The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Audrey Reid, owner of Imbibe Solutions in Virginia, is the recipient of the Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis course scholarship.

Audrey was chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers. They selected Audrey to receive this scholarship due to her ability to clearly explain in her application essay how the course will benefit her as well as how the knowledge she gains will allow her to better serve those around her.

Audrey has created a unique position for herself by opening a laboratory that conducts quality control for a number of East Coast breweries. When she opened three years ago she had two clients. 18 months after opening she was in the fortunate position of having enough clients to move into a lab that was 5x the size of her original one. Today she can proudly say that she has worked with over 50 clients, the majority of which are breweries.

Being one’s own boss is the goal for many people but for Audrey that also means that “I perform every job necessary to run the business, including: in-lab and on-site analytical testing, sample pick up, accounting, inventory, outreach, sensory training, consulting, marketing, purchasing, web design, and dreaming of big ideas.” In addition to adding to her base of knowledge by completing the course she says that she is looking forward to “talking with experts about quality analysis and hopefully obtaining contacts to reach out to when I am truly stuck.”

Audrey has supplemented her B.S. in Chemistry and Master of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy with knowledge on beer analysis through books, lectures, papers, webinars, podcasts and people who have been in the industry for many years. While this has served her well be she says, “I want a more formal, beer-science focused education. I acknowledge that some of this course may be redundant for me because of my current job, but having looked through the syllabus I haven’t found an area where there isn’t something I could learn.”

OSU’s Beer Quality and Analysis Series teaches the fundamentals of basic beer analysis and microbiological techniques and their roles in the brewing process based on the official ASBC Methods of Analysis used in QA/QC labs worldwide, providing attendees the knowledge and tools to analyze and evaluate beer to influence quality control in a production brewing setting.

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Jocelyn Havel of 21st Amendment Brewery is the recipient of the Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis course scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Jocelyn to receive this scholarship as they feel “she has the technical background to fully understand the coursework and having recently been promoted to Quality Supervisor, has the most relevant job to put the tools learned in the class to work.”

Jocelyn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, a Master’s degree in Chemistry and started out her career as a researcher and teaching assistant at the University of California, Davis where she gained extensive lab experience. When she made the decision to transition to the brewing industry she self-studied and paid for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s Diploma in Brewing exams out of pocket. She says the process, “pushed me to gain the technical knowledge of the brewing process, however it didn’t go in depth about beer quality.”

As the Quality Supervisor at 21st Amendment Brewery, Jocelyn is responsible for daily activities of the QA department including fermentation and yeast management, sensory analysis, microbiological QA/QC and chemical analytics. This is a role that she was promoted to in the fall of 2017 after starting as a production brewer and then moving over to the Quality team as an analyst. She hired her first female technician in January, a move that coincides with the brewery’s massive expansion that will add state of the art equipment and hugely increase their capacity within the next two years. As the company grows Jocelyn says, “I would like to continue to grow the Quality Department. The Oregon State Beer Quality and Analysis series is the perfect opportunity to give me a solid foundation on which to grow our department.”

OSU’s Beer Quality and Analysis Series teaches the fundamentals of basic beer analysis and microbiological techniques and their roles in the brewing process based on the official ASBC Methods of Analysis used in QA/QC labs worldwide, providing attendees the knowledge and tools to analyze and evaluate beer to influence quality control in a production brewing setting.

In addition to attending the course, Jocelyn will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Ashley Nulph, tasting room server at The Rare Barrel, is the recipient of the Oregon State University Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Ashley to receive this scholarship as she, “has not had the opportunity before to attend a course that would go into the details of beer flavors and styles.” They admire her passion and determination to balance it all – being “a strong mommy following her passion” and carving out precious time to gain knowledge in various aspects of beer and brewing.

A little over a year ago Ashley made a career change, from utilizing her master’s degree in education teaching high school Mandarin and Spanish, to becoming a beertender. She quickly joined the Pink Boots Society and last spring was able to participate in three different Big Boots Brews. She says “Beer inspired me to be a student again – to learn about biology, chemistry and engineering processes – but learning by myself has many limitations.” She is looking forward to both the education she will gain in brewing and tasting and “the opportunity to widen my community with beer professionals I can go to with questions and concerns or for support. As an added bonus, I’d meet more women in the industry who have different backgrounds and share these new experiences with them.”

The Oregon State University Professional and Continuing Education Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles course is a two-day onsite course that will examine the origins of beer flavor from raw materials and brewing techniques, how beer flavor and aroma are developed within brewing, raw ingredients and then ultimately transformed by yeast during fermentation through multiple beer tastings and discussions. Attendees will also learn the sensory methodology and aroma standards used by professionals in the brewing industry to analyze beer quality and to identify beer flavor defects and their causes during the brewing process.

In addition to attending the course, Ashley will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Erika Raye, Analytical Lab Technician at White Labs, is the recipient of the Oregon State University Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Erika to receive this scholarship as she, “has a passion for learning and demonstrates great involvement with PBS in terms of organizing events and volunteering. She is well spoken, excited with a clear vision of where she wants to go and how this course will assist her.”

Erika moved to San Diego after graduating with a chemistry degree, intending to use it to become an analytical chemist for a winery. Upon discovering the brewing scene she realized that was where she needed to be and she began working at a brand new nano brewery where she says, “the brewer taught me all that he knew about beer and brewing, whether it was giving me books to read or taking me to as many tasting rooms as he could, we were always working on my “beer education.” A year later she was enrolled in UC San Diego’s Extension program to earn a professional certificate in Craft Beer and Brewing, with her next goal being to pass the Certified Cicerone exam. She is looking forward to this scholarship course being extremely helpful in helping her achieve that goal.

The Oregon State University Professional and Continuing Education Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles course is a two-day onsite course that will examine the origins of beer flavor from raw materials and brewing techniques, how beer flavor and aroma are developed within brewing, raw ingredients and then ultimately transformed by yeast during fermentation through multiple beer tastings and discussions. Attendees will also learn the sensory methodology and aroma standards used by professionals in the brewing industry to analyze beer quality and to identify beer flavor defects and their causes during the brewing process.

In addition to attending the course, Erika will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Audrey Ragle of Carton Brewing Company in New Jersey is the recipient of the Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis course scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Audrey to receive this scholarship as they feel she “is motivated to further her career through education” and “has a lot of ambition, dedication and commitment.”

Audrey’s path to brewing began while pursuing her geology/environmental degree where she was introduced to home brewing by some of the graduate students in her department. The brewing bug quickly took hold, leading to her purchasing her own home brewing kit after graduation and shortly thereafter upgrading her equipment to do all-grain brewing. That experience helped her to land her first job in the industry, with Carton Brewing as a part-time tour guide and bartender. From the beginning they intended that she would be in charge of the brewery’s future QC/QA program because of her science background. A year later she was promoted to Tasting Room Manager, a full-time position, followed by a transition to the production floor in early 2016 and then on to the position of Brewing Scientist in the spring of 2016.

In her current role Audrey says, “I now juggle the responsibilities of being a full-time production team member and single-handedly being in charge of the quality program.” Her motivation to grow “involves a lot of reading, learning, networking, and, when the opportunity arises, attending a course or workshop.” She has been on Oregon State’s mailing list for some time and has longingly looked at courses so when this scholarship came up she was eager to apply knowing that the education would benefit both her and her brewery’s lab.

OSU’s Beer Quality and Analysis Series teaches the fundamentals of basic beer analysis and microbiological techniques and their roles in the brewing process based on the official ASBC Methods of Analysis used in QA/QC labs worldwide, providing attendees the knowledge and tools to analyze and evaluate beer to influence quality control in a production brewing setting.

In addition to attending the course, Audrey will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

OSU Origins of Beer Flavor and Styles Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Alethea Smartt is the recipient of the Oregon State University Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Alethea to receive this scholarship due to her position, “as a writer and business owner heavily enmeshed in the brewing industry,” feeling that “she would benefit the most from this course,” improving, “her writing which will have far reaching effects” and increasing her, “understanding of basic style and flavor profiles that would lend well to her work.”

Alethea is a small business consultant in Portland, Ore. currently working with a beer industry client to improve their website, add eCommerce, identify sales and marketing opportunities, and increase product awareness by attending festivals and other events. She is also a writer for online and print publications who has, “been drinking beer for practically my entire life” but says, “I tend to shy away from opportunities to judge or to discuss beer in more technical terms.” In order to increase her proficiency in identifying specific flavors and aromas and the overall process of making beer she has plans to start homebrewing and recently decided to become Cicerone certified. Regarding the course she says, “I felt like the timing was more than coincidence as this course would be invaluable in preparing me for the Cicerone exam.”

The Oregon State University Professional and Continuing Education Origins of Beer Flavors and Styles course is a two-day onsite course that will examine the origins of beer flavor from raw materials and brewing techniques, how beer flavor and aroma are developed within brewing, raw ingredients and then ultimately transformed by yeast during fermentation through multiple beer tastings and discussions. Attendees will also learn the sensory methodology and aroma standards used by professionals in the brewing industry to analyze beer quality and to identify beer flavor defects and their causes during the brewing process.

In addition to attending the course, Alethea will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Abigail Temoshchuk of Port City Brewing in Virginia is the recipient of the Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis Series scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Abigail to receive this scholarship as they feel “this scholarship will help enhance her microbiology education,” supplementing her science background. With minimal professional QA/QC experience “she could benefit immensely from this scholarship and subsequent training.”

Like many, Abigail started by homebrewing. From the first brew day with her boyfriend she, “felt this emotion that simultaneously satisfied both my creativity and my type-A nature. It was a feeling I had only experienced one time before – in the laboratory.”

At the time she was in a self-described “cushy” government job utilizing her Masters degree in Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases. Once hooked on homebrewing, she scaled up her batches and began self-education of her palate. Delving deeper into craft beer she got a part-time server position with Port City Brewing. When she had the opportunity to go full time as a brewer there she quit her government job and since then has applied her scientific background to “create, manage, and run the lab program as a one-man-show.” Acknowledging the steep learning curve, she’s looking forward to the education this scholarship can provide to get their lab program running efficiently.

OSU’s Beer Quality and Analysis Series teaches the fundamentals of basic beer analysis and microbiological techniques and their roles in the brewing process based on the official ASBC Methods of Analysis used in QA/QC labs worldwide, providing attendees the knowledge and tools to analyze and evaluate beer to influence quality control in a production brewing setting.

In addition to attending the course, Abigail will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

OSU Craft Brewery Startup Workshop Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Nardia McGrath of Newfoundland, Canada is the recipient of the Oregon State University Craft Brewery Startup Workshop scholarship.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they chose Nardia to receive this scholarship because “she has some practical knowledge” but being located “rather far from a craft centric city, she isn’t able to drive a few hours to do research.”

Nardia started her career in craft beer in 2008, taking a job at an Australian brewery as a bartender but also helping out in the brewery by washing kegs and assisting on the bottling line whenever she could. After a year there she sought out formal brewing education in the U.K. where she obtained a Diploma of British Brewing Technology, a step in her career that she describes as “invaluable.”

Returning to Australia and Bridge Road Brewers after her degree she quickly stepped into a role as a brewer where she oversaw expansions, increased production, introduced QC procedures and designed and released her own successful commercial beer. Over the next four years she held brewer positions at two other breweries, relocated to Newfoundland and made the decision to open a brewery in “an area of the world with very few craft breweries operating, but consumers crying out for more variety.” As this is her first time opening a brewery she feels this course “would be extremely beneficial in helping me achieve my goal of opening a brewery.”

The Oregon State University Professional and Continuing Education Craft Brewery Startup Workshop focuses on developing a working and feasible craft brewery business plan, best practices and marketing strategies for a small business and acquiring capital and infrastructure including how to source ingredients and beer brewing equipment. Participants will research brewery trends and gain entrepreneurial insights on business and management from successful brewery owners.

In addition to attending the course, Nardia will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

Oregon State University Beer Quality & Analysis Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce that Margaret Bragg is the recipient of Oregon State University’s Beer Quality & Analysis Scholarship. Margaret works as a cellar person/brewer’s assistant at Pike Brewing Co. in Seattle, WA.

Chosen by the PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC), five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers, they felt Margaret should receive this scholarship due to her commitment to the industry, desire to learn and motivation to carry forward the Pink Boots Society message.

Margaret landed her first job working at Hale’s Ales 15 years ago where for four years she handled retail beer sales, gave brewery tours and managed their 300+ person mug club, which included organizing monthly events. She worked for a brewery but didn’t get a chance to work in a brewery until taking a position with Pike in 2010 running the bottling line. Not exactly a trial by fire but not for the faint-hearted, Margaret recalls, “Without any previous mechanical experience, and within less than two weeks, I was solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of one of the original Prospero bottling lines created for beer.”

Now a brewer’s assistant, Margaret realizes it’s time to be more responsible for her professional growth, including obtaining formal brewing education with a specific focus on gaining more knowledge and understanding of recipe development. She is looking forward to being a part of the lab Pike is developing and has been asked to contribute to the implementation of solid QA/QC and safety programs, all things the rapidly expanding company will need and the course will assist her with.

OSU’s Beer Quality & Analysis course consists of a six week online module followed by a five-day onsite course in Corvallis, OR. It will cover the fundamental methods used to evaluate beer production and microbiological stability throughout the entire beer making process and packaging. Attendees will learn sterile techniques in order to isolate, evaluate and screen brewing yeast and contaminants as well as utilize modern equipment to analyze all parameters of wort and beer.

In addition to attending the course, Margaret will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.

OSU’s Beer Proficiency Testing & Sensory Analysis Scholarship Recipient Announced

The Pink Boots Society is proud to announce the recipient of Oregon State University’s Beer Proficiency Testing & Sensory Analysis Scholarship. Katie Nasiatka works at Odell Brewing Company where she is a lab technician and is in the process of building a sensory tasting program.

The PBS Scholarship Selection Committee (SSC) is made up of five very experienced women beer professionals who hold positions as brewers, educators and writers. The committee chose Katie to receive this scholarship due to her, “excellent understanding of sensory and a clear vision of where she would like to take her knowledge in the sensory world. She also came highly recommended, which shows that her coworkers and mentors feel she has great potential.”

Katie studied at the University of Colorado where she obtained a B.A. in Biochemistry and Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology and a minor in Applied Mathematics and Chemistry. She started with Odell in 2013 and has also worked at Alaskan Brewing Company.

In addition, Katie is the regional leader for the Northern Colorado chapter of the Pink Boots Society. She is, “hoping to take my sensory program and introduce it to the Pink Boots ladies along the Front Range who work at breweries in need of a sensory panel to determine the quality of their beer,” something this course will greatly help her achieve.

The four-day OSU course will examine the origins of beer flavor from raw materials and brewing techniques, how beer can work with food and understanding beer and food pairing principles through beer tastings and discussions. It will also cover sensory methodology and aroma standards used by professionals in the brewing industry to analyze beer quality and to identify beer flavor defects and their causes.

In addition to attending the course, Katie will receive a pair of pink steel-toe rubber boots when she fulfills the Pay It Forward requirement associated with the scholarship.