Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been named brewery of the year at the 2019 B.C. Beer Awards.
On a successful night for the Langley-based brew school, five of its beers also received awards and one of its instructors was recognized with a legend award.
The provincial success follows continental recognition earlier this year when KPU won the title of Grand National Champion as the school that brews the best beers in North America.
"This award is a testament to the brewing program. In a few short years, the program has grown to what it is today and it's all thanks to the dedicated faculty, staff and the numerous alumni that are working in breweries across B.C. and the world," says Dr. Alan Davis, president and vice-chancellor, KPU.
The 2019 B.C. Beer Awards received 1,185 beer entries from 122 breweries.
KPU maintains excellent ties with alumni working in many of those breweries. The beers that tapped award success at the B.C. Beer Awards included collaborative brews with some of those alumni and an ale developed by Italian students attending the school.
The Italian connection was Birra Rossa, which landed first place in the North American amber and brown ale category. There were second-place awards for May the Schwarz Be With You in dark and strong European beer and Pilsbo Baggins New Zealander Pilsner in specialty beer. And in the pale German beer and German wheat beer categories, there were third-place awards for The Adams Family Festbier and the 50/50 Hefeweizen respectively.
“We’re excited to share this award with everybody,” says instructor Derek Kindret, instructor in the KPU brewing program. “This is a proud moment for not just our current students but our alumni as well.”
There was recognition too for one of KPU’s expert instructors. Nancy More, the first female brewmaster in North America, received a legend award in the ceremony at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.
Contributors to the award-winning beers were:
1) North American Amber & Brown Ale category (1st place) Birra Rossa – Jon Howe, Derek Kindret, Graeme Heaven (KPU Team) along with Kyle Grohs (Lighthouse), Gabriele Libianchi and Lavinia Moscovini (Italian students)
2) Dark and Strong European Beer category (2nd place) May the Schwarz be With You – Jon Howe, Derek Kindret, Graeme Heaven (KPU Team)
3) Specialty Beer category (2nd place) Pilsbo Baggins – Silver – Jon Howe, Derek Kindret, Graeme Heaven (KPU Team) along with Jacquie Loehndorf and Gus DeMoura (both from Faculty Brewing)
4) German Wheat Beer category (3rd place) 50/50 Hefeweizen – Jon Howe, Derek Kindret, Graeme Heaven (KPU Team)
5) Pale German Beer category (3rd place) The Adams Family Festbier – Adam Keil (Mountainview), Adam Chittick (Scuttlebutt)
For more information about the brewery program, visit kpu.ca/brew.