Brewers

Most breweries, whether a microbrewery, a brewpub, or one of the major mass-production breweries, offer tours of their facilities. This is an excellent opportunity to learn what actually goes on in a brewery, to see the brewing equipment and the raw ingredients, and to ask questions of the masterbrewer. Those 21 and older will be able to sample the various styles of beer at the brewery.

Homebrewing is a popular trend that has been growing rapidly for the past decade. Those 21 and over can learn firsthand how to brew small batches of beer at home. The equipment and ingredients needed to begin brewing can be found at some larger liquor stores or through mail order.

There are numerous books and magazines available on the subject. Zymurgy (https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/zymurgy-magazine), the American Homebrewers Association's magazine, focuses on homebrewing issues. The Brewers Association also lists publications on its Web site at https://www.brewersassociation.org/edu/brewers-publications/#searchModal. Most brewers began their experience with brewing by brewing first at home. So you're not of legal drinking age yet? Don't worry, you can still learn some of the basic skills of a brewer by making nonalcoholic carbonated drinks, such as sodas. Articles on this topic are frequently found in beer magazines because so much of the same equipment is used to make each.

Some breweries have part-time jobs available to students. They usually entail sanitizing the brewing equipment after a batch has been made or transporting heavy bags of ingredients. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how the brewing machines work, to get to know the various types of ingredients, and to see the types of challenges and pressures brewers face firsthand.