Instructors: Jim Hebda & Jeff Fontana
Description: Were those caught in the “Great Experiment” of Prohibition actually inhibited? What does Prohibition have to do with the modern Craft beer movement? This course will discuss these topics while introducing you to the current methods of homebrewing and its history through the lens of the Great (Failed) Experiment, Prohibition. The course will explore the chemistry and biology that makes brewing possible through lab and non-lab based inquiry. Homebrewing methods will be contrasted to processes employed at different scale breweries. Diverse beer styles will be compared by experience and analysis of ingredients. This course will include three field trips including regional and local breweries and a distillery. Familiarity with introductory chemical and biological principles are not required. Students will also gain perspective on how Prohibition related to other attempts to legislate morality in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly with respect to obscenity in art and literature and access to contraception. Students will develop an appreciation for the chemistry and biology used to create beer as well as the freedom and responsibility we have in our un-prohibited age.
Meeting Dates: 01/02/2024 – 01/24/2024
Meeting Times: M-F 09:00AM – 12:00PM; several afternoons for labs, tours, and tastings from 1-4 pm
Meeting Location: TBA
Section Pre-requisites: Enrollment in this course is limited to those with birth dates on or before 1-2-2003. A brief interview and presentation of a valid ID with your birth date must completed with either Professor James Hebda or Professor Jeff Fontana before registration permission will be given.
Course Fee: $325
Out-of-Pocket Expenses: $40