Article was written by SPSCC for Craft Brewing and Distilling Center.
South Puget Sound Community College has partnered with Craft District, LLC, to create a craft brewing and distilling center that will serve as the long-term home of SPSCC’s new Craft Brewing and Distilling degree program.
New Integrated Learning Space
Craft District has developed a commercial site in Tumwater near the former Olympia Brewing Company brewery. When complete, SPSCC will have 10,000 square feet of space that will include classrooms, labs, small-scale production space, offices, and a conference room.
Hands-On Experience In Brewing
According to John Peters of Craft District, the center will also feature production space and tasting rooms for two distilling companies and a local brewery. Tenino-based Sandstone Distillery and Heritage Distilling Company of Gig Harbor, Wash., have each confirmed their intent to occupy the distilling facilities. SPSCC also plans to link its educational program with these commercial production spaces to give students the ability to gain hands-on experience.
An Educational Experience Like No Other
“This is exactly the kind of space and partnership we were hoping to find for our program,” said SPSCC President Dr. Timothy Stokes.
“Co-locating our educational program with these successful local organizations will give our students a broad depth of experience and exposure to industry best practices,” he continued. “This great location will also allow us to build partnerships with manufacturers throughout the South Sound that will create a critical employment pipeline for our graduates.”
About South Puget Sound Community College
SPSCC is a public college in Olympia, Wash., that has been serving Thurston County and the surrounding communities for more than sixty years. SPSCC serves around 7,000 students each quarter and offers associate degrees and professional/technical degrees and certificates. In 2016, SPSCC was listed as one of the nation’s 150 best community colleges by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and in 2017 was ranked as the 41st best community college in the nation by College Choice.
