Nov 14, 2019

Thanks to a collaboration with Marble Brewery, students in Central New Mexico Community College’s Brewing program have crafted their very own flavorful brew that will start flowing through taps at Marble’s three locations this week, beginning with the first pours tonight during a celebration at the downtown Marble.

The students’ craft-beer creation is aptly named Óatale – a toasted oatmeal extra stout. Its unique combination of toasted rolled oats, dark-roasted malts, a hint of chocolate and roasted barley will add a tasty winter offering to Marble’s menu.

"Partnering with CNM always yields good outcomes,” said Marble President and Brewmaster Ted Rice. “Our collaboration brew, Óatale, is no exception. What better way to share knowledge and strengthen bonds than by creating a delicious, world-class beer with students who will soon join our state’s brewing industry."

Marble brewing mentors Josh Trujillo and Greg Dupy oversee CNM Brewing student Nicholas Dougherty as he measures the specific gravity of his creation, Oatale. The origins of Óatale began in CNM faculty member Nick Jones’s Beer Production I course during the 2019 Spring Term. Groups of students developed their own recipes and brewed their creations on a trial-run basis. Then came the taste-test, when the class voted on the most impressive and flavorful creation. It was the oat-rageous one, masterminded by students Nicholas Dougherty and Shawn Mansfield.

After coordinating the logistics with Marble’s Ted Rice and Josh Trujillo over the next few months, it was decided that CNM and Marble would partner up to brew 10 barrels of Óatale at Marble’s research and development brewery in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights. In the fall 2019, Ted, Josh, Nicholas, and Shawn concocted a plan to scale up the students’ small-scale recipe to Marble’s 10-barrel brewhouse. With the help of students in the current Fall Term Beer Production I class, Óatale was successfully brewed on Oct. 9 for this week’s release.

“I’m so pleased to see how successful the spirit of collaboration was between our students and the pros at Marble, especially Josh who is such a great mentor to our students,” said Nick Jones, a full-time instructor in CNM’s Brewing program. “The result, Óatale, is a perfect example of what can happen when an excellent brewing mentor teams up with students who are eager to learn the craft of brewing.”

“Marble is a large-production brewery, so we are very excited that our students got this fantastic experience working hands-on in a large-scale operation with high-caliber professional brewers,” said Victoria Martinez, a CNM Academic Affairs Director who oversees the Brewing program. “We are so grateful to Marble for this opportunity. Marble has been a long-time partner and they’ve hired more of our students than any other brewery.”

This will be the second time a CNM student-led brew has made it to the taps of a local brewery. In June, students created a barrel-aged sour that was featured at Sidetrack Brewing during the summer. The collaboration brews are expected to continue with other local breweries.

From left, students Dezwod Poston, Jason Radcliff and Theodore Nelson remove spent grain from Marble's lauter tun during the Oatale brewing process. Cultivating strong relationships with the New Mexico brewing industry has been at the heart of CNM’s Brewing Program since it launched in 2016. And the opportunity to collaborate with Marble has been a valuable learning experience for students aiming to join the local industry when they graduate.

“It’s great for the students to be able to actually brew beer in a commercial brewing facility,” says Nick Jones, a CNM full-time instructor. “At Sidetrack, our students got to experience what it’s like to operate so effectively and efficiently within a relatively smaller brewing facility. And now at Marble, they’ve experienced what it’s like to work in a bigger, larger-scale facility.”

Nick says the need for highly-trained brewers and technicians continues to grow across New Mexico, and CNM will continue working to produce a skilled brewing workforce that helps the industry thrive. In 2016, Albuquerque made the top 10 of Travelocity’s Top Beer Destinations, and in 2017 Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine named Albuquerque as one of America’s Best Brew Destinations.

“The New Mexico Brewers Guild approached CNM (before the brewing program launched), letting us know that they needed qualified employees to support the growing industry in our state,” Nick says. “Since the inception of our program, we’ve been very rooted in the local brewing community and making sure that our curriculum serves their needs.”

In addition to serving the workforce needs of the local brewing industry, CNM’s top-notch curriculum and highly experienced faculty members have quickly turned the college’s program into one of the best in the country. In the 2018 U.S. Open College Beer Championship, CNM was named the No. 2 brewing school in North America. During the competition, CNM students also won the gold medal in the IPA category for their “Galaxy Smash IPA” and silver in the Stout category for their bold “1st Place Stout."

In 2019, CNM became one of 13 colleges and universities to be recognized as meeting the approved guidelines and learning outcomes of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA).

Learn more about CNM’s Brewing and Beverage Management Program.