For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Beer Brewing Club, it has been on campus for a long time. Dr. Garth E. Patterson, who was the chair of the science department until last fall, happens to be the person in charge of the club.
“The Brewing Club is a student-run organization that is open to students, faculty, staff and any community member. It is focused on brewing and talking about researching beer specifically, and we have seen it as a good entree into discussing how science in one aspect might be something you can think of in the context of what you would do at home,” Patterson explains.
Besides brewing beer, the club also does zoom beer tastings, allowing them to, in the comfort of their homes, participate in sociable drinking without having to worry about driving anywhere. They also do beer swaps. "So, you get to explore a lot of friend’s tastes. Which has been a great way of finding beer without having to buy a full pack of them,” as stated by Patterson.
They have also had the opportunity to visit professional brewing facilities where they learn about the science as well as occasionally practice the skill with professional equipment. Patterson also adds that they do brew cider as well for those who might not fancy beer to the same extent.
“I had a class called science of brewing. It is an upper-level chemistry elective class and the students that were in it were interested in doing more than what we were able to do in the class,” Patterson said. He, along with his students six years ago, started a club outside of the already exiting class and it has been running ever since. With success one might add seeing as three of his previous students are now professionals in the field.
Patterson adds that the club is welcome for anyone to join and not only science majors, and in order to join one can only send him a quick email at g.patterson@msmary.edu.
Besides providing the students of the Mount with fun and exciting extracurricular, Patterson also believes that the club allows for more open conversations and connections between students, as well as students and faculty.
“There is a natural inclination to have, we even have a colloquialism you know, over a beer let’s have a conversation, and those conversations are usually meant to be informal but are often the most impactful,” he added.
“I think that the Brewing Club provides a unique chance for the older students at the Mount to practice and learn science through a unique lens. It is also a goal of the club to educate those who can drink on the various types of beer and ciders, and how each type can be made. To the community I believe that we provide a unique way for older students to learn in a unique and responsible way,” said the club’s president and senator Garrett Lane. He also "enjoys this club because it provides a safe and communal place for those 21 and older to meet new people, learn to brew beer and learn leadership.”
The club is, however, aware of the dangers that exist with alcohol and has made it a priority to talk about the psychological aspect of alcohol as well as responsible consumption in their meetings. They discuss driving in relation to alcohol and whenever they drink together everyone always has a driver. You also must be 21 years old to join and they do check IDs for in their meetings. Upon joining, they also one's alcohol consumption involved check their participants' age and identity with the school to be sure.
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