Niagara-on-the-Lake brewing students to hold ‘Augtoberfest’

Just a few weeks after winning five medals and a ‘Best in Show’ at the recent 2023 U.S. Open College Beer Championship, Niagara College’s Teaching Brewery students have decided to celebrate with an on-campus beer festival to cap off their studies.

Dubbed ‘Augtoberfest,’ the August 11 suds-filled event allows students to interact with guests who are sampling their specialty Project Brew beers, while the public has a chance to get a taste of unique craft beers from the next generation of brewers at the college’s Niagara-on-the-Lake campus.

The party, being held two full months for the actual Oktoberfest activities, is a culmination of their brewing lessons as students create their recipes and brew individual and class beers for Project Brew.

“For their graduation project, it’s a chance for students to apply the technical brewing skills they’ve learned in the program brewing beers to style specifications,” said Brewmaster Professor Jon Downing. “They really get creative with their Project Brew beers.”

Those award-winning brews will all be on tap for the festivities, as well as special Project Brew Augtoberfest, a project spearheaded by student Marye-Anne Chisholm.

Chisholm said the class came up with the idea for Project Brew’s Bavarian theme before their class even began, inspired by their experience in Germany on a previous College ‘Be World Ready’ trip.

Now, she noted, as the graduating class, they have an opportunity to put their stamp on Project Brew and are excited to make it happen.

“We thought the Bavarian theme would be a lot of fun for Project Brew,” she said.

Chisholm said the students look forward to having their Project Brews enjoyed but the class will keep their beers a secret until the event.

“There will be 13 unique beers and many of them are experimental,” said Chisholm. “Having the chance to see people enjoy our beers will be very rewarding.”

Project Brew beers will be judged by a panel from the College, and the winner of a $4,500 scholarship from Lallemand Brewing will be announced at the event.

Project Brew Augtoberfest will be held on August 11 from 5-9 p.m. at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The event will be held outdoors in the courtyard, weather permitting.

With hundreds of tickets already sold, organizers have currently paused ticket sales for Augtoberfest. Additional tickets may be released before the event if weather permits and it can be held outdoors.