Drexel University Launches ‘Fundamentals of Beer’ Course
A new course at Drexel University, “The Fundamentals of Beer,” is dedicated to demystifying the history of brewing and the appeal of beer in today’s food and dining culture.
Fundamentals of Beer
Paul O’Neill, Drexel’s assistant clinical professor of food and hospitality management, collaborated with Lynne Hoffman, author of “The Short Course in Beer” and founder of Drexel’s culinary program, to create a 10-week beer course. The course’s goal is to help students appreciate the many styles and varieties of beer as well as the beverage’s cultural significance, particularly within the historical setting of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
O’Neill stresses that the course has value in its academic approach to the subject of beer.
“Beer appreciation is not inebriation,” he said in a report published by The Conversation. “There is a proper way to analyze beer through sight, aroma, palate texture, and flavor. We use a tasting grid to guide students through this process.”
Throughout the course, students will be introduced to the history of beer production, its cultural significance, tasting notes, and profiles of various beer styles. At the end of the course, they can apply their knowledge to design a restaurant’s beer menu.
The course also covers some of the intriguing elements of beer making in Philadelphia’s history, including:
- Yuengling, originally named Eagle Brewery, was founded in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, approximately 100 miles outside Philadelphia.
- President George Washington praised local brewer Robert Hare Jr. for developing “the best porter in Philadelphia.”
- Bavarian expat John Wagner purportedly brewed America’s first lager around 1840.
- Additional Philadelphia-area brewers throughout the city’s history include the Philadelphia Brewing Company, Dock Street, and Yards, all that made impacts on the city’s craft beer industry.
In addition to readings, the course includes a guided tour and tasting at Yards, one of Philadelphia’s larger independent craft beer breweries.
