In Niagara College’s School of Wine, Beer and Spirits you can:

  • gain an understanding of the many aspects of distilling and fermentation;
  • play a leading role in the brewery, microbrewery, brewpub and distillery industries;
  • develop and improve beverages, products and operations; or
  • reduce beverage production safety risks and ensure regulations are met.

Niagara College's School of Wine, Beer and Spirits is located at the 125-acre Daniel J. Patterson campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Our campus sits in the heart of Niagara's agricultural, wine and culinary country, which features a burgeoning craft beer industry. Niagara College's School of Wine, Beer and Spirits offers opportunities unprecedented in Canadian education, with exceptional student experiences via on-campus labs, and enterprises such our 40-acre vineyard, NC Teaching Brewery, NC Teaching Distillery, NC Teaching Spa, NC Teaching Greenhouse, hop yard and apiary.

Programs are taught by expert faculty with significant industry experience. Students also gain industry experience by working with industry partners and at special functions held on- and off-campus, engaging the community via not-for-profit and catered events, recipe competitions, industry research and innovation.

Programs

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Artisan Distilling

Student smells wine in a glass
Graduate Certificate 1 Year
Learn more about the Artisan Distilling program

Beverage Business Management

Two visitors taste wine poured by a student sommelier at the NC Wine Visitor and Education Centre
Graduate Certificate 1 Year
Learn more about the Beverage Business Management program

Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management

Student brewer in uniform stirs mash within a large tun
Diploma 2 Years
Learn more about the Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program

Winery and Viticulture Technician

Female Asian student in NC jacket pruning grapes on the vine with snips
Diploma 2 Years
Learn more about the Winery and Viticulture Technician program
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News

Cheers from the dark side

March 21, 2024

The NC Teaching Brewery has rolled out two beers in honour of the upcoming total solar eclipse. The eclipse-inspired brews include Path of Totality, a 4.8 % abv. Bavarian Schwarzbier ( Black Lager) , and The Dark Side.a .2% abv;. “very black Stout.” Recipes for both were created by Downing. who used bitterless, huskless black […]

Bright, bold and brilliant: Annual winemaker’s dinner celebrates women in wine

March 20, 2024

Story written by NC Public Relations student Naomi Fox: Bright, bold and brilliant describes the Niagara College Teaching Winery’s portfolio, and the women who make it! Bottled Brilliance, an annual winemaker’s dinner celebrating women in wine, was held on March 6 at BarBea and Ruffino’s in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The evening consisted of a cocktail hour featuring […]

Brewmaster students invite you to Project Brew – Pints in the Pines, April 12

March 15, 2024

Niagara College’s April 2024 graduating Brewmaster class invites you to experience Project Brew – Pints in the Pines! Taste a variety of student-made beers, listen to live music, and enjoy culinary offerings proudly made by the students in the NC Culinary Arts programs. Project Brew is a student beer festival hosted each term where our […]

Teaching Brewery steps up support for women in brewing

March 07, 2024

Raise a glass on International Women’s Day with four new Pink Boots brews from the Niagara College Teaching Brewery. The NC Teaching Brewery’s new student crafted Pink Boots brews – in support of women and non-binary people in the fermented beverage industry –were released just in time for International Women’s Day: Rose Wellies, Pale Moonlight

Team Wine uncorks victory

March 01, 2024

It’s a vintage year for Team Wine, after winning the trophy at Caps, Corks and Forks. The sold-out event, which took place on the evening of Feb. 24 at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, challenged wine and beer students to come up with the best pairings to complement an elegant feast prepared by […]

Bottled Brilliance: Winemaker’s dinner to be held March 6

February 15, 2024

Celebrate women in wine at an upcoming Winemaker’s Dinner on Wednesday, March 6. ‘Bottled Brilliance’ will feature NC Teaching Winery Winemaker Allison Findlay and Assistant Winemaker Emma Smalley. The event will be held at Ruffino’s Pasta Bar and Gill in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The reception will begin at 6:30 p.m.in BarBea, followed by a five-course dinner expertly […]

Last week of Wellbeing Month activities for students

February 12, 2024

It’s the final week of Wellbeing Month programming for students featuring workshops, activities and events that focus on the theme “Physical and Social Health Week.” This week’s offerings includes a free skate on February 16 (2-4 p.m.) at the Welland Main Area that is open to all NC employees, students and their families. View other […]

Women who inspire: Profiling women in Science at NC

February 08, 2024

February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science What do a winemaker, behavioral scientist, food technologist, and biotechnology engineer have in common? A love of science! February 11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a day recognized by the United Nations to underscore the critical role that women and girls […]

Teaching Brewery steps up support for women in brewing with series of Pink Boots brews

February 07, 2024

Brewmaster students from Niagara College are getting a head start on International Women’s Day this year by brewing Pink Boots beers in support of women in the beer industry. Not only is there a Pink Boots collaboration Brewing Day planned for International Women’s Day on March 8, several student-crafted Pink Boots brews are expected to […]

That’s the spirit! Teaching Distillery rolls out its first kegged cocktail

February 02, 2024

College distillers have ‘kegged their first cocktail.’ Visitors to the Wine Visitor + Education Centre retail store can now enjoy an Old Fashioned which is now available on tap; the first cocktail available on tap from the NC Teaching Distillery. “Essentially, when a person orders an Old Fashioned, we pour from a beer style tap […]

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