Students Can Now Craft and Sell Their Own Beer in Binghamton

In an exciting development sure to intrigue both students and beer enthusiasts alike, recent legislation has granted SUNY Broome the authority to not only manufacture, but also sell its own range of alcoholic beverages. New York Governor Hochul signed the measure, which also extends to Cornell University.

It's all in the name of food science. Harold Trimm, a professor of chemistry at SUNY Broome, spoke about plans for the new in-house brewery and fermentation lab:

We have a full pilot-scale brewery here... I always think the idea for a community college is to help local community, both educating and providing a resource for the industry.

The campus is set to introduce specialized courses that cover the entire spectrum of beverage creation, including brewing, wine making, distilling and food packaging. The cutting-edge fermentation lab hopes to empower students with the finer points of brewing and beverage making.

But what's perhaps most interesting is that sales of these beer creations will be allowed, with plans to showcase the crafted beverages at Downtown Binghamton's Culinary & Event Center. Prior to this new legislation, students had not been allowed to serve what they've made. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and State Senator Lea Webb collaborated on the bill that aims to fix this.

Beyond booze, SUNY Broome's laboratory will also allow students the opportunity to craft their own cheese and yogurt through dairy product experimentation.

This bold new initiative positions SUNY Broome as a premiere educational institution for beverage education and production in New York state.