Course Overview
Distilling 101, the first course to be offered in the Distilling Science Academy, is a 10-week, hands-on certificate course for current and aspiring distillers. The course's aim is to train students for a career in the distilling industry. The only program of its kind in Western Pennsylvania, the Distilling Science Academy is made possible with collaborations between Point Park faculty and distilling industry experts. The program was featured in the news.
2025 Schedule
- May 20 – July 25
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 – 8 p.m.
- Registration: March 17 – May 9
Topics and activities
- An overview of distilling and distilling history
- Raw materials for different spirits
- Materials processing
- Production methods and styles
- Malting and mashing
- Fermentation
- Distillation theory, equipment and techniques
- Maturation
- Bench-top distillation
- Sensory training
- Packaging
- Opportunity to work with industrial-scale equipment at Iron City Distilling
- Field trips to area distilleries
Testimonial & Alumni Success Story
A Distilling Science Success Story: After completing the course, Edward Kubit and Andrew McLaren were both hired as distillers at Iron City Distilling. Read their story!
"Matt Strickland was great—very knowledgeable and very open with information. The detail of science behind distilling that Matt gave was excellent. He took theories and concepts and gave us hands-on opportunities to smell and try things to help us understand. He even went into recipe development and launching a product. Finally, the experience of going out to Iron City and actually seeing distilling on that scale was invaluable. I loved the class."
-Erika Turner, co-owner of TLC Libations
Instructor
This course is taught by industry veteran Matt Strickland, Master Distiller at Iron City Distilling. Strickland holds a master's in oenology and viticulture from Oregon State University (2012). He has been in the industry for over a decade and has written two highly-regarded books on the topic: Batch Distillation: Science and Practice (2021) and Cask Management for Distillers (2020), both with White Mule Press, and regularly publishes educational articles in distilling publications.
In addition to Point Park's Distilling Science course, Strickland is a faculty member at Moonshine University in Louisville, KY, and the Siebel Institute of Technology’s distilling program in Chicago. He is the only American to sit on the Distilling Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing & Distilling (UK).
Tuition
Total Cost: $2,200
Includes all course materials and six hours of lectures per week for 10 weeks.
There are two full scholarships available. Read more and apply on our Scholarships page.
Contact Us
Any questions regarding the program should be sent to the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at SCPS@PointPark.Edu.