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Dr. Charles (Charlie) Bamforth, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Former Head of UC Davis' Malting and Brewing Science Program, was inducted into the 2026 Class of The American Craft Beer Hall of Fame. A British scientist specializing in malting and brewing, Bamforth earned the moniker "The Pope of Foam" for his numerous contributions to the understanding of beer foam stability. He is a former president of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and served as the Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at UC Davis.

UC Davis Global Affairs is offering a host of summer abroad options, including two new programs: Agriculture and the Environment in Colombia, and Brewing and Beer in Germany and Belgium.

On a crisp autumn morning in Davis, the scent of malt and hops drifted through the Anheuser-Busch InBev Pilot Brewery. Among the gleaming stainless steel, for the first time, all three UC Davis brewing professors stood side by side in the new brewery to celebrate a program that has shaped the modern beer world.

On November 4-5 local time, the "2024 International Symposium on Alcohol Science and Culture," co-hosted by Jiangnan University and the University of California, Davis, took place at UC Davis. Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Jiangnan University, Professor Wei Chen, along with UC Davis Vice Provost of Global Affairs, Professor Joanna Regulska, attended the opening ceremony as conference co-chairs and delivered keynote speeches.

In an October 25th article for National Geographic, FST's Glen Fox adds his expertise to a discussion of the health benefits of hops, the plants that provide beer with its signature tastes and smells, and the compounds of which are under investigation for their health-promoting properties.

In a celebration of friendship and fermentation, the 2024 UC Davis Iron Brew competition has crowned Brew La-La as this year’s winner. With each sip, this Belgian blonde ale features hints of honeysuckle, wildflowers and citrus blossoms that intertwine with subtle undertones of vanilla, bubble gum and honey. 

UC Davis has had many educational and research themes running over many decades. One of the older such themes is the brewing program within the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST). The brewing program has a reputation as a global leader with students coming from far and wide to understand the complex science behind one of the world’s oldest beverages. 

Congratulations to the 2023 Iron Brew winners! Each year, the students in the practical malting and brewing course at UC Davis formulate a recipe and compete for the Iron Brew title. The winning team includes Food Science and Technology students Sarah Jane Suriano, Asuka Okamoto, Yoon Jung Choi and Zachary Alan Carling. Their English porter was scaled up with the help of Sudwerk Brewing Company and will be released at the Gunrock Pub on campus June 8, and at Sudwerk on June 9.

Dr. Charlie Bamforth, FST Distinguished Professor Emeritus, was honored as the 2023 Craft Beer Pioneer at the Third Annual Brewers Cup of California.  The Pioneer Award was created to "recognize an individual who has propelled the craft beer industry over the years and helped shape it into what it is today. These individuals are synonymous with California’s beer scene, and it is a privilege to be able to celebrate their contributions with this prestigious award." 

FST's Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences, Glen Fox, is quoted in this Jan. 5th, 2023 article by Erik Ofgang in Thrillist, "Why Yes, You Can Major in Beer at These Schools".  The article describes the scope of brewing programs in the U.S., advantages of degree and certificate programs in brewing, and advice for choosing a program.