Distilling 101 Overview
Distilling 101, the first course to be offered in the Distilling Science Academy, is a 10-week, hands-on certificate course for current and aspiring distillers. The course's aim is to train students for a career in the distilling industry. The only program of its kind in Western Pennsylvania, the Distilling Science Academy is made possible with collaborations between Point Park faculty and distilling industry experts. The program was featured in the news.
Registration is now closed for the June 11-Aug. 15 session. The next course will be offered summer of 2025. Click the 'Request Info' button above to be notified when registration launches in March.
Topics and activities
- An overview of distilling and distilling history
- Raw materials for different spirits
- Materials processing
- Production methods and styles
- Malting and mashing
- Fermentation
- Distillation theory, equipment and techniques
- Maturation
- Bench-top distillation
- Sensory training
- Packaging
- Opportunity to work with industrial scale equipment at Iron City Distilling
- Field trips to area distilleries
Instructor
This course is taught by industry veteran Matt Strickland, Head Distiller at Iron City Distilling, faculty member at Moonshine University in Louisville, KY as well at the Siebel Institute of Technology’s distilling program in Chicago, and author of two highly regarded textbooks on distilling.
Tuition
Total Cost: $2,200
Includes all course materials, 2 3-hour lectures per week for 10 weeks.
Contact Us
Any questions regarding the program should be sent to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at SCPS@PointPark.Edu.