In November, ETSU introduced a new minor to its diverse course catalog: brewing & distillation studies. The minor consists of 21 credits: nine core classes and 12 electives. The introductory course in the program, Introduction to Brewing & Distillation Studies, will be available for students to take in Spring 2022.
Johnson City is beginning to prove itself as a breeding ground for up-and-coming breweries. Currently, it is home to beloved locations such as the Johnson City Brewing Company, Great Oak Brewing, Watauga Brewing Company, Yee-Haw Brewing Company, Little Animals Brewery and Atlantic Ale House. One brewery in particular, Tennessee Hills Brewstillery, is planning to partner with the university by offering hands-on experience opportunities to students in the course of study.
“Tennessee Hills is humbled, yet very proud, to help a great university like ETSU provide its students with world-class exponential learning opportunities in the rapidly growing distillation and fermentation science fields,” said Tennessee Hills CEO Scott Andrews and President Stephen Callahan. “Northeast Tennessee has been a cultured home to these craft sciences for over 200 years, and there is no greater place than ETSU and these great ‘Tennessee Hills’ to make something like this happen.”
The selection of required courses for the brewing & distillation studies minor consists of three classes: Foundations of Brewing & Distillation Studies, Introduction to Brewing & Distillation Studies and Brewing & Distillation Studies Internship. Additionally, there are a diverse range of electives offered with this course, such as Brewing & Distillation Studies Abroad, Special Topics in Appalachian Studies, Media Writing, Small Business Management, and Principles of Marketing.
“This is a unique education program that we developed through listening to the needs of regional industries,” said ETSU Provost Kimberly McCorkle. “People are not necessarily training for this in Northeast Tennessee, so we are helping to fill that void.”
To learn more about the Brewing & Distillation Studies minor, visit https://catalog.etsu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=42&poid=14338&returnto=1784.