CHENEY – In a groundbreaking collaboration between Eastern Washington University and No-Li Brewhouse, a group of students has achieved a historic victory at the Asia International Beer Competition in Singapore. The triumph marks the first time an American university has claimed top honors in an international beer competition.
John Bryant, beer industry executive and co-owner of No-Li Brewery, shared insights into the creation of the award-winning dubbel Belgian Ale. In collaboration with EWU students, the brewery embraced the new Craft Brewing certificate. “The students of Eastern, with the help of our Brewmaster Ty Lindquist and Chris from EWU, helped to develop this recipe,” Bryant explained, giving special credit to Chris for his instrumental role.
The journey of the double Belgian Ale led it to Singapore, where it clinched a bronze medal. Bryant expressed immense pride, stating, “We’ve been sending No-Li beers around the world since 2012. We’ve won the most international competitions in America since 2020.” He highlighted the significance for Eastern Washington University, making it the first American university to secure an international beer competition victory. “I’m so proud for Eastern and the community,” he added, emphasizing the belief that great achievements can emanate from Cheney and Spokane.
Chris Cindric, head of the brewery program at EWU, shed light on the origins of the collaboration. It began with a single class, Craft Beer Evaluation and Service, where John Bryant was invited to speak. The ensuing conversation led to the development of the Craft Beer Industry Professional Certificate, officially launched in Fall 2022. Cindric emphasized the unique support from 11 industry partners, creating an exceptionally experiential program.
Cindric detailed how the students arrived at the double Belgian ale recipe, “How the class came up with the specific style... a student thought it would be a good idea to go with a style that No-Li didn’t currently brew, and everyone all agreed. The same student then brought up the idea of a Belgian dubbel, and everyone all agreed on that as the style of beer they would like to brew.”
The bronze medal victory holds immense value for the EWU Craft Beer program. Cindric expressed excitement for the students’ achievement, highlighting the program’s recognition and its ability to teach the essentials of the craft beer industry. “It shows the program is of value for someone looking to gain the education and experience needed to advance in the craft beer industry,” he added.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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