Union Tap Room features local brews and science

The 1869 Tap Room, located east of Pappy’s Sweet Shop in the Purdue Memorial Union, opened in the fall of 2016 for evening hours and on home football weekends. It provides a social space where faculty and staff, patrons at the Union Club Hotel, and alumni and friends visiting campus can gather.

The Tap Room serves three beers produced by People’s Brewing Company, owned by Purdue alumnus Chris Johnson. Future plans include featuring an educational display that highlights Purdue research in fermentation science and hops production. People’s Brewery works closely with hops researchers in the College of Agriculture and fermentation specialists in the Department of Food Science.

“This is a unique location to share information about some of the work we’re doing at Purdue,” says Brian Farkas, professor and head of the Department of Food Science. “Hops research supports an important sector of the agricultural industry and fermentation—beyond craft brewing and wine production— has important implications in biopharmaceuticals and biofuels."

Photos provided by Tom Campbell.