ST. PETERSBURG 鈥� Jonathan Ruiz has always had an interest in craft beer, but it wasn鈥檛 until moving to Atlanta in 2010 that he started exploring local breweries and eventually tried brewing at home.
After several successful homebrews and encouragement from friends and family, he decided to take his passion further.
鈥淚 wanted to challenge myself and learn this professionally on a large scale,鈥� Ruiz said. 鈥淔rom hobby to profession.鈥�
Ruiz is part of the current cohort of the , a 23-week online certificate that provides foundational knowledge of craft brewing along with hands-on training. The program, based on the USF St. Petersburg campus, is in the School of Hospitality and Sport Management at the Muma College of Business. A new cohort starts twice a year. The next class begins Aug. 4.
Ruiz said the program gave him more than theory 鈥� it gave him confidence.
鈥淭he program goes much deeper in its teachings,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ach module helped me better understand equipment, operations and logistics much more in depth than any reading material. I was much more confident and ready to speak with brewery owners to secure an internship or employment.鈥�
He completed his required internship with Wolf Branch Brewing in Leesburg, Florida where he quickly transitioned from observing to brewing. After just a few weeks, Ruiz was offered a full-time brewing position, with the expectation that he will step into the role of head brewer after completing 90 days of employment and graduating from the program.
For now, he works full time at the main brewer/restaurant. He also spends a day or two at the Mount Dora location, working on smaller brew batches and bartending on select days, as that location is only a taproom with a smaller brewing operation.
鈥淲ith their guidance, and the Brewing Arts program, I am fully brewing on my own now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e also learned how incredibly supportive professionals in the craft brewing world are. Everyone I鈥檝e met on my journey has been eager to teach.鈥�
Joe Askren, director of the Brewing Arts program, said Ruiz鈥檚 progression from student to working brewer shows the program鈥檚 impact.
鈥淚 find it amazing how he鈥檚 taken his passion for brewing and turned it into a legitimate career,鈥� Askren said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud Wolf Branch recognized that our students exit the program knowledgeable and confident enough to take on the role of a professional brewer.鈥�
Ruiz was also part of his cohort鈥檚 collaborative beer project: a Guava German Gose that will be piloted at Ulele Brewery in Tampa. The recipe was chosen after the class voted on styles during a lecture with Adam Stack of Yuengling Brewery.
The class will get a chance to brew the beer in a professional setting with classmates, bottle it, and take some samples home at the end of the process.
Askren explained that brewing a Gose requires an extra souring step, giving students experience with more advanced techniques.
鈥淭hat extra step involves adding lactobacillus bacteria to sour the wort before it鈥檚 boiled again and fermented. It鈥檚 a style that pushes their understanding of the brewing process,鈥� Askren said.
For Ruiz, the hands-on elements of the program have been the most rewarding. He said learning brewing history gave him a deeper respect for the craft, and working on-site taught him the realities of running a brewery.
鈥淥perating a brewery is something best absorbed through individuals who have gone through it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his program provided all the necessary tools to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge and career in brewing.鈥�
Looking ahead, Ruiz said he plans to keep learning and experimenting, with the long-term goal of one day opening his own brewery.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to start recommending and utilizing my own recipes in the near future,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause our operations are on the smaller end, this allows for exploration in some very interesting potential brews.鈥�