Prestigious Chicago beer brewing school is relocating to Montreal amid US regulatory changes
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A prestigious beer brewing school in Chicago – one of the oldest in the US – is relocating to Montreal, citing regulatory changes in the United States, and the relocation is attracting attention locally.
“Everyone in the industry probably knows about the Siebel Institute,” said Julien Savoie, head winemaker at Brasserie Boswell in the Montreal Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.
“It’s one of the only schools in North America that offers winemaking classes.”
The Siebel Institute of Technology, operating since 1868, will move to a building on Ste-Catherine Street East in January. The school did not respond to an interview request but said in a statement on social media that the move was strategic.
“Recent regulatory changes in the US have made it more challenging for international students, who have become the majority of the school’s student body, to attend classes in person,” the statement said.
John Hannafan, general manager of the Siebel Institute, said the move allows the school to maintain academic quality while also making it more accessible to international students.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration cut academic research, cut visas for foreign students – particularly from China – and increased taxes. elite school,
In May, Trump alleged that top US universities were bastions of anti-American movements and revoked Harvard University’s ability to admit foreign students, which was later blocked by a federal judge.
Craft beer is on the rise in Quebec
Lallemand Inc. CEO Antoine Chagnon has owned the Siebel Institute since 2000 and plans to open a baking academy along with a brewing school.
Some in Chicago say the move is a loss for the local beer industry. These include Liz Garibay of the Beer Culture Center, a Chicago-based museum and research center that explores the social, historical, and cultural impact of beer.
“Definitely a little heartbreaking for a variety of reasons,” he said. “But it’s also a business and it’s nothing if you don’t have students.”
The craft beer industry in Quebec has grown in recent years, boosting the rural economy where a quarter of the more than 200 registered breweries have set up shop.
The Association des Brasseurs du Québec estimates that beer accounts for 0.4 per cent of the province’s GDP, generating an annual economic benefit of $3 billion.
putting the province on the map
Marie-Eve Mayrand, head of the association, told CBC News that the arrival of the Siebel Institute will be a boost to Quebec’s beer scene.
Inflation and tight budgets have caused craft beer sales to decline, but he said the opening of the school could bring new expertise to Quebec brews.
“This is going to put Montreal and Quebec on the map for that knowledge,” she said. “We have a very positive reputation in the craft beer industry.”
Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago has been operating since 1868. In January 2026 it will move to a location on Ste-Catherine Street East.
As for Savoie, he hopes the school will bring more technical knowledge to the province, because winemaking requires precision, he said.
Quebec is starting to get recognition for its beer not only in Canada, but around the world, he said, and this will help boost its image.
“It shows recognition for the industry,” he said. “I think most of the brewers in Quebec are in excellent shape. We have excellent brewers.”
