School is in session at Third Space Brewing.
Friday marks the start of Beer School, a series of 90-minute classes with professor/brewmaster Kevin Wright providing the education.
Apparently, craft beer fans are willing to learn because the first class, How to Taste and Evaluate Beer, sold out its 35 spots in advance.
“We definitely think there is an interest in this kind of fun, educational type of program, “ said Wright. “We didn’t know how the first one would do – new program, January timing – but are really happy with the response.”
There are no final exams at beer school, and participation includes six, five-ounce pours of beer and light snacks. The cost for enrollment is just $30 per class. Beer School is happening once each month through at least the end of the year, but likely longer if interest continues. The next five classes are available to sign up for now.
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- Feb. 24: IPAs. Learn the history of the IPA and examine its multitude of style differences.
- March 31: Ales of the British Isles. Discuss stouts, porters, barleywines and more styles that originated in England, Scotland and Ireland.
- April 28: Belgian Beers. Learn about the complexities of the Belgian family of ales, including saison.
- May 26: Pairing Beer and Cheese. Find out how about how complementary and contrasting flavors work when it comes to matching beer and cheese.
- June 30: Sour Beer. Discuss the evolution of the various types of sour beers.
“We wanted the classes to be very tasting- and beer-focused, so we tried to choose topics that would allow us to bring in a wide variety of beers,” said Wright.
Beer School came about thanks to a few employees at Third Space. According to events coordinator Kara Olds, they saw a “lack of accessible education in the city on adult beverages, and especially beer, considering Milwaukee is known as ‘Brew City.’”
The event series gives craft beer fans a chance to learn, but it also gives Wright the opportunity to teach. The Third Space co-founder is certainly qualified. He earned his brewing education through the Master Brewing Program at the University of California, Davis. In 2009, Wright earned the JS Ford Award, bestowed each year to the person who scores the highest on the Diploma in Brewing exam, given by London’s Institute of Brewing and Distilling.
“I really like talking about and teaching people about beer,” explained Wright. “There is so much to learn and it is a fun subject. Typically, we are doing beer education in-house with our team, so this is a cool opportunity to engage some of our customers.”
