Beer 101 at the U of MN

That’s right, a beer class at the University of Minnesota!

I’ll be teaching a course called A Perfect Pint: The Basics of Beer Tasting and Appreciation for the Compleat Scholar program at the College of Continuing Education. The course meets four consecutive Wednesday nights starting April 7th. Classes will be held at the University Club of St. Paul. Tuition is $160 and there is a $40 fee for beer. Follow the link to register. Here’s the course description:

Most people readily accept the notion that wine is a beverage worthy of contemplation and consideration. Recognition of the subtleties of varietals and terroir is firmly established. After 50 years of a market dominated by light lagers, the same cannot be said of beer. For most people beer is a pale-yellow, fizzy liquid with very little flavor and hopefully even fewer calories. But good beer never went away and is currently enjoying a worldwide renaissance driven by the emergence of small craft breweries throughout the United States. Well-crafted beer rivals wine for flavor and complexity. Join the instructor, a certified BeerCicerone, or beer adviser similar to a wine sommelier, for a course on the basics of beer tasting and appreciation. During each session you will learn about beer styles, ingredients, brewing processes, and history through presentations and tastings. You will gain an understanding of how ingredients such as hops, barley, and yeast contribute to the overall character of particular beers, as well as how regional, historical, and economic forces contributed to the emergence of particular types of beer.