Aaron Blonden and Garth Donald Named Recipients of the 2017 Glen Hay Falconer Foundation American Brewers Guild Scholarships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (December 2016) – From an outstanding group of talented applicants, Aaron Blonden of Chainline Brewing Company (Kirkland, WA) and Garth Donald of Stormy Mountain Brewing (Chelan, WA) have been named recipients of the 2017 American Brewers Guild scholarships. Anthony and Garth will both be attending the ABG’s Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering course that runs from January to June 2017.

Aaron Blonden is Head Brewer at Chainline Brewing Company.  An avid homebrewer, Aaron translated his passion in a profession at a mid-sized brewery before moving onto a wide range of roles at a large production craft brewery. The Selection Committee highlighted Aaron’s “pioneering spirit and commitment to continually expanding his stylistic and technical frontiers through constant learning and study.”  “His ability to blend home brewing experimentation with the tight discipline of fast-based production brewing makes his current endeavor at Chainline a perfect fit. With that backdrop, Aaron stands to benefit enormously from the ABG course.” Added another Selection Committee member: “Aaron’s commitment to his brewing community and ability to inspire others also make him an ideal recipient for the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation scholarship.”

Garth Donald leads brewery operations at Stormy Mountain Brewing, a brewpub in rural Washington. Garth has deep roots as a homebrewer and worked for a number of years at a large regional homebrew supply shop. “Garth parlayed his love of brewing, which was so evident in his dedication to his homebrewing community, to helping establish a new brewpub. The common theme in Garth is that he has a true orientation and proven desire to give back to his community.” Added another Selection Committee member: “Garth is an ideal candidate as he can directly apply the ABG course knowledge to his new brewery operation but, perhaps even more importantly, share his knowledge widely in the collaborative spirit that he embodies.”

In our eighth year of collaboration with ABG, this year marked the first year that two scholarships were awarded. We were able to do so given a generous donation by Sierra Nevada from their “Beer Camp Across America” initiative. They wanted to sponsor a scholarship specifically to the American Brewers Guild through the Falconer Foundation to support a deserving, rising brewer. A big shout out to Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Warren, VT), which was a brewery in the 2016 “Beer Camp Across America” collaboration, who most kindly suggested that an ABG brewing course be the worthy cause for the Sierra Nevada donation. Cheer to all of you!!

The American Brewers Guild is a premier school for the craft brewing industry dedicated to providing a comprehensive learning experience that focuses on the technical, scientific, and operational matters and issues that brewers face in a craft brewing environment. The Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering course is a 22-week distance education program with a final week of residential instruction. The course covers all the fundamentals of beer production and quality assurance with a special emphasis on practical issues. Our deepest gratitude to ABG for its long-standing support for the Foundation’s brewing education scholarship program.

Join us in thanking the Selection Committee of Jamie Floyd, Owner and Founding Brewer of Ninkasi Brewing, Alan Moen, Senior Writer and Columnist for American Brewer Magazine, Shaun O’Sullivan, Brewmaster and Co-Founder of 21st Amendment Brewery, Steve Parkes, Owner and Lead Instructor of American Brewers Guild, and Alan Sprints, Top Dog at Hair of the Dog Brewery and Tasting Room, was given the difficult decision of selecting a single recipient from a deep and talented group of deserving candidates.

The Falconer Foundation has granted over 30 scholarships over the past dozen years and is dedicated to promoting knowledge and expertise in the craft brewing industry in memory and honor of Glen Hay Falconer.For more information on the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, visit www.glenfalconerfoundation.org and follow us on Facebook.