A Taste of College of Charleston

^{Above (l-r): Maura Dougherty, Caroline Cook, Mia Rolli, Alexis Rooney, Samantha Fahs, Jade Peurach, Adam Goodwin (Charles Towne Fermentory owner and brewer), Jeremy Clement, Zachary Dorer, Gabe Van Hoy, Claire Dexter and Lillian Kopia at the Charles Towne Fermentory (Photos by Alyssa McDowell)}

Imagine what the College of Charleston might taste like. Sweet? Salty? Notes of lavender? A class of hospitality students faced this very question while designing a College of Charleston–inspired beer during Jeremy Clement‘s Beer, Wine, and Spirit of Hospitality Service course. 

Clement, senior instructor and internship coordinator in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, wanted to create a learning experience that would stick with students. The resulting class combines student collaboration, guest lectures and site visits to their collaborating company, Charles Towne Fermentory, to see production in action.

“When you get into a place like this (Charles Towne Fermentory), even for a five-minute tour, that five minutes is worth an hour of my time trying to describe it in the classroom,” says Clement of the importance of experiential learning during the course. 

The collaboration is a way to help students get hands-on experience in a booming industry – and, says Charles Towne Fermentory owner Adam Goodwin, to hear students’ fresh ideas from that stand out from the fermentory’s usual brews.

Fresh Ideas

Each of the nine groups in the class presented their ideas for a new CofC-inspired beer to Goodwin’s team, with hopes of producing the new brew. Students pitched everything from stouts to IPAs. Along with their flavor profile ideas, groups also created mockups of their own logos, packaging and marketing plans. Collaboration and creativity were key requirements in such a unique opportunity. 

One of the groups pitched the Hazy Cougar, a chai-flavored hazy IPA. Students Gabe Van-Hoy, Cora Ray and Lillian Kopia say they wanted a fall beverage that would be “light and easy on the palate, offering a smooth balance of warmth and refreshment.” Their packaging focuses on Clyde the Cougar and incorporates seasonal elements, featuring images of cougars alongside autumn leaves. 

Another group went in the opposite direction, with a tropical hazy pale ale called Pineapple Daze, featuring coconut, tropical fruit and citrus flavors. The brew also features notes of vanilla for a hazy finish. Students Calvin Bragg and Ansley Ramos pitched the project with imagery of pineapples that represent southern hospitality and charm. 

And the Winner Is…

The winning pitch? A combination of both, called Clyde’s Juicebox! 

This hazy pale ale features pineapple, coconut and vanilla, creating a tropical beer with a smooth, creamy finish. The packaging will feature CofC’s very own Clyde the Cougar and the iconic Randolph Hall graphic. 

The brewery will release Clyde’s Juicebox on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, to celebrate the business’s ninth anniversary. Stop by one of the fermentory’s West Ashley or James Island locations to show your CofC pride and support a local Charleston brewery! 

Alyssa McDowell is a senior communication major with interests in writing and journalism. She serves as a peer facilitator with the Office of New Student Programs and an application support specialist with the Office of Admissions.