SYLVANIA, Ohio — Lourdes University will soon celebrate the first graduate of its Craft Beverage Studies program in December.
The school noticed the growing popularity of craft beverages and breweries, and began offering the program in 2019. Jeff Groth is an assistant professor in the program, which is the only program of its kind in the state.
"Our program is craft beer, wine and distilled spirits," he said. "So the students get an opportunity to do three internships that they have to complete. They can do one in beer, one in wine and one in distilled spirits."
Five new students have entered the program this semester. They learn about the processes of creating the beverages, tasting and packaging. There are some exceptions in an educational setting if you are underage studying in the program.
"At 18, they're allowed to get two-ounce pours of beer and wine, and one-ounce pours of spirits," Groth said. "That's for the styles and flavors class. So it's legally allowed for an educational purpose."
Business and beer are favorites for locals and it is why Chris Morris, co-owner of Inside the Five Brewing Company, is expanding.
"Working through Sylvania and working through Perrysburg we realized that we just needed more beer," Morris said. "So early on we just are trying to find the right opportunity to find that space."
The company started about five years ago in Sylvania then opened a second location in Perrysburg about two years ago. Morris said the third location near The University of Toledo will be able to achieve the goal of making more beer.
"The third location is going to be more of a production facility," Morris said. "It will increase our barrelage from a five-barrel system to a 20-barrel system."
The new systems will produce beer four times faster, cutting down on the amount of time it takes to make more beer.
There are now more than 400 breweries in Ohio and 40 percent of them opened in the past three years, according to the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.