Brewing up a Path for STEM Education

Though alcohol might not be the best means for enhancing cognitive function in relation to science and math, it might very well be a great, albeit unlikely, means for lending a helping hand in those fields. A Cincinnati brewery has released a new beer where a portion of its proceeds will be put toward support for a non-profit committed to the encouragement of STEM education. STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” and now, MadTree Brewing stands in support of it as well.

When its doors opened back in 2013, MadTree stated that it was “founded with a very scientific approach to brewing beer.” This can be clearly seen in its forthcoming release, Entropic Theory IPA; the brew was a culmination of extensive research and development, the result of over twenty different recipe iterations. According to company lab manager Ellen Lehman, “it was a really rewarding process to use science to create art.”

While most if not all breweries do incorporate some level of science into the creation and production of their works (between the use of living microorganisms like yeast and the combining of ingredients, it’s really boiled down to some pretty tasty chemistry), MadTree decided to put some of its money where its mouth is when it came to Entropic Theory. The brewery teamed up with iSPACE, a local non-profit which seeks to “spark curiosity and inspire interest” in children for the purpose of furthering their education in the STEM fields. This could in turn lead students to any number of worthwhile careers, becoming computer scientists, nuclear engineers, mathematicians, and even brewers.

For the release of the new IPA this past month, MadTree held an afternoon dedicated to science in association with iSPACE. The event included a number of on-site STEM activities for kids while adults could purchase Entropic Theory for the very first time, with partial proceeds being funded into iSPACE’s efforts. 

Events similar to the release from MadTree represent a growing trend of craft brewers creating and releasing a product with the added benefit of raising charitable funds for education. Fellow brewers, like Rogue, have even released beers whose purchase aid in sending future brewers to college. It’s a tremendous and delicious way to support the local community through a worthy cause, generating some pretty positive press along the way while encouraging future generations to save the world one pint at a time.

This story, originally published at Food and Wine, can be found here.