Asher Sun and Jamie Le Resche Named 2025 Falconer Foundation Siebel Brewing Scholarship Recipients

The latest recipients of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation Brewing Scholarship have been announced. Asher Sun from pFriem Family Brewers (Hood River, OR) and Jamie Le Resche from Deschutes Brewery (Bend, OR) have been named recipients of the 2025 Siebel Institute of Technology scholarships.

The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation scholarship program encompasses over half of the United States geography and the scholarships drew candidates from throughout the region.  Both scholarships are to the WBA Concise Course in Brewing Technology that takes place this November in Chicago, Illinois.  The Concise Course in Brewing Technology is a two-week intensive program that covers every topic critical to successful brewery operations.  

Asher Sun followed his true passion shifting from a background in engineering to pursue a career in craft brewing industry. That journey literally took him from his Taiwan home country to the US. Asher continues to contribute to the Taiwan craft beer community – he is a co-founder of the Taiwanese Brewer’s Association and helps organize the Taiwan Craft Beer Conference. In Taiwan, he has worked as lead brewer at Ugly Half Beer. In the US, Asher has worked as lead brewer at Drake’s Brewing and is currently a brewer at pFriem Family Brewers where he had contributed meaningfully to process optimization. When not in the brewhouse, Asher can be found giving back to the beer community as a judge at competitions, posting on his beer blog, and reaching out via his podcast.

Summarized so well by the Selection Committee: “Asher’s application underscores an awareness of pivotal shifts in the industry and a need to move to sustainable production practices, an area he is interested in exploring. He demonstrates community spirit by assisting peers and aspiring brewers alike and is well-positioned to mentor others and share what he learns under this scholarship. His glowing recommendation letters attest to his value on a team, and the selection committee looks forward to his future contributions to the beer industry and brewing community at large.”

Jamie Le Resche has worked at a number of breweries in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona; both in front of house and in the brewhouse. From a start at Lucky Envelope in Seattle, Jamie moved to ExNovo Brewing and then to Aways Days Brewing in Portland that took her into brewhouse. After several years there, Jamie worked as a production brewer at Dragoon Brewing in Tucson, Arizona before moving to Deschutes Brewery in Bend. Each of these positions brought new learning experiences and demonstrated Jamie’s desire to learn and contribute to her brewery team and educate the public on beer styles.

In the words of the Selection Committee: “Jamie’s application states that ‘the longer I’ve been in the industry, the less specific my goals have become,’ which we interpreted as an openness to exploring all possibilities and paths our industry has to offer. Despite roadblocks and setbacks, Jamie has consistently sought out opportunities to grow. Her letters of support speak to the meaningful impact she has made on the various teams she has been part of. The Committee believes her passion for craft and dedication to the industry make her an excellent choice for this scholarship opportunity.”

The Falconer Foundation’s Selection Committee includes Jamie Floyd (Ninkasi Brewing), John Hannafan and Keith Lemcke (Siebel Institute), John Maier (Rogue Ales), Lisa Morrison (Belmont Station Bottle Shop & Biercafé), Shaun O’Sullivan (21st Amendment Brewery), and Cat Wiest (Yakima Chief Hops and 2019 Siebel International Diploma scholarship recipient).  

To date, the Foundation has granted a total of 59 brewing education scholarships and currently offers three scholarships annually. For more information on the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, our brewing scholarship program, and related activities, visit www.glenfalconerfoundation.org.  And follow the foundation on Instagram and Facebook.

For you brewers out there, the Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) crop year 2024 Falconers Flight Blend is ready for action! Expect tropical citrus, stone fruit, and berry notes, backed up by woody and herbal characters–a very Pacific Northwest blend. Use YCH’s Lot Lookup Tool to explore the current blend and start planning your next great brew. Proceeds from the blend help support the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation scholarship program.

The annual Sasquatch Brewers Festival is right around the corner! It will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene, OR. This event commemorates the life and legacy of Glen Hay Falconer while highlighting the Falconer Foundation’s scholarship recipients and their contributions to the brewing community. For details, visit the festival’s website at Sasquatch Brewers Festival – Glen Falconer Foundation.