Sat. Aug. 22 was the grand opening -- or actually grand reopening -- for Tivoli Brewing Co., a craft brewery that doubles as a functional, educational facility on campus for Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Once home to the largest brewery in Denver, the historic Tivoli building on the Auraria campus is now the Tivoli Student Union building, and will remain so, but it has also regained its function as a brewery. The facility now offers MSU Denver students a unique hands-on opportunity in the country as the only full-production brewery on a campus in the U.S.
More than 40 years after the original Tivoli shut its doors, Tivoli Brewing began resurrecting its recipes in 2012. "When we considered pursuing this endeavor, we saw the educational opportunities it would create for students, current employees and craft brewers as a whole and we knew it was a win-win for all those involved," says Corey Marshall, founder and CEO of Tivoli Brewing. "Educational opportunities for students will go beyond just brewing to all aspects of the operation from restaurant management, distribution, sales, marketing, packaging, quality control and business operations."
MSU Denver has launched four new beer courses for fall 2015 including Brewery Operations, Fermentation Science, Beverage Sales and Marketing, and Cooking with Beer. The university named Scott Kerkmans, one of five Certified Cicerones, as the coordinator of its Beer Industry Program within the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Events.
"Our faculty's rapid response to industry need, including the Tivoli Brewing Company, in creating new curriculum demonstrates MSU Denver's impact on Colorado's workforce," said MSU Denver President Stephen Jordan. Indeed, Colorado's breweries already add $10.3 billion in economic value to the state and employ more than 24,000 people, according to a recent report by the Beer Institute.
The Tivoli Brewing facilities build on MSU Denver's 14-year old Hospitality, Tourism and Events program. It previously used facilities off-campus, including those at the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field to give students real-world brewing experiences. Now the university will work with Tivoli as well as with Rising Sun Distillery and Strange Craft Beer Company. The latter two are within walking distance from campus.
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com.
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