ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Students in CNM’s brewing program are getting hands-on experience at a local brewery, and after two years, it’s time for the public to taste their creation. It’s the first time one of their brews has been put on tap for the public to try.
From the classroom to the taproom, nearly three years after CNM’s brewery program began, the public will now get to taste their hard work. “Honestly, I would love to see the public open up their taste to more styles of beer,” Nicolas Corominas, a CNM graduate, said.
Gallons of the sour Belgian style fruit lambic will be on tap at Sidetrack Brewery near Second Street and Coal. Students in the program helped brew the flavorful beer two years ago. It has been fermenting ever since.
Now, it’s ready to be put on tap and served to the public. It’s something students who worked on the brew say is a valuable learning experience. “To go there and work on a commercial grade scale was pretty fascinating, and to see the equipment rather than in videos, it’s invaluable information,” Corominas said.
Head brewer at Sidetrack, Dan Herr, guided the students in crafting the beer. He says there are many methods to brewing, and he wanted to give CNM students a taste of what it’s like to create a perfect beer in a small environment.
“You’re actually getting your hands on the raw grain, and watching the hot water and everything interact and using the pumps and the machinery,” Herr said.
This will be the first batch of many. They plan to release one beer at the brewery every semester.
“Normally, you sit in a classroom and listen to lectures, but there you have to work as a team and get this brew hashed out,” Corominas said.
To get to this point, it took a lot of work, and this new partnership is helping fill a need for highly trained brewers across New Mexico.
“It’s really gratifying to see how many of our graduates are ending up all over Albuquerque and New Mexico, and clearly there was an industry need,” Nick Jones, a CNM instructor, said.
They expect it to be on tap mid to late-July. They’re looking forward to the feedback on their new creation.
