UC Davis is unique in the fact that it offers classes you wouldn’t encounter at many other schools. One of these is Food Science and Technology 3: Intro to Beer Brewing, which is considered to be one of the best general education classes.
The class covers a variety of topics on beer, including the history of beer, the science of beer brewing, beer brewing from a business perspective and the social applications of beer. Students also get to learn a lot about various types of beer.
“It’s fun, but also educational,” said Professor Charles Bamforth. “We have a lot of laughs but also good messages, so it’s a valuable learning experience, especially with the variety of guest speakers we have. Students get to hear from some legendary names in brewing science.”
Students do not need a strong science background to take the class. However, Bamforth said the class does provide them with a solid background to take upper division classes in brewing.
Many students take the class simply because it’s something completely different from many other classes they have taken, and the subject matter is interesting and relevant.
“It does not even feel like we are sitting in class sometimes,” said Neema Shah, a third-year biological sciences major. “It simply feels like a friend who is knowledgeable about beer is informing us about beer. This is because the subject matter is interesting, but also because the professor himself really knows how to keep the lecture interesting [and] informative at the same time.”
Shah said she would recommend this class to anyone, even those who don’t drink beer.
“Students get an inside view of the wonderful world of brewing,” Bamforth said.
Human Development 12: Human Sexuality and Nutrition 10: Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition were voted second and third place, respectively.
— Paayal Zaveri
