Bell’s Brewery, Michigan State University craft fund for undergraduate beverage course

Bells Brewery (Bell's Brewery)

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Bell’s Brewery, out of Kalamazoo, and Michigan State University in East Lansing are teaming up to give Spartans a taste of beverage education.

Michigan State University announced Monday that Larry Bell, founder of Bell’s Brewery, gave the Broad College’s School of Hospitality Business $20,000 to create the Larry J. Bell Support Fund for Beverage Education. This fund will go directly towards the Hospitality Business undergraduate course HB 411: Hospitality Beverages, taught by associate professor Carl Borchgrevink.

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This undergraduate course at Michigan State University is designed to offer sensory assessments while students over the age of 21 can experience beer, spirits, wine and other beverages. The class also allows students the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Michigan breweries and distilleries.


Read: Raise a glass: Bell’s VP of brewing, quality leaves Michigan company after 21 years


“To me, selling craft beer was always about educating the public about the product, and I have been more than happy to have an opportunity to get in front of students that would become managers and influencers in the industry,” Bell said in a statement. “I am proud to partner with such an exalted program, and I hope to encourage others to donate to the fund so that we may strengthen the resources available to the hospitality business school.”

The Michigan State University Broad College’s School of Hospitality Business ranked as the No. 1 U.S. public program by the College Choice and Successful Student in 2021. The school was also ranked as No. 3 in hotel and restaurant management degree programs by Best Value Schools and No. 3 by CEOWorld for the hospitality program in the world.


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