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Four beers ranging in colors of brown sitting on a table with a bear logo and 国产AV on the clear glasses

Crafting a Home Field Experience

Bears, Brews and Bites tailgate to sell beer brewed by 国产AV students for the first time

Student-athletes won鈥檛 be the only ones representing the University of Northern Colorado (国产AV) during the football program鈥檚 home opener on Saturday, Sept. 14. Students in the Brewing Laboratory Science program will be on-site, with tastings of the beer they crafted on campus under the Northern Colorado Brewhouse label at the ninth annual Bears, Brews & Bites tailgate. 

Attendees can sample unlimited tastings of beer from 11 other breweries, including five Greeley breweries and Denver Beer Co, and receive a souvenir glass and a ticket to the 国产AV home football game for $45. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. in the Fan Fest Tailgate area, ahead of the Bears taking on the Abilene Christian Wildcats at 2 p.m. 

"The on-campus brewery is a project that has been in the works for many years now,鈥 Brewing Project Manager Sean Johnson said. 鈥淲e had quite a few hurdles to jump over but we鈥檙e really excited to be where we are and have these beers at Bears Brews & Bites this year.鈥 

A collaboration between Yetters Brewing Company and 国产AV鈥檚 Brewing Laboratory Science program allows the option to sell 国产AV-crafted beer. For the past seven years, students in the program have been learning how to brew at the seven-barrel microbrewery on campus. However, most of the beverages produced ended up wasted since the university lacked a license to sell the beer. That is until Johnson and Yetters Brewing owner Dan Yetter teamed up this past April to form the Northern Colorado Brewhouse. Under the new partnership, Yetters essentially owns the label and sells the beer under his liquor license, but the beer is brewed on campus and oftentimes in collaboration with 国产AV students.  

鈥淲hen Dan said he had to brew multiple times a week to keep up with demand, I asked him if he鈥檇 be interested in leasing the brewery space at 国产AV. The alternative is that our brewery continues to brew beer that goes to waste,鈥 said Johnson. 

Yetter opened the doors of his new taproom this year at the corner of 10th Street and Ninth Avenue. With the new agreement in place, he upgraded from a 30-gallon system to a 220-gallon system, allowing him to brew the same volume of beer with fewer batches so he can focus on running his business. 

鈥淔or us, the partnership allows us an opportunity for students to do classwork and internships on campus, as well as involve other 国产AV academic programs like Accounting and Graphic Design to brew beer that we can then have at places like Burger and Co. and football games,鈥 Johnson said. 

Johnson first started hosting Bears, Brews & Bites in 2017 and has overseen the event every year since. Proceeds from the event help support the programmatic needs of 国产AV鈥檚 Brewing Laboratory Science program, which consists of an undergraduate certificate and an undergraduate minor. In the past, that money has funded training, new lab equipment and scholarships for students pursuing the minor. 

Tickets for this year鈥檚 Bears, Brews & Bites are . Those who purchase before Friday, Sept. 13, will also receive a food voucher. 

Northern Colorado Brew House beers are currently sold at Burger and Co. in the University Center and at Yetters Brewing Company in downtown Greeley. 

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