A toast to learning: CNM brewing students collaboration with Flock of Moons now on tap

College students are responsible for one of the newest beers on tap at Nob Hill’s Flock of Moons Brewery Company.

A class of 10 students at Central New Mexico Community College collaborated to brew a saison beer called Citrinitas. It is described as a Belgian-style farmhouse ale with a mix of fruity and spicy flavor notes and a crisp finish.

Saison is French — the language spoken in Belgium’s southern Wallonia region — for season, and in brewing terms, it relates to beers made to fit the season in which they’re released. In this case, Citrinitas strives to be a fitting pour for the fading summer months and early days of fall.

“I think the biggest challenge was just learning the new equipment, because it was a little different than what we do at CNM,” Elena Mattson, a brewing student, said. “We kind of have all the toys, but it’s set up in a really learning environment type of way. Seeing it more in the real world was so cool, and I had to wrap my brain around that.”

The beer is expected to be on draft until October, but Jeff Tomlinson, co-owner and head brewer for Flock of Moons, said it sold better than most IPAs the day the first keg was hooked up.

“It’s been well received, and I’ve heard it’s a very good summer saison,” Tomlinson said. “I think it’s perfect for the current weather that we’re having here.”

In the past, CNM brewing students have collaborated with other breweries in the metro area on beers, but the saison crafted with Flock of Moons marks the first project since the pandemic.

Following his experience working with the community college, Tomlinson said he would encourage more local breweries to embark on similar collaborations.

“One thing I love about brewing and the community here in New Mexico is the sense of collaboration,” Tomlinson said. “I learned from the students, all this knowledge transfer goes both ways, and this is a great opportunity. And just working with CNM was so great. It’s a great marketing thing for your brewery, if nothing else.”

CNM’s Beverage Production and Management program has become a destination for professional craft brewers across the state, with a brewing lab that has 16 stations for students.

“This is where a lot of the new generations of brewers are coming from,” Ebbie Edmonston, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild, said. “I had no idea this even existed. And I’m so glad that now I do.”

Heading the brewing program is instructor Antonio Fernandez, who came to CNM in 2022 after over seven years at Ponderosa Brewing Company, a microbrewery in the Sawmill District.

“There was a vacuum of qualified and trained workforce personnel to meet the need in the growing brewing industry in New Mexico,” Fernandez said. “To this point, since I’ve been here, we’ve been able to place 100% of our graduates in breweries. That just goes to show you know what the need was for training the workforce and kind of that vacuum that we’ve been able to help fulfill here.”

The decision to get CNM students hands-on experience in restaurants, breweries and distilleries has been intentional, according to Victoria Martinez, associate dean of the business, hospitality and technology school.

“‘Be connected,’ is one of our values here at CNM,” Martinez said. “We want to make sure that not only is our leadership connected, but our faculty is connected to industry, and that extends to our students every day in the real world.”

The real-world experience is helpful for students like Mattson, who hopes to open her own brewery someday.

“With something so hands-on (like) brewing, you’re not really going to understand what it’s like until you’re out there working the job or making your own recipes, growing your own beer, things like that,” Mattson said. “I think it’s just super valuable.”

A toast to learning: CNM brewing students collaboration with Flock of Moons now on tap