While some students may unofficially major in beverage appreciation while at college, Auburn offers an actual class in the subject.
The class meets on Fridays at the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center, where about 30 students learn the ins and outs of tasting fine wines, beers, spirits and other nonalcoholic beverages, like coffee.
The class currently has only one section, but professor Kyle Townsend said they are looking to expand to up to four sections if they can get the word out around campus.
While it should come as no surprise, the class is closed to anyone under 21 and requires a $75 course fee to pay for all the beverages served during the course.
"There is a small fee," Townsend said. "But with that you get to taste over 50 wines, a dozen beers, all types of liquor and even Cristal, so I think it's a pretty good deal."
Townsend also said while there is course structure, he often plays around with the schedule to accommodate the various vendors coming in to present beverages.
"It's interesting to hear about the variety of jobs in the beverage industry and to get firsthand accounts about the practical applications of what we learn in lecture," said Andy Ramsey, senior in hotel and restaurant management.
This semester, students heard from vendors at Sam Adams and Hennessy, among other presenters who came in to discuss topics like brewing beer at home and food pairing.
The class is not all fun and games.
It requires consistent effort on tests, interviews and papers, which are required to make a good grade in the course.
"It's a little different than just a couple of us kicking back and having a glass of whiskey," said Jack Pilkington, second-degree student in hotel and restaurant management. "You learn to really appreciate the process and understand the flavors in the beverage, like being able to pick out an old leather taste on the barrel from which it was stored."
Students are challenged to taste all the different beverages made available, even if they don't think they will enjoy them, since it is a valuable exercise in the tasting experience.
Students learn how to identify quality indicators in a beverage and what food to serve with the drink.
According to Townsend, this is often difficult for students, but the presenters make it simple by bringing in items like Skittles to pair with the beverages.
One of the most exciting challenges for students is the blind taste test at the end of the semester.
Townsend will put out four different wines and three different beers for the students to identify using the tasting method learned in class.
Students are not required to know the actual brands of beverages, but they will have to make accurate assessments on the drink's aroma, color and taste using the various buzz words associated with tasting.
Some buzz words include woodsy, fruity, peppery, oaky and roasted.
"It takes a while to learn what you're dealing with," Townsend said. "Nobody knows what they are looking for the first few times they taste."
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