May 21, 2025
Looking to kick off summer with a fresh, flavorful beer? Head over to Big Lake Brewing in Holland, Michigan, where you can find School's Out, a mango sour beer brewed in partnership with students from Grand Rapids Community College's (GRCC) Craft Brewing program.
This limited-release pub-only brew is more than just a thirst quencher. It's the result of a hands-on collaboration between GRCC students and Big Lake Brewing's head pub brewer, GRCC alum Casey Brunetti. The project was part of the college's upper-level Craft Brewing course (CRB210), which emphasizes real-world experience and professional networking.
GRCC Craft Brewing instructor Abbie Groff-Blaszak reached out to Brunetti hoping to create an opportunity for the students to brew in a commercial setting. Being a graduate and advocate of the program, Casey enthusiastically agreed.
"I sent the students the recipe the week before so they could come in with an idea of what we're going to be doing and what ingredients we were going to use," said Brunetti. "They had a strong idea of what a brewery looks like and what to expect. They all jumped right in and were very excited to be there. They felt very prepared and looked ready to get into the industry. They knew what questions to ask and had a great idea of what they were doing."
The city of Grand Rapids earned the title of "Beer City, USA" in 2012, and GRCC takes full advantage of its location in the heart of the craft brewing scene. Every student in the Craft Brewing program is required to complete an internship at a working brewery, giving them valuable exposure to the industry before graduation.
"The brewing industry is a very tight-knit industry with a lot of collaboration within it," said Assistant Professor Allison Hoekstra. "Even within education in brewing, everything is very collaborative. Getting industry feedback and tying in professionals is an important part of the process. It's encouraging as a student to have brewers and people that are invested in you and your future. We're really lucky here at GRCC to have a lot of incredible alumni that are willing to partner with us. Industry members want to see our students succeed."
Through the collaboration with Big Lake Brewing, the students not only developed a new beer from start to finish, they also gained firsthand experience with professional brewing equipment and processes. And the results speak for themselves: School's Out will be available on tap at the Big Lake Brewing pub, and Brunetti plans to can 20 cases of 16-oz. cans to take to summer beer festivals across Michigan.
"It's a mango sour, so I think it will be a hot sell," shared Brunetti.
Hands-on experience makes a world of difference for the students to gain insights on the different methods that can be used in the brewing process. With every brewery having its own style, the benefit of a mandatory internship sets the students up for success and often leads to a job after graduation.
"When I was in the program, I had to do an internship for a certain number of hours at an actual brewery," stated Brunetti. "I ended up staying at the place I interned. It was my first brewing job out of school. Because of that internship, it was so easy for me to get my foot in the door."
In an industry built on passion, creativity and connection, experiences like the collaboration between Big Lake Brewing and GRCC are invaluable. Not only did the students create connections with working professionals in the industry, they crafted a successful beer in the process.
"I'm really grateful for the program," shared Brunetti. "It landed me a really great career and I made lifelong friends who are also in the industry. I'm really happy I had the chance to collaborate with GRCC and I'd love to do it again."
Learn more about the Craft Brewing Program.
To learn more about School's Out, visit the Big Lake Brewing pub in Holland, Michigan.
This story was reported by Anjula Caldwell.