Craft Beverage Institute graduate Rebecca Murphy at Two Trees Distilling Co. Photo by Don Perkins.
Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Craft Beverage Institute of the Southeast (CBI) at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech). The CBI provides curriculum and non-credit courses in brewing, distilling, fermentation and related business practices. Its Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation AAS degree was the first two-year program in the nation. “The Institute prepares individuals for positions in brewery and distillery operations and management, distribution, sales and marketing, and customer service, or to be self-employed and open their own craft production facility,” says CBI director Jeff “Puff” Irvin. “Over the last 10 years, we have had students and graduates of our programs achieve amazing local, regional and international success and acclaim.”
One such graduate is Rebecca Murphy, a CBI alumnus who is now operations director for Two Trees Distilling Co. in Fletcher. Murphy graduated with the 2-year AAS degree in 2021. “The quality of the instructors, the small class size and the amount of hands-on experience through the course were what I was initially drawn to,” she says. “The full-time instructors and staff have an amazing depth of experience to draw on. They’ve been in the industry, doing the work and know what they’re talking about. They know what common problems you’ll run into and how to avoid them.”
Murphy credits her strong network at CBI with landing her current job right after graduation. “Not only did I have my classmates, who I got to know incredibly well, but I also had instructors who came to the CBI that I can reach out to whenever I have a question,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s about hiring new staff, designing labels for a new product or running into regulatory snags. Someone has been there, done that, and I have someone to get advice from.”
Sasha Bynum started at CBI in fall of 2022 and already has a full-time brewing position lined up at Terra Nova Beer Co. in Swannanoa after graduation, a position she landed because of her summer internship there. “The program exceeded my expectations by a long shot,” she says.
“It’s not just how to brew beer, it’s studying chemistry, algebra, biology and some physics to understand how different fermentations are possible. So you get lots of book knowledge from those courses and on top of that, we get hands-on applications every week by getting to brew beer, bourbon washes, stomp grapes, distill fruit juices, make mead and so much more.”
Exceeding expectations has been the theme of the last decade, and it’s one that the CBI plans to carry into the coming decade as well. “Ten years is a milestone achievement for any new academic program,” says Irvin. “It signifies stability, longevity and resilience in an ever-changing landscape. We look forward to offering new programs and opportunities; we look to strengthen our community and relationships within the craft beverage community and continue playing a crucial role supporting the craft beverage industry as it evolves everywhere around the world.”
Learn more at ABTech.edu/CBI and listen to Irvin’s podcast “Consuming the Craft” on Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
