KPU Brewing Signature Series
Xocolatl
Alejandro Paz and Tim Tung
An intriguing, slightly bittersweet milk stout with notes of chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon spice, as well as a little kick from red chilis, this beer is reminiscent of spiced Mexican hot chocolate. Cozy up for a nightcap!
- Milk Stout
- Full bodied
- 5.6% ABV
- Medium IBUs
Ingredients: Water, Barley Malt, Wheat Malt, Oats, Hops, Yeast, Lactose, Chili, Vanilla, Cinnamon
Contains: Barley, Wheat, Oats, Lactose
Release Date: Mar. 10, 2023
About the Students
Xocolatl was inspired by a combination of influences from student brewers Alejandro Paz and Tim Tung. Alejandro’s home town in Guatemala has a big Mexican influence and he loves a bit of spicy heat in his food, so he knew he wanted to incorporate that into his capstone project beer.
Tim has always been drawn to beers that tell a story and stand out, so he was up for the challenge when Alejandro proposed a chocolate milk stout with cinnamon, vanilla and red chilies. It’s not a beer either brewer had tried before, at least not one with chilies that was done well, so they wanted to do it right!
Alejandro has a background in food manufacturing and was in school to become an engineer when he was introduced to different beers in Italy and fell in love with craft beer. That’s when he knew he wanted to pursue a career in brewing and applied to the KPU Brewing Diploma after completing his engineering program.
One of the things Alejandro loves about the KPU Brewing program is the enormous knowledge of the instructors, learning something new he can apply every day in his job at CAMP Beer Co. and the close community of his classmates, who he feels will be friends for life.
A self-declared foodie, when Alejandro isn’t cooking or brewing, you can find him doing quality control and analysis at CAMP, or enjoying a hazy IPA or crisp lager.
Tim was working in the mining industry as a geochemical lab tech when he was laid off due to the pandemic, which forced him to ask himself “if I could do something I loved for a career, what would it be?” So, he took his love of cooking and creating recipes, and combined them with his newfound passion for craft beer and applied to the KPU Brewing program.
“The instructors and peers I’ve met here in the program have been hugely influential and memorable, and the experience of being able to make beer with my own hands, and not only taste the result of my work but also learn how to improve from there has been the most valuable thing to me,” says Tung.
When Tim isn’t in school or learning new cooking techniques, you can find him playing Dungeons & Dragons with longtime friends or trying new West Coast IPAs and dark lagers. His go-to beer is Trading Post’s Three Bears Breakfast Stout.
