Aaron Brussat Awarded Glen Hay Falconer Foundation 2025 American Brewers Guild Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 2024: From an outstanding group of talented applicants, Aaron Brussat of Claim 52 Brewing (Eugene, OR) has been named recipient of the 2024 American Brewers Guild scholarship. Aaron will be attending ABG’s Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering (IBS&E) course that runs from January to June 2025. The Intensive Brewing Science & Engineering course is a 22-week distance education program with a final week of residential instruction in Middlebury, VT. The course covers all the fundamentals of beer production and quality assurance with a special emphasis on practical issues.  

Aaron’s experience from well over a decade in the homebrewing community and craft beer industry has given him a broad perspective on the production and enjoyment of beer. He began as a homebrewer, and became a National rank BJCP judge and Certified Cicerone. He is still an active member of the Cascade Brewers Society. Aaron worked at Falling Sky Fermentation Supply Shop, learning ingredients and helping brewers begin their journey. Aaron spent many years at The Bier Stein Bottleshop & Pub, where he developed his role as Beer Steward. Beyond customer service and staff education, he emceed beer pairing dinners, developed the “Beer Flight School” education program, did community outreach, and helped organize the Bier Stein Invitational Brew Fest. Aaron is also a talented beer writer, contributing for many years to respected local and national print publications, as well as online beer news sites. His more recent entry into professional brewing started at Plank Town Brewing, where he was a quick study given his deep background. In 2024, Aaron was recruited over to Claim 52 Brewing as Head of Brewing Innovation, with a broad set of brewery responsibilities. This was his impetus to apply for the scholarship.

The Selection Committee certainly saw in Aaron a depth of talent and experience, noting “his long track record of advocacy for brewing and his commitment to further the goals of the foundation made him the obvious choice. All the more impressive given the caliber of the other applicants.” Aaron brings a unique perspective with such a breadth of experience, as another committee member stated “he has long been client facing, talking to homebrewers and beer lovers and more importantly listening to them. He is one of the more dialed-in candidates we’ve seen in many years.” 

One of the most impressive aspects of Aaron’s journey is that he has had so much support and help along the way. “In a very humble fashion, he acknowledges the tremendous support others have bestowed along the way which gives him a deeply personal desire and commitment to supporting others who are beginning their journey and to continuing to give back to his community.” Echoing that sentiment, another Selection Committee member added “Aaron shows immense respect and dedication to the Eugene and Oregon beer communities and the legacy of Glen that makes him a fantastic choice for this year’s ABG scholarship.” “The candidate pool was impressive but Aaron’s commitment to craft beer and brewing and his diverse contributions to his beer communities helped him rise to the top.” We all congratulate Aaron on the next step in his career and one that will bring the science and technical fundamental to his clear passion and creativity in brewing.

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. We offer our deepest gratitude to American Brewers Guild for its long-standing and continuing support for the Foundation’s brewing education scholarship program.

Join us in thanking the Selection Committee of Jamie Floyd (Ninkasi Brewing), Lisa Morrison (Belmont Station Bottle Shop & Biercafé), Steve Parkes (American Brewers Guild), Dan Russo (Oakshire Brewing), and Brett Thomas (Sunriver Brewing) who were given the difficult decision of selecting a single recipient from a deep and talented group of deserving candidates.

A special thanks to Yakima Chief Hops whose spectacularly successful Falconer’s Flight® hop blend not only has vastly spread the word about brewing education but also provided the necessary long-term financial support to help underwrite our brewing scholarship program.