Beer Tour Features New Sustainable Brewing Program

Participants in Kalamazoo Beer Week, Jan. 16-23, will get a glimpse of The Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s new Bronson Healthy Living Campus in downtown Kalamazoo. The building, equipped with state-of-the-art brewing equipment from Germany, is nearing completion and students in Kalamazoo Valley’s sustainable brewing program will start using the facility soon. The unique program launched in the fall. Students in the program will learn all aspects of the industry from beer history to marketing to wastewater treatment.

Kalamazoo Beer Week is a week-long series of events that support the craft beer experience through beer tastings, dinners, and interactive events. Patrons will meet with brewers, learn about what it takes to develop intricate, highly desired brews, and achieve a greater sense the craft beer scene.

The stop at the Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing is being coordinated by Kalamazoo-based West Michigan Beer Tours. It’s part of five-hour-long sold out tour that begins at Central City Tap House at 1 p.m. on Jan. 16. “This tour will give people a glimpse into the new facility, offer a presentation about what the program will mean to the brewing industry, meet the people behind the curriculum and sample several local beers,” said John Liberty of West Michigan Beer Tours.

Mike Babb, a former Coors brewer who serves as a consultant and instructor in the Kalsec Center for Sustainable Brewing Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, said, “We are excited to share the status of the very successful launch of the Kalamazoo Valley Community College Sustainable Brewing program and we’re looking forward to delivery of the teaching brewery which will occur in late February.”

For more information about Beer Week, go to Kalamazoo Beer Week. For more information about Kalamazoo Valley’s sustainable brewing program, go to www.kvcc.edu/brewing.