Brewing as a Career in Brazil: Where to Get the Best Education and Training

Brazil is currently one of the largest producers of alcoholic beverages, and this has created jobs and guaranteed a profession for many people.

Today, there are specialized courses in the area, and many students are eager to follow this path. Sometimes, it is even a family matter, with parents who were producers, and now, with modernity, their children graduate to become specialists in the subject.

Many experts in Brazil, such as Roberto Castanho, recommend that these students:  “Para auxiliar nos estudos acessem sites especializados em trabalhos acadêmicos que tenham exemplos de temas para TCC de engenharia de produção. Esses recursos podem auxiliar na monografia e ajudar a escolher e delimitar os temas com ideias e modelos.” (“To help with your studies, access websites specializing in academic work that have examples of topics for production engineering final projects. These resources can help with your monograph and help you choose and define topics with ideas and models.”

This article will explore the best education and training opportunities for brewing careers in Brazil, highlighting key institutions, courses, and paths to becoming a master brewer. It will also delve into the country's brewing tradition and the growing demand for skilled professionals in the industry.

Courses in the Brewery Sector

Starting with complementary courses in the brewing area, we can mention 3 that are quite popular:

• Technology in beer production: This course focuses on procedures, equipment, and technological processes involved in beer production. In addition to the complementary course, it is now possible to find postgraduate courses in beer technology in this area.
• Beer sommelier: The beer sommelier course prepares professionals to identify, evaluate, and describe the characteristics of a beer. In addition, the course also focuses on how the various types of beer can be paired with specific foods in the cuisine.
• Beer schools and styles: Just as wine has its distinctive characteristics, whether due to tradition, region, flavor, or production style, there are brewing schools in the beer industry. Brewing schools is the name given to a group of countries that share the same production style, such as the German school, the English school, the Belgian school, and the American school. Therefore, in the schools and styles course, students learn about the variations within each school and everything that corresponds to that subject.

Degrees to Become a Master Brewer

Today, the demand for colleges that offer training in the brewing industry is growing. And there is not just one path to becoming a master brewer. Students who want to achieve this position can start with the following degrees:

• Chemical Engineering
• Food Engineering
• Microbiology
• Biochemistry
• Food Technology
• Agronomy
• Biotechnology

After graduation, the path can be continued with postgraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees, as in other areas of knowledge. And, to achieve the status of master brewer, the student takes a master's degree in Beer Production.

And although for those who enjoy a good beer, commonly called "loira gelada (cold blonde)" in Brazil, the teachers will not spend the course teaching them how to drink it. To be a master brewer, knowledge of mathematics, biochemistry, and microbiology, as well as technical, managerial, and behavioral skills is required.

Specialization in the beer industry requires more than a keen palate and a taste for the bitter-tasting drink consumed worldwide.

Where Can You Get the Best Brewing Education in Brazil?

Till few colleges with specific training in this area. As mentioned at the beginning, it is a growing field, where everything used to be learned generationally and now professionalization in the area has begun.

There was almost no talk of essays on beer, or studies on it. From this perspective, it is easy to understand why only now are we seeing the rise of colleges focused on this field.

Let's look at the best-known Institutions and best teaching methods on beer production in Brazil today: 

In addition to those mentioned above, other lesser-known institutions are starting to offer courses on brewing, most of which are still focused on the technical level. However, since Brazil is one of the countries that is passionate about beer, it is almost certain that the rate of educational institutions opening new courses in this area will tend to expand.

The Brewing Tradition in Brazil and the Doors for New Professionals

With the arrival of the Portuguese royal family in Brazil in 1808, beer began to circulate. However, it only became popular in the 19th century, marked mainly by the arrival of German and Dutch immigrants.

Some cities demonstrate this tradition more strongly and are better known for the consumption and production of the drink. The main ones are:

• Santa Catarina
• Blumenal
• Juiz de Fora
• Ribeirão Preto
• Curitiba
• Salvador

Now, in addition to tradition, Brazilians who work with beer seek to innovate, testing and using new ingredients, creating and leaving a signature of modernity, but without losing contact with the origins and traditionalism of which they are proud.

This innovation is also a very suitable topic for term papers, monographs, essays, and master's theses, for example. Since Brazilians are very creative people and like to innovate, thinking about how to do this without losing the essence of European cultural heritage is a great idea for developing in the academic environment.

The Importance of Good Training in the Beer Industry in Brazil

In Brazil, there are large beer-producing companies with some artisanal ones, which are much appreciated. And Brazilians have a demanding palate, from the outskirts to the wealthiest neighborhoods, everyone is a consumer of some brand of beer.

With this demand always high, specializing in the production and even quality control of beverages is an excellent option for students who want to pursue a different career without losing the value of the salary that a degree brings.

Therefore, when deciding to focus on this sector, looking for an institution that provides the best type of education is essential for getting a good job in the area in the future. 

Last but not least, it is worth highlighting an essential difference that Brazilians make clear when drinking beer. Here, people enjoy their beer cold. The colder, the better. And this certainly affects the work of those who control the flavor notes to produce a drink that suits the Brazilian taste.

Beer in Brazil brings families together for a barbecue on the weekend or in front of the television for a soccer game. In other words, it is already a tradition. And for this tradition to continue to improve, training good professionals in the area becomes essential.

Therefore, if you, as a student, have found your passion in the profession of brewer or any other beverage-related profession, take advantage of this article to learn a little more about the institutions mentioned here that offer great options for your graduation.