Golden State Today

In a celebration of friendship and fermentation, the 2024 UC Davis Iron Brew competition has crowned Brew La-La as this year’s winner. This Belgian blonde ale features hints of honeysuckle, wildflowers, and citrus blossoms, with subtle undertones of vanilla, bubble gum, and honey.

Brew La-La will be available starting Thursday (May 30) at The Gunrock restaurant on campus. It will also be on the menu starting the following day at Sudwerk Brewing Co. in Davis. The winning brew was crafted by students Fermin Barbosa and Tali Cooper, both seniors majoring in viticulture and enology.

“We are incredibly excited to have won the Iron Brew Competition because of the opportunity to share what we made with our friends, family, and the public,” Cooper said. “We hope that everyone who tries the beer loves it as much as we do, and that it becomes a part of everyone’s spring and summer experience, embodying fun, friendship and love.”

The Iron Brew competition is held every spring for students in the practical malting and brewing course within the Department of Food Science and Technology. Participants formulate a beer recipe and spend weeks brewing batches at the campus brewhouse at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science complex.

As the winning team, Barbosa and Cooper were invited to work alongside brewers at Sudwerk to produce their recipe on a commercial scale.

“We feel lucky that the Sudwerk team has been so helpful throughout this process, allowing us to be involved every step of the way,” Cooper said. “Our beer was brewed in the original copper kettles that Sudwerk has been using since it first opened, which felt special as our beer contributed to its long and iconic history.”

Sudwerk’s operations manager Trent Yackzan expressed enthusiasm about working with students each year to provide real-world insights into business and marketing aspects of brewing.

“The recipe developed really nailed the Belgian blonde style,” Yackzan said. “It's a medium-bodied beer with low hop bitterness and a lighter finish, which will be very refreshing during summer heat. It's an approachable and well-balanced beer that fans or newcomers are sure to enjoy.”

The label for Brew La-La features colorful artwork depicting a lush green bike path surrounded by flowers and birds under a vibrant sun. This label was created in collaboration with Sudwerk’s in-house artist Gregory Shilling.

To Cooper and Barbosa, Brew La-La represents more than just a beverage; it is a testament to their friendship and collaborative creativity through their viticulture program.

“The many hours of classes, labs, and problem-solving sessions led us to become best friends,” Cooper explained. “We wanted to highlight friendship because we would not have been able to work together as well without our strong foundation.”

A portion of proceeds from sales will go toward supporting UC Davis' brewing program. Glen Fox, Anheuser-Busch endowed professor of malting and brewing sciences, emphasized that such competitions provide valuable hands-on experience for students.

“It is a great experience for students who have expanded their scientific knowledge while managing one of UC Davis's most hands-on courses,” Fox said. “We know not all brewing students will enter the industry but they will remember this experience for life.”

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