Brewed Innovation

Bryan Donaldson ’09 on how he created his own path in the beer industry.

Brewed Innovation
-->

Brewed Innovation

Bryan Donaldson ’09 on how he created his own path in the beer industry.

What’s on tap at Lagunitas? Ask Bryan Donaldson ’09. As brewing innovation manager, Donaldson helps develop what’s next for the Petaluma, California–based brewing company— everything from improving production processes to brainstorming with brewmasters as they develop new recipes for beer. He doesn’t just want to make popular beer but something that fits the company and its customers— exploring the latest in hops, barley, yeast. He can even suggest fruits or other natural products the brewmasters can play with. “That is really the fun part of the job,” Donaldson says. Getting a palate like Donaldson’s is a long path.

Heading into his senior year at SCU, he worked a summer job at a biochemistry lab and met a guy who home-brewed. He did some research and found he could study brewing through a master’s program at UC Davis. After graduate school, he worked at Lagunitas before becoming a brewer at Sierra Nevada. He returned to Lagunitas four years ago to work as a sensory manager, a new position that teaches people to taste beer for quality purposes. “They let me go free to build this program,” Donaldson says. “There were a lot of challenges, but it was also very rewarding.” So what beer does Donaldson’s palate prefer? He likes “A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’,” but says his favorite brew is whatever is in his hands.

Photo courtesy Lagunitas

post-image Bryan Donaldson ’09 traveled to the Netherlands to study the sensory team at Heineken, which is one of the biggest in the world. Photo courtesy of Bryan Donaldson

What’s on tap at Lagunitas? Ask Bryan Donaldson ’09. As brewing innovation manager, Donaldson helps develop what’s next for the Petaluma, California–based brewing company— everything from improving production processes to brainstorming with brewmasters as they develop new recipes for beer. He doesn’t just want to make popular beer but something that fits the company and its customers— exploring the latest in hops, barley, yeast. He can even suggest fruits or other natural products the brewmasters can play with. “That is really the fun part of the job,” Donaldson says. Getting a palate like Donaldson’s is a long path.

Heading into his senior year at SCU, he worked a summer job at a biochemistry lab and met a guy who home-brewed. He did some research and found he could study brewing through a master’s program at UC Davis. After graduate school, he worked at Lagunitas before becoming a brewer at Sierra Nevada. He returned to Lagunitas four years ago to work as a sensory manager, a new position that teaches people to taste beer for quality purposes. “They let me go free to build this program,” Donaldson says. “There were a lot of challenges, but it was also very rewarding.” So what beer does Donaldson’s palate prefer? He likes “A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’,” but says his favorite brew is whatever is in his hands.

Photo courtesy Lagunitas

The OG Green

SCU Men’s golf fans set foot on the holy land of golf this summer capping off a trip of a lifetime.

Music Above All

Erin Pearson ’05 was recruited to play soccer for Santa Clara University. But her passion for music was pulling her in a different direction.

A Number’s Worth

Chuck Cantoni ’57 may be the oldest person to swim from Alcatraz to San Francisco—all to raise money for research into a potentially deadly brain condition.

Collaboration is Key

Jacqueline Whitham ’21 chose to support cross-disciplinary collaboration and research at SCU through $3.8 million from her family’s foundation.