Business of Craft Beer

Courses for those working in the industry and those wishing to gain career skills needed to begin working in the craft beer industry.

Foundations of Beer

Designed primarily for the weekend beer hobbyist and the budding enthusiast. Foundations of Beer covers an overview of brewing, beer history, and tradition, beer styles, vocabulary and an introduction to food and beer pairing ideas. 

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PROED-0011-580, $175 (prerequisite, optional)
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Inside Track to the Craft Beer Industry

Learn about the professions within the craft beer industry and the skills needed to be successful in different areas. Cover the basics of the industry,from beer history and ingredients to brewing methods. Explore beer styles, off-flavor tastings, beer evaluation, terminology and equipment. Students who complete this course are eligible to take the Certified Beer Server® exam at a discounted rate of $49 (this course is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Cicerone Certification Program).

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PROED-0011-550, $399
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Beer Production

Learn about the production of beer, from material management, to brewing schedules, packaging product and managing product distribution. This course helps to navigate the many processes involved with operations for creating beer and getting it out to your consumer. 

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PROED-0011-563, $299
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Beer Sales and Distribution

Learn all the aspects of selling beer from those experienced in the industry. Gain knowledge about how to increase beverage sales while giving the customer a great experience, and discover how this leads to greater revenue for your business. Discuss distributor management, inventory management, and volume metrics. Learn how the three-tier system works in the craft beer industry and strategies to be successful within it.

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PROED-0011-555, $299
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Promoting Beer as a Brand Ambassador

Develop promotional skills you can use in the taproom, at events and online. Gain working knowledge of social media and digital marketing. Discuss branding, messaging, audience, strategy and image and video creation.

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PROED-0011-552, $299
On campus in Glen Ellyn

Front of House Beer Management

Learn essential skills for superior taproom service and management, from proper pouring and draught-line basics to employee relations and beer fest training.

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PROED-0011-553, $299
Partner Sites - Hybrid

Business of Craft Beer Capstone

Complete your training with this final capstone course, which will synthesize previous coursework into a final product. Gain hands-on experience in the industry, showcase your knowledge and display your abilities. Network with industry professionals and prepare for potential employment opportunities. This course includes volunteer experience during the month of November. Note: Prior to enrollment in this course, you must complete four of the required courses or have permission from the program manager.

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PROED-0011-560, $299
Student Resource Center (SRC) and off-campus
Partner sites - Hybrid

Courses for those interested in opening a brewery, brewpub or beer-centric restaurant:

Historic Beer Styles Every Professional Should Know

Nearly all the knowledge we have today about beer and brewing comes from the historic brewing nations of northern and western Europe. This four-part series delves into the classic European beer styles that laid the foundations for the American craft beer movement and the current U.S. beer scene. 

PROED-0011-710, $149
Student Resource Center (SRC)  

Craft Beer Entrepreneurship

Enhanced course: Learn from experienced entrepreneurs in the industry about what is needed to start your own craft beer-focused business. Take your idea and bring it to life while learning relevant business laws and infrastructure. Students emerge with strategies on opening and operating a beer-centric business. A reading list is provided two weeks prior to the start of the class.

PROED-0011-559, $349
On campus in Glen Ellyn 

Food and Beer Pairing

Join us on a journey through the art of pairing beer and food. Learn about beer ingredients, styles, and flavors, Each session you will be led through a tasting session. By the end of the course, you will have a deeper understanding of how flavors in food and beer compliment each other and the knowledge to help your patrons choose the right beer to accompany your meal.

PROED-0011-557

Call (630) 942-2208 to schedule this workshop for your brewery or retail shop for minimum 6 participants

Don DiBrita is the President of Craft to Craft Marketing, a marketing company in the Chicago area, which works with clients in North America, South America and Europe. His company specializes in working with small businesses that are struggling to engage their audience and helps them to build communities that convert into sales. Don is also the creator of Beer Dogging which is one of the largest beer clubs in the United States.

Marty Nachel has been involved in the craft brewing industry for over three decades. An award-winning beer writer, Nachel has authored three books on beer including "Beer for Dummies" and "Homebrewing for Dummies". Marty is also a professional beer judge who has judged at the Samuel Adams LongShot finals in Boston, the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, the World Beer cup in Nashville, Festival of Barrel Aged Beer (FoBAB) in Chicago, and Copa Cervezas de America in Santiago, Chile. Marty co-instructs the two prerequisite classes that lead into the Business of Craft Beer program.

Eric Schmidt is co-owner and co-founder of Orange & Brew Bottle Shop in Downers Grove. With a background in television reporting, Eric can also be seen on the Comcast Network in Chicago. His versatility includes covering high school sports as a sideline reporter for the "Xfinity Game of the Week", as well as feature stories for Comcast's "On Demand" platform. He also served as the restaurant and bar reporter for Comcast's Emmy Award-winning "Primetime Chicago" and is a fill-in host for "Community Connections". On the personal side, Eric is a "Pitch In" volunteer mentor for the Wood Family Foundation, working out of Lawndale Community Academy. He also coaches travel baseball and is a board member for his fraternity at the University of Illinois.

Randy Douglas is a former student of College of DuPage's Business of Craft Beer as well as a Certified Cicerone. He has worked for Pollyanna Brewing Company since 2018 (4 years of which as General Manager of the Lemont and Roselle locations and currently as Lead Key in Lemont) after teaching elementary school for over a decade and earning his MBA with Concordia University.

While attending the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, Heather found her passion for cooking and entertaining for friends and family. After receiving her B.A. in Psychology, Heather decided to move to Evanston, where she worked at Wolfgang Puck's and continued her education in Culinary Arts at Kendall College. After becoming a general manager, Heather decided it was time to go back for her M.B.A, which she received at Dominican University in River Forest.