First Beverage Group:

First Beverage Group is proud to partner for a second year with The Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Beer Industry Operations program by offering the First Beverage Group Scholarship to exceptional students enrolled in the program.  This year’s recipients are Nathanael Roberts and John (Alex) Gearhart.

Nathanael Roberts is a former Marine, having served aboard Marine One for a number of years.  Roberts dreamed of turning his home brewing hobby into a professional career.  He has previously worked at both Spangalang Brewery and Call to Arms Brewing, showcasing his commitment to a professional career in brewing.

John (Alex) Gearhart plans to graduate from the MSU Denver brewing program in order to attend the prestigious Scandinavian School of Brewing in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Upon certification as a master brewer in Denmark, Gearhart hopes to return to MSU Denver as an instructor to enhance the program with the knowledge and skills gained from his planned time overseas.

MSU Denver is an accredited university located on the Auraria Campus in downtown Denver. The campus student union is housed in the historic Tivoli Building, the original site of Colorado’s oldest brewing company.  Tivoli Brewing, which began a 45-year hiatus in 1969 after more than 100 years as one of the largest breweries in the state, reformed in 2012 and returned to its historic location in 2015. The company created a partnership with MSU Denver to build a new craft beer-oriented education program.  Students at the University are able to earn degrees in brewing industry operations and brewpub operations or obtain a certificate in brewing science. MSU Denver’s goal is to create the preeminent beer industry education program in the U.S. by offering comprehensive courses in fermentation science, brewing quality, sales and marketing, distribution, and brewpub management.

First Beverage Group appreciates everything that MSU Denver is doing to educate the next generation of beer industry operators, and we thank them for allowing us to be a part of this special program.