By Karsen Leek – Collegiate Staff
Six months after the launch of its craft brewing program, Grand Rapids Community College opened America’s first licensed on-campus, brew pub. The Fountain Hill Brewery, or “Peter’s Pub” is located in the Applied Technology Center, next to The Heritage Restaurant.
Brewery staff and students excitedly opened the pub doors today for the first time for a “soft” opening.
Fountain Hill Brewing Company can comfortably seat 50 guests. It offers an intimate setting as well as a 12-tap bar, eight of them being student made craft beer, such as an American IPA and blonde ale. The rest of the taps will feature different beers from local breweries in the West Michigan area.
The pub is overseen by taproom management and instructors.
“We offer a cheese selection prepared by students, freshly popped popcorn and beer cheese,” said Lyndsay Israel, “We hope to partner up with culinary students and expand the menu in the upcoming weeks.”
Instructors of the program oversee all parts of the brewing process, from the making of the beer to the serving of it.
“With this program we try and teach them just about everything, from brewing itself, to equipment cleaning to maintenance and even doing vitality checks,” said Intro to Craft Brewing Instructor Brett Langschied.
The pub will officially open to the public Friday at 5:30 p.m. after a ribbon cutting ceremony. Craft Brewing Student Casey Conley will provide in-depth brewery tours to the public.
For more information you can like the Fountain Hill Brewery on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
