A Light-hearted History of Brewing and Beer

An enjoyable look at beer brewing and beer styles through the ages

Imagine entering a baking competition where you are handed a bag of ingredients and told to make a cake. What kind of cake? What flavour of icing? Now imagine that it’s a brewing competition. What type of beer do you make? That very conundrum faced Alan Brown ten years ago when he entered the Master Brewers Association of Canada “Iron Brewer” competition. Alan, who was a craft brewer and instructor with Niagara College’s Brewmaster program, decided to craft a Scotch ale, and won the “Iron Brewer” trophy with his “Highland Gale Highland Ale”.

Fast forward ten years and Alan is now retired and living in Comox. He speaks to community groups about the history of the craft brewing industry and has also taught a variety of Elder College courses including “Women and Craft Beer”, “History of Beer in Canada”, “Beer Styles and Food Pairings” and “History of Brewing and Beer.”

Starting in January, as a special fundraising initiative for Comox United Church, Alan will be offering “A Light-hearted History of Brewing and Beer”, an 8-week course that will look at how beer got civilization started (as well as math, accounting, writing and, unfortunately, taxes). From ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt where beer was featured in literature, medicine, religion and art, Alan will follow the story though medieval times, the industrial revolution, Prohibition, and the current craft beer revolution. Participants will also learn how various beer styles were developed so they can understand what they see on beer store shelves.

“The History of Brewing and Beer” will run for eight Tuesday afternoons from January 7 to February 25, 2025, 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. at Comox United Church, 250 Beach Drive, Comox. The cost of the 8-week course is $35. To register, email Alan at .