Niagara College beer fest to whet whistles
HARLEY DAVIDSON
Students from Niagara College’s teaching brewery are busy preparing for their very own craft beer festival, which hits Market Square in downtown St. Catharines Friday.
The event, called Project Brew Beer Expo 150, will give the public an opportunity to sample what’s on tap from Canada’s next generation of brewmasters, while celebrating craft beer and Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary.
Duncan Cowie, a fourth-year brewmaster student who pitched the idea, said it is somewhat inspired by Expo 67, the world fair that took place in Montreal in 1967.
“We wanted to do something that had to do with Canada’s 150th birthday,” says Cowie.
“It’s supposed to show off the diversity of beer that’s possible in Canada, much like Expo 67, which was a celebration of diversity from around the world.”
Cowie says the beers are inspired by countries across the globe, including a beer that mimics a mango lassi, a kölsch-inspired brew, a chocolatemilk stout and some really fruity IPAs.
In total, there will be 17 different beers, all locally developed and produced at the college teaching brewery.
The beers will also have their own Canadian twist, each student selecting a different Canadian-themed icon to identify their beer and themselves as a brewer — such as a maple leaf for the Double Double beer and an Inukshuk for the Great Day for Hay brew.
The whole project is the brainchild of all the students of the brewmaster program, says Jon Downing, brewmaster professor.
“They organized it, they put it together. It’s their project.”
Adam Levine, the student in charge of promotions for the event, says students run all aspects of the event, including sales, promotions, sponsors and vendors.
He says all proceeds from the festival will go towards the Matt Soos Memorial Fund, a scholarship awarded annually to the student who wins the Niagara College brewmaster competition.
Soos was a student of the brewmaster program who died shortly after his graduation in 2014. His parents will be in attendance to judge the brewmaster competition, which takes place at the event. The winning student will receive the Matt Soos memorial scholarship of $4,500. The scholarship was established by Muskoka Brewery and Railway City Brewing — both former employers of Soos.
In Soos’ honour, students have brewed up one of his original recipes for Friday’s event, called Soos’ Juices.
Tickets for Project Brew are $20 online and $25 at the door.
A full list of beers and brewers, as well as ticket information can be found at, ncprojectbrew.cal.