Tag Archives: beer appreciation

Hospitality Management Students Host Fall 2015 Beers Around the World Trade Show

Hospitality Management students pose for a group picture with their booth representing Mexico.

Hospitality Management students pose for a group picture with their booth representing Mexico.

San José State University (SJSU) students from the department of Hospitality Management (HSPM) hosted a Beers Around the World Trade show at The Glasshouse in downtown San José on November 13. The event was open to SJSU faculty, staff and students along with invited guests over the age of 21. Guests paid $5 for admission and tickets for tasting of beer samples. Additional beverages and food were also available for purchase during the event. All proceeds went to charity.

Students enrolled in HSPM 149, Beer Appreciation and HSPM 140, Meetings and Event Management planned and participated in the trade show. Beer Appreciation students worked in teams to fill the venue with decorated booths representing their assigned brewing region or country with at least two or more beer samples and food pairings for guests to taste. Event Management students planned the event and coordinated guest check in and concessions.

Carly Comer, a Hospitality Management student, worked with a group of fellow students from the HSPM 140 class to seek awards for the winners of the trade show. Comer said the class taught her how to work with companies to get sponsorships and donations.

Carly Comer, far left, and her HSPM group members outreached to several companies for sponsorships and donations for the Beer Tradeshow event.

Carly Comer, far left, and her Meetings and Event Management group members outreached to several companies for sponsorships and donations for the event.

“We reached out to different breweries in San José and Santa Cruz and were able to get prizes and beer donations,” said Comer about obtaining gifts that would be appealing to winners.

Comer’s group were also in charge of recording votes with an iPad in order to nominate beer presenters with the people’s choice award as guests exited the event.

Beer presenters competed with each other for judges’ choice and people’s choice award based on different criteria for each. Judges’ choice awards recognized the booths with the best beer and food pairing and best overall appearance, energy, tasting and knowledge. People’s Choice awards recognized the best apparel, most creative, and people’s favorite.

Students talk with guests about beer from Japan and offered sushi to pair with a variety of beer.

Students talk with guests about beer from Japan and offered sushi to pair with a variety of beer.

Beer Appreciation students representing Canada paired beer with tiramisu, beef summer sausage and salty blue cheese. The group listed specific beers to go best with each type of food.

Beer Appreciation students representing Canada paired beer with tiramisu, beef summer sausage and salty blue cheese. The group listed specific beers to go best with each type of food.

Every group received shot glasses, Redbull drinks, and 4 Wildcide Gordon Biersch Hard Cider.

Ruben Cardenas, a Justice Studies student, took the Beer Appreciation class because he wanted to gain more knowledge of beer. “I love beer, but I wanted to know the process of making it and how to truly appreciate beer rather than just drinking it,” he said.

Cardenas and his fellow students presented a booth representing the state of Washington. The group featured Olympia, Rainier, Red Hook Pumpkin Porter beer and Seattle Cider that was paired with sliced apples, lemon cakes and pizza. Each guest that visited their booth were given a lesson on the history of each beer and how it is made while being served.

“Coming here and taking what we learned in class and to put it in action is what this project really means to me,” Cardenas said. He learned about how the water source in Washington was proven to be natures best to brew beer with and that Seattle is the main brewing hub in the state.

Associate Dean Pam Richardson, left, and Dean Schutten, middle, poses with Ruben Cardenas who represented the state of Washington.

Associate Dean Pam Richardson, left, and Dean Schutten, middle, pose with Ruben Cardenas who represented the state of Washington.

The event wrapped up the night with a break dance performance by members of the King Library Rockers. Guests surrounded the dance floor as each crew member took turns showing off their dance moves.

Hospitality Management students host Beers Around the World

San José State University Hospitality Management students hosted a Beers Around the World Tradeshow Nov. 13 that was open to SJSU faculty, staff and students over the age of 21 along with invited guests.

Participation in the tradeshow is worth 25 percent of their grades for students enrolled in HSPM 148 Beer Appreciation this semester and also serves as a class project for students enrolled in HSPM 140 Meetings and Event Management. Many of the students in beer appreciation showed up with well-researched visuals along with at least two samples from their assigned brewing region or country while those in meetings and events management coordinated guest check in, concessions and other logistics.

The students hosted the fall event at the Glasshouse, an event venue on Market Street in downtown San Jose, with guests paying $5 admission for 5 beer tastings or $10 for 13 tastings.

Marylou Zuniga, a hospitality management student who works in the hotel industry, said she took the beer appreciation course because it is an elective for her major.

“I learned about the brewery processing and we took tours of breweries,” she said. “We had tastings in class. I thought I knew what kind of beer I liked, but now that I’m educated I realize I love dark beers.”

Zuniga, whose group represented Denmark, said learning about food and beer tastings will especially help her in her career goals in the hotel industry.

“I know what beers go with different food based on taste and style,” she said.

The student groups were charged with finding at least two beers from their country or region and they also put together a food pairing. Denmark’s group served salami, cheese and cookies with its Carlsberg Lager and Elephant beer.

“Carlsberg has a monopoly in Denmark because (the country) is so small,” Zuniga said.

Doug Lukanc, an Aerosapce Engineering major, said he took the class to have the opportunity to try a wide variety of beers.

“The class is a great way to explore nicer beers rather than just the cheap stuff,” he said.

Lukanc and his partners featured Oregon brews, complete with a slideshow presentation set up on an iPad to inform guests about the region.

Lukanc said one of the interesting parts of the class was getting to try some East Coast beers that are not available for sale on the West Coast because Professor Kate Sullivan was able to get them. At the event, his group shared a chocolate stout made by Rogue Ales and  Deschutes’ Fresh Squeezed IPA.

“I learned that some beers I thought I liked, I don’t and others I thought I didn’t, I actually do like,” he said. “I gained a lot of knowledge on how beer is made – the wheat that is added changes it. The water that is added changes it, the yeast and the hops. It’s a complexity that adjusts the flavors.”

At the event, the beer presenters competed for judges’ choice and people’s choice award based on their presentation, beer selection and food pairings. Japan, England and Mexico were selected by the judges and Japan, which served sushi with its two beer selections, won people’s choice.