Beer school classes you won't mind having to re-take

For most college students, “beer school” and “freshman year” mean the same thing. The University of Wisconsin—Madison announced it will formalize that education this spring by offering a class in beer brewing. Students will have to save the beer bongs for their own time, instead using $100,000 of equipment donated by the soon-to-be-Chicago-based MillerCoors to study the fermentation process. For those of us who’d wind up with a hernia if we tried to do a keg stand, several local outposts offer classes with a lot more drinking and a little less science.

For some sudsy study closer to home, spend some time with the Beer Dudes at the Beer School inside Sheffield’s. At 7pm tonight, they'll bring out six brews from Michigan’s New Holland Brewery for $25. Food pairings keep you clear-headed while bringing out the nuances of specialties such as the Pilgrim’s Dole wheat wine and extremely limited edition Anniversary Ale. On any given night, the Beer School’s knowledgeable staff can help you sound like a pro when discussing dopplebocks and Scottish malt. And next Tuesday, continue the "welcome back party" for Bell’s beer with a 7pm tasting and the debut of the brewery’s Christmas Ale.

Five bucks gets you a tour of the Clybourn Goose Island Brew Pub brewery and a 45-minute beer tasting every Sunday at 3 and 4:30pm. At the site’s Beer Academy, held on the last Wednesday of the month, registered participants sample 10 to 15 varieties of a specific type of beer—and not just beer from Goose Island’s own taps (but note that the action shifts to the third Wednesday for November and December because of the holidays). This month’s class on November 19 features seasonal spiced beer. After the Clybourn location closes on December 21, the tours and Beer Academy will move to the Wrigleyville pub, as will the wooden plaques honoring graduates of the “Master of Beer Appreciation” independent-study program. (UPDATE: Goose Island's John Hall reached an agreement with his landlord to keep the Clybourn location open for another three to five years. Huzzah!)

Greg Browne brings his knowledge from Mickey Finn’s Brewery in Libertyville down to Bucktown on Nov. 22 at The Map Room’s Beer School. Holiday beers get the kind of treatment usually reserved for fine wine as Browne teaches you what the heck you’re tasting when you crack open that winter ale.

If you’re looking to turn your drinking “hobby” into an actual hobby, the Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy offers the “Concise Course in Brewing Technology” at its Chicago location. The speedy two-week class provides a beginner-level education in everything from malting to wort boiling—and whatever “biological control” means. Hey, if it gives us a reason to bring more beer into the world, sign me up.

For more on Chicago's best beers, read "Beers to you."