Fraternity members may suffer from a stigma that they serve run-of-the-mill beer, but Armand Cognetta, a fourth-year College student and Sigma Nu fraternity brother, may challenge that stereotype.
As a matter of fact, this chemistry and biostatistics major brews his own beer on his front porch.
"I've been brewing since I was 18," Cognetta said. "My dad bought me a brewing kit for Christmas."
His mother was less pleased with the gift. It was not the underage drinking that concerned her, he said, but rather the fact that the kit "made a mess in the kitchen."
Even away from home, though, Cognetta could not make a mess - at least, not immediately - given that dormitories and their policies are not exactly conducive to the activity. Once he moved off Grounds during his second year, however, he began to pursue his passion once again.
Cognetta then teamed up with Tucker Moore, a 2009 Engineering School alum and fellow fraternity brother, to create the Jefferson Brewing Society.
The Brewing Society became an official contracted independent organization just more than a year ago but had low membership until this fall. Membership swelled to 65 after tabling at the Fall Activity Fair, Cognetta said. The increase was no doubt aided by the big neon sign sitting on the group's table that read, "BEER," he added.
Currently, the club mainly focuses on teaching student members how to brew beer, though it hopes to expand into the larger Charlottesville community in the future.
Cognetta said he eventually wants to give brewery lessons, which he believes would be a popular Christmas present from wives to their husbands.
Though many Brewing Society members are Cognetta's fellow Sigma Nu brothers, Brewing Society Vice President Eric Bankert said he considers the group fairly diverse and does not think there is a stereotypical person who would join it.
The only common factor Bankert said he would settle on was the obvious common interest in brewing beer and "not just drinking it."
The Brewing Society has even attracted international students. Third-year College student Sam Beaver became interested in the club because he grew up in Britain, where he was surrounded by a number of small micro-breweries.
"The Brits take a little more pride in their beer," Beaver said, but he nevertheless came to America without having tried brewing himself.
Bankert said he sees the Jefferson Brewing Society as proof of the motivation of University students.
"I have some friends at other colleges who brew their own beer, but not in a club," he said. "It says a lot about our school [that if] you're interested in something, you can do it."
When the weather is nice outside, Cognetta holds club meetings on his front porch and shows them how to brew a batch of beer, explaining the science along the way.
The club usually picks a store-brand beer upon which to model their brew. At times, they have made beers that tasted better than the models themselves, Cognetta said.
Bankert agreed with Cognetta on the beer quality.
"We've made some [beer] better than what we can buy in the store," he said.
Overall, the club focuses on the science of beer and does not revolve around drinking it, Cognetta added.
"Beer is not just for getting drunk," he said. "It's educational."
In fact, members younger than 21 are not allowed to drink any of the beer they make, meaning that the Brewing Society is not a club created just to get free beer.
For his part, Cognetta takes beer-making so seriously that he explains the process in a way that makes it difficult even for a sober person to follow his deep understanding of the science behind brewing.
Cognetta said he wants to pursue beer-making as a career and that he plans to open a brewery eventually. He looks up to University graduate Charlie Papazian, who he said is a very famous home brewer who also founded the Association of Brewers. Although Cognetta has yet to get in personal contact with Papazian, he has friended him on Facebook and said he hopes to invite him to visit the club in the future.
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