A Historic Reunion Honors Michael Lewis and the Legacy of UC Davis Brewing
On a crisp autumn morning in Davis, the scent of malt and hops drifted through the Anheuser-Busch InBev Pilot Brewery. Among the gleaming stainless steel, for the first time, all three UC Davis brewing professors stood side by side in the new brewery to celebrate a program that has shaped the modern beer world.
The gathering included Professor Emeritus Michael J. Lewis, Ph.D., who founded the program; Distinguished Professor Emeritus Charlie Bamforth, Ph.D. D.Sc., who expanded the program into a global powerhouse; and current Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor Glen Fox, Ph.D. D.Sc., who is leading it into a new era. Lewis was the nation’s first university-appointed brewing professor. As he approaches his 89th birthday, he was joined by many former students, now distinguished brewers and industry leaders.
Together, these three professors represent over 60 years of continuous brewing education at UC Davis, a living legacy that has transformed a pilot brewery into one of the world’s premier centers for brewing science.
The Seed That Grew
When Lewis arrived at UC Davis in the early 1960s, formal brewing education in the United States was virtually nonexistent. Trained in biochemistry at the University of Birmingham, England, where universities and breweries collaborated closely, he recognized the potential to build a scientific foundation for American brewing. "The embryonic brewing program was a seed that has grown," he reflected.
Lewis trained decades of students in a modest pilot brewery in Cruess Hall. The equipment was basic, but the teaching and guiding principle that “there is a rationale for everything in brewing” has shaped UC Davis brewing education and inspired generations of leaders who have built an industry through innovation, analysis and problem-solving.
"My students became important people," Lewis said.
In 1984, he introduced a malting and brewing course that combined lecture-based theory with hands-on brewery experience. Concepts like mash conversion and gelatinization came to life for students who could see, touch and taste the results.
Standing in today's state-of-the-art facility, Lewis smiled, "It's pretty spectacular. Quite extraordinary.”
Professors Who Shape the Science of Beer
From the foundation laid by Michael Lewis, the UC Davis brewing program within the Department of Food Science and Technology has grown through the expertise and passion of its faculty.
When Charlie Bamforth succeeded Lewis in 1999 as the first Anheuser-Busch endowed professor of malting and brewing sciences, he expanded the program’s influence and visibility.
Known internationally as "the Pope of Foam" for his groundbreaking research on beer foam and quality, he led the program for 18 years and helped secure transformational support from Carlos Alvarez, founder of The Gambrinus Company.
Alvarez, a biochemical engineer who led Corona's U.S. launch as Grupo Modelo's export manager, donated $1 million in 2015 to fund cutting-edge brewing and laboratory equipment. Additional industry partnerships like those with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and its founder, Ken Grossman, have further enhanced the facility's capabilities.
Now senior quality advisor to Sierra Nevada, Bamforth shared one of his favorite lessons from Lewis. "Michael would say, 'You should never see a drunken brewer. The brewer sets the tone. If they are not responsible with alcohol, how can we expect consumers to be responsible and treat the product with respect?’”
Glen Fox, who joined UC Davis in 2019, continues the program’s forward momentum by advancing brewing knowledge while maintaining the close industry collaborations that have always defined the UC Davis approach.
His current research focuses on improving the scientific understanding of malt and barley quality, specifically starch gelatinization, which echoes research first explored by Lewis decades earlier.
Lewis, Bamforth, and Fox are all fellows of the Chartered Institute of Brewing & Distilling, an honor that reflects their shared commitment to excellence in brewing science and their lasting influence.
Alumni Carry the Passion Forward
The day’s celebration was conceived by one of Lewis’ previous students, Ashton Lewis, a master brewer at Springfield Brewing Co. in Missouri for over 20 years and current Technical Manager at Brewer's Supply Group.
Working with Fox, they brought together many of Lewis's most accomplished former students to honor their mentor, including Scott Ungermann, who spent 18 years at Anheuser-Busch before serving as vice president of production at Anchor Brewing, and Karl Ockert, the first head brewer at Oregon's oldest craft brewery, BridgePort Brewing, and later Director of Brewery Operations at Deschutes Brewery.
Early in the day, Ockert joked about being "disappointed we're not using the old still," a sentiment that drew knowing laughs from those who remembered the charm of the original setup.
Doug Muhleman, one of Lewis's early students, visited the brewery he helped bring to life. As a graduate student, he purchased the brewing program's first filter, an early sign of the drive and ingenuity that would take him to the top of Anheuser-Busch. Appointed resident brewmaster at age 32, he became the youngest person in the company’s history to hold the title and ultimately served as group vice president of brewing operations and technology. Still, he never forgot where it all began.
Years later, recognizing the need to elevate the program, Muhleman and his wife Juli donated two fermentors named Socks and Batman, (Socks was a cat who ate Batman, a fish.), then the four nanobreweries used by students in the current facility, each named after family pets. Their generosity, along with support from Anheuser-Busch, helped establish the Michael J. Lewis Endowment for Brewing Science, which supports graduate research in malting and brewing.
Jorge Garcia, global director of craft operations at Anheuser-Busch InBev, remembers Lewis's inexhaustible passion.
"He could engage people six hours a day,” Garcia said. “He was the best professor I had. He transferred his passion to us."
That passion has rippled far beyond UC Davis, seen in the work of brewers like Marco Malaga, the most-awarded brewmaster in Latin America and CEO of two award-winning breweries, Cerveza 7 VIDAS (Peru) and OKCIDENTA (Argentina), and Dave McLean, founder of Magnolia Brewing Company, and Alembic Bar, co-founder of Admiral Maltings, and now head of Hidden Splendor Fine Beer Co.
Dan Carey, co-founder of New Glarus Brewing in Wisconsin, greeted his mentor with gratitude, "Thank you for everything you've done for us," he said.
The presence of Tom Stull, head brewer at Sudwerk Brewing Co., represented the deep connection between UC Davis and Davis's oldest craft brewery, which has been a training ground for brewing students for over 30 years.
A Legacy That Endures
As the brew day wound down, Lewis surveyed the bustling scene. "I'm not sure I could manage all this equipment," he laughed. "I could barely manage the single pilot brewery rig. But imagine all the foam we could make with this."
Around him stood former students who now lead breweries across the globe, from Wisconsin to Peru, from Florida to Belize. “I always enjoyed teaching,” Lewis said.
What began decades ago with one professor, a small pilot system and a belief that brewing is a science worth mastering has evolved into a worldwide network of brewing innovators and a legacy that will continue to ferment, one beer, one brewer, and one brilliant idea at a time through the generations of UC Davis brewing professors, hundreds of alumni and partnerships with visionary supporters.
The UC Davis brewing program continues to inspire and prepare the next wave of brewing scientists and industry leaders. To learn more about the program or to support the Michael J. Lewis Endowment for Brewing Science, visit brewing.ucdavis.edu.
Kaylianne Jordan is a junior transfer student studying Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. She has a background in culinary arts and a passion for sustainable farming and enjoys exploring the connections between agriculture, winemaking, and community. Outside of college, she loves trying out new recipes, discovering local food spot.