty Fifty Brewing, Chuck Silva – Green Flash, Tedd Briggs – Marble Brewery, and the list goes on. I guess this means I have two more years to be the hack that I am, but then *watch out*–I’ll be a guild member.