Kräftig brewmaster Marc Gottfried (second from left), speaks with UMSL students after being a guest speaker during their new beer brewing course offered this fall. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Marc Gottfried was in his early teens when he started home brewing beer. His interest was purely process and his mother, a biology professor at the University of Missouri–St. Louis at the time, totally got it and wholeheartedly supported his hobby.

“At 15 I was winning home brewing ribbons and hanging them up in my little brewery in the basement of my mom’s house,” chuckled Gottfried, the brewmaster for the William K. Busch Brewing Company, which makes Kräftig and Kräftig Light beer.

On Oct. 20 he spoke to students enrolled in a new beer brewing course at UMSL. The course is for credit and is for nonscience majors. Gottfried talked about how he became a professional brewer, the current state of the beer industry and the future of Kräftig beers.

Michael Elliott, a senior majoring in psychology at UMSL, was really impressed by Gottfried and the fact he made a successful career out of a teenage passion.

“He was just really proud of the work he does and that kind of speaks to me,” Elliott said.” It’s cool to see somebody really interested in what he is doing, and he really likes what he is doing.”

Gottfried’s speech even earned him a new customer.

“I haven’t tried Kräftig yet but I think I might go out and buy some because (Gottfried) seemed like somebody who was really proud of what he does,” Elliott said.

“Chemistry 1021 Beer Brewing: Chemical and Biochemical Principles” is taught by Joseph Meisel, a fourth-year PhD chemistry student at UMSL.