Several final term students from Niagara College’s beer brewing program have taken home first and second place wins at this years U.S. Open College Beer Championship.
Of the five beers submitted, one landed a gold medal and two others took home silver.
The first place beer, a barrel-aged stout called Cherry Blawesome, brewed by Nathan Melo, also secured the “Best in Show” award.
Melo says the beverage began as an experiment, with the intention of crafting something his mother would drink.
“As a child I recall her loving the Hershey’s Cherry Blossom candy, so I formulated the recipe to have a complex chocolate profile, a gentle cherry sweetness, and a very light vanilla flavor from the barrel,” he said.
The two second-place medals were awarded for a Vienna Lager called “Vindobona Schrammer,” and a Belgin Blonde Ale — aptly titled “James Blonde.”