FIU and North Miami are helping put the science back in beer brewing.
Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in America. Yet for many, the process and hours behind the creation of those bold hoppy flavors remains a mystery. North Miami Brewfest – an FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management event with Title Partner the City of North Miami – is aimed at educating festival goers on the science behind beer brewing.
The Nov. 10 festival, which will be held at MOCA Plaza ,770 NE 125th St, North Miami, FL 33161, will feature seminars on brewing for beginners; how to bake with leftover grains after brewing; and beer’s role in history. The festival also will offer sampling of more than 75 brews from over 30 breweries, as well as food from local eateries.
Members of FIU’s B.R.E.W. FIU club first proposed the idea of hosting a festival to Professor Barry Gump, the Chaplin School’s Eminent Scholar Chair in Beverage Management in 2012. The festival would feature seminars, so beer sampling would be more about conversations between the brewers and attendees. FIU and North Miami joined forces and in 2017, the festival premiered at the MOCA Plaza.
“North Miami Brewfest not only gives craft brewers an opportunity to showcase their brews and gain customers, but it gives our students an opportunity to put out some of the beers they’ve made,” Gump said. “This is an opportunity to showcase the university as a commercial brewery and let people know about our program.”
FIU’s Food & Beverage Program is focused on preparing students with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue careers in the beverage industry. While the festival allows brewers to hone their craft and showcase their creations, for students in FIU’s brew science class the festival is an opportunity for hands-on experience and a chance to network with leading craft brewers.
Former students have secured jobs in the industry, with some of them opening some well-known local breweries, including MIA, The Tank and Biscayne Bay Brewing Company.
For tickets and more information please click here. Media interested in covering the event should register here or contact Madeline Baró at 305-310-9665. For the “Ultimate Guide to Brewfest,” please click here
