Fermented Nightlife

This week, NightLife breaks down the science of fermentation-from beer to cheese and everything in between! Get schooled by master cicerone Rich Higgins (one of just ten certified beer gurus in the world!) as he delivers a short and sweet talk about sour beer in partnership with Almanac Beer. Discover the little-known art of millet brewing, which turns a gluten-free grain into fermented deliciousness. Millet brewmasters Matt and Liz Youngblut will join Dr. Patricia Bubner of UC Berkeley to talk about diversifying grain consumption with this underdog of the brewing world. You've always wanted to grow your own bacteria, right? Well, here's your chance! Get a close-up look at yeast strains by viewing cultured slides with Cal researchers Brittney Nguyen and Julie Choe and take a whiff (or two!) at a yeast smelling station with students from the Michael Eisen Lab. Once you've trained your palette with some solid science, enjoy samples of fermented foods, including bites courtesy of Punk Domestics and The Cheese School of San Francisco, as well as fermented treats from the specialists at Aedan SF. At the Project Lab, view fermentation vessels used throughout history, straight from the Academy's vast anthropology collection.