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In an effort to put Auburn University’s Brewing Science and Operations program a cut above, New Realm Brewing Company held a ribbon cutting ceremony on the evening of Sept. 20 and opened its doors to opportunities for collaboration, internships and case studies.
A large crowd gathered in front of the brewery located in between Hey Day Market and the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center as Auburn Mayor Ron Anders cut a ribbon, marking the brewery’s official opening. The ribbon cutting was celebrated with food, music and, obviously, drinks.
Carey Falcone, CEO and founder of New Realm Brewing Company, said that the Auburn location – New Realm’s fourth location – was “much more than just another location.”
“The fact that we get to interact with the students and be a part of case studies and internships and interacting in the classrooms with the students, like, for us now, it’s become an opportunity to sort of play a role in the development of the next generation of brewers,” said Falcone. “While it’s our smallest location, in many ways, it’s our most meaningful.”
Head Brewer and General Manager of Auburn’s New Realm Drew Kostic graduated from Auburn with a degree in brewing science and operations, and he described the merge of the University and New Realm as a “marriage not of convenience but of excitement.”
“Auburn had been looking to put a brewery in here and make it into an educational experience as well as a commercial experience, and they just ended up finding the right partner in New Realm,” Kostic said.
Kostic said he was brought into the picture after New Realm and the University had come to an agreement, but he said his position was a “dream job” after starting a law career initially. He said he grew tired of practicing law and wanted to pursue something he truly loved.
Following that shift, Kostic’s path led him through Auburn, away for a time and eventually brought him back to Auburn to brew in his “dream brew house.”
“It cannot be understated, not just for the students of Auburn [University], but Auburn as a community and for students literally across the country: this is the first of its kind,” Kostic said. “[It provides] an educational experience that you can do hands-on.”
He emphasized the hands-on aspect of the brewery and said that this profession cannot be adequately learned in a classroom setting alone. It requires future brewers to get in the brewery and become familiar with all its working parts.
Patrons at New Realm Brewing Company get drinks as they prepare for the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Falcone noted that New Realm did not offer opportunities for brewers only. He said that they had positions for those focused on hospitality, culinary sciences or even analytics.
“If we’re looking at doing some research on a topic and looking to go in a certain direction, now we’re starting to partner with the University to say, ‘would this be interesting to do a case study on?’” Falcone said. “[We’re looking at things] and starting to say, ‘how could the University help us make better analytical decisions?’ The partnership is a lot more than just brewing or internships or case studies; there’s a lot, I think, that plays into it.”
New Realm does not ship across state lines. In fact, Falcone said he wanted each location to be as local as possible which helps deliver a fresh brew and centers on community.
“We always try to create an environment that’s welcoming to everybody in the community,” Falcone said. “We look for opportunities with local charities to not just sell our beer, but truly attach to the community and be active members of the community, which is, frankly, why we don’t start shipping our beer to a bunch of states.”
Kostic and Falcone took pride in New Realm’s venture into Auburn as a school and community and wanted others to see the novelty of the collaborative efforts of the brewery.
“To be teaching brewery on a campus, we’re going lightyears ahead of any other brewing program could even consider,” Kostic said. “This is huge for the students at Auburn who are interested and want to get involved in that, but it’s also big for the community of Auburn because we have this ancient Alabama brewing community that we can help facilitate and teach.”
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Tucker Massey, junior in journalism, is the content editor for The Auburn Plainsman.
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