The Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the Americas, will relocate from Chicago to Montreal on January 1, ending more than 150 years of operations in the United States.
The move comes as international students, who now make up most of the school’s enrollment, face mounting difficulties obtaining US visas under recent regulatory changes.
“Recent regulatory changes in the US have made it much more challenging for many of our international students, who have become the majority of our student body, to attend classes in person,” said John Hannafan, the institute’s general manager and education director.
German chemist John Ewald Siebel founded the school in 1868 and formally named it the Siebel Institute in 1872. The school has trained generations of brewers worldwide. The school’s new home at 3035 rue Sainte-Catherine E sits close to where Molson established its original brewery in 1786.
School officials cited rising operational costs, shifting industry dynamics, and increasing visa obstacles as factors in their decision. Montreal-based Lallemand Inc., which has owned the institute since 2000, supported the relocation.
The new facility will house both the brewing school and Lallemand’s Baking Academy and Application Technology Training Facility. The school’s German partner, Doemens Academy in Munich, endorsed the move.
Chicago brewing industry leaders expressed disappointment at losing the institution. “It truly is a Chicago institution,” said Liz Garabay, executive director of the Beer Culture Center. “If you talk to brewers of the modern era — not just in Chicago, but across the nation — it really is the place where people go and learn the trade.”
The Trump administration has enacted stricter policies on student visas, particularly affecting students from China, as part of broader immigration restrictions.
Hannafan said Montreal offers a vibrant environment for students while allowing the school to maintain educational quality and affordability.
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