Niagara College grads reinvest in Niagara
Why many graduates decide to establish roots in the region
I often encounter my students when I’m out in the industry, and a few weeks ago I participated in a trivia night at The Exchange Brewery in downtown Niagaraon-the-Lake and chatted with some of my recently graduated brewmaster students. I noticed that a few decided to start their careers in Niagara. This prompted me to think about all of the other graduates we’ve kept in the region, and I was curious to find out what inspired them to establish roots here.
I met with Paul Rakoczy, who works in the cellars and taproom of the Exchange and completed the brewmaster and brewery operations management program in December. Paul mentioned he first applied for the job when he was starting the program, attracted to their creative recipes and brewing techniques. Their barrel program was one example.
“The beers fermented in barrel have yeast characteristics that add really interesting flavours,” he said.
In addition to bottle conditioning all of its beers, they play with interesting ingredients and styles from sours to saisons including his current favourite, the Breakfast Porter, which incorporates cold-brewed coffee. Working on creative beers is something that Paul has skill in as a brewer himself. For his final semester project, he crafted a smoked porter brewed with pomegranates that he called Black Forest Brushfire, which went on to win first prize at the college’s Project Brew festival.
Speaking about living in Niagara, one of the greatest perks for Paul is the unique combination of industries. He moved to Niagara from Montreal, having wrapped up a degree in geology at McGill University. He was immediately impressed by the variety of agricultural products available as well as the rare cluster of beverage industries.
As Paul mentioned, “what I love about being in Niagara is that we’re brewing in the heart of an agricultural haven with an already established wine industry. Having wineries and now distilleries in proximity provides an opportunity for a symbiotic relationship that is unique and exciting.”
I’ve been fascinated by that relationship myself, and there are other great examples of it at Bench Brewing in Beamsville. When you visit Bench, you’ll see the integration of wine in their beer, from their VIO, a Brett saison that incorporates Viognier grapes, to their Folklore, a dark sour with Cabernet Franc skins.
Both Rick Lombardi and Michelle Verge took the brewmaster program and had some insight as to what makes Bench special for them. Rick finds the facility at Bench one of the biggest draws — it’s divided into a “clean side” and a “funk side” (“funk” for the use of things like Brettanomyces and other wild yeasts). As Rick explained, “it was an opportunity to challenge myself and push past my boundaries.” He credits Niagara College for preparing him well for his brewing career.
“I appreciate the opportunity I had as a student to brew in the brewery outside of class, as well as the sensory classes that prepared my palate. It’s useful when looking for off-flavours or participating in blending sessions with our brewmaster, Mark,” said Rick.
Ironically, or perhaps not, brewmaster Mark Horsley was part of the first graduating class of the brewmaster program, and he still hosts every first semester tour of the brewery.
For Michelle, another draw is the connection to the Twenty Valley community. She grew up in the small town of Camden, Ont., and believes in supporting local businesses.
“We brew with really local products and that’s important to me,” she said.
This includes sourcing barrels from the wineries of Twenty Valley, working with local Beamsville farmers for ingredients and even partnering with Community Care.
Of course, it’s not surprising to find brewmaster graduates working at breweries, but I also have the pleasure of seeing my graduates from the hospitality and tourism programs immersed in the beer industry. Kristen Smith, who was a student in my sensory class and is a graduate of the hospitality hotel and restaurant operations program, works in the taproom at Bench. When I asked what made her choose the Niagara brewing industry for her career launch, she explained, “I have always been interested in the beverage industry and I found that our class in beverage sensory as well as classes like ‘dining room service’ really prepared me for this job. Bench training includes Prud’homme Level 1 (a beer certification program) and I was already familiar with how to taste and knew what to look for.”
Kristen and Michelle are collaborating on a “beer bible” for Bench that consists of tasting notes and product information.
Some of my fellow faculty are also part of the beer industry. Mary Beccario, professor of hospitality and tourism, is involved with Niagara Oast House Brewers, something that she credits with supporting her professional development.
“I started getting involved with Oast when I was working on a marketing project years ago, but our relationship continued and I am now involved with planning events,” said Mary. “It keeps me current, and I find the beer industry exciting and engaging, with the potential for growth.”
And there are many more unmentioned alumni, not to mention many current students immersed in the beer industry. The interest just seems to keep growing.
It seems the beer industry in Niagara really does have symbiotic relationships. Paul told me the Breakfast Porter at the Exchange is a combined effort, as some of the staff roast coffee beans and provide them to the brewery. The floor manager at the Exchange is Amy Kvas, a Niagara College graduate of the winery and viticulture technician program. She is also the co-owner of Kvas Fine Beverage Company, which creates syrups for cocktails.
As I sit back and look around, I think how remarkable it is to live in an area that provides so much for us to explore, and I am glad so many great minds have decided to stay.