--------- Florida college opens up world of beer ----------
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. - Having a brew in class may be one of
the attractions of a brewing class at Florida International
University, but students also learn a craft, the teacher
says. Barry Gump, an analytical chemist and expert on wine,
teaches the class in the School of Hospitality Management,
The Miami Herald reported. "I want my students to under-
stand what goes into craft brewing and craft beer," Gump
said. "There's nothing wrong with common commercial beer,
but craft beer is more flavorful and has more texture."
Even if students do not use their knowledge professionally,
beer brewing and tasting can be a lifelong hobby, he said.
Students must be 21 and agree to be serious about beer.
Under an informal rule, they start the class with a glass
of beer, a different one each time. The class appears to
create a new respect for beer. Hailey Burke-Morgan, who
hopes to work for a liquor distributor when she graduates,
says that her taste in beer "has escalated beyond belief."
Paul Chin, a student from Jamaica, who said he signed up
because he loves beer, now wants to start his own micro-
brewery in Jamaica.