Augustana students honor arboretum’s namesake with craft brewing collaboration

Maple cream ale.

Say the words aloud. Savor them. Imagine how those flavors come together.

Then, sample it for yourself.

You can do that when the special-release beer is tapped at 5 p.m. Friday at Big Lost Meadery & Brewery, then featured at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum’s 20th anniversary celebration on April 24, which is Arbor Day.

Two senior brewing and fermentation students at Augustana University crafted the beer, which they say is designed to evoke nature, “smooth, lightly sweet and kissed with real maple.”

Gracen Juffer and Madelyn Sliper also wanted the flavor to evoke memories of Mary Jo Wegner, the namesake of the east-side arboretum. Wegner died of leukemia in 2003. Her family established an arboretum fund to commemorate her life and love of nature. A committee was established in November 2005, and the arboretum was opened on a 155-acre site where Wegner used to walk.

“We went back and forth, but ultimately we settled on maple cream ale as something that would be smooth and easy drinking and something that appeals to most beer drinkers,” Sliper said. “It was also the idea of putting maple in there since we are collaborating with an arboretum.”

When Wegner traveled to other communities for her cancer treatment, she would visit the nature spots elsewhere, Juffer said. Wegner wanted Sioux Falls to have that too. The local site is also rich with local history and marks the long-gone community of East Sioux Falls.

A native of Lennox, Juffer has spent time at the arboretum. Her senior prom pictures were taken there, and she visited with grandparents. Sliper, who is from Rapid City, hasn’t been there yet.

Big Lost Meadery & Brewery originated in Wyoming 11 years ago and opened at the Lake Lorraine development in Sioux Falls 14 months ago. Owner Sam Clikeman and brewer Bud Molyneux collaborated with Augustana brewing and fermentation students on a capstone project last year, brewing honey orange saison, a farmhouse ale.

Earlier this school year, Augustana registrar Ann Kolbreck reached out to the students. Kolbreck serves on the arboretum board, and since it was having its 20th anniversary, she suggested a tie-in.

Juffer and Stephanie Bruggeman, who oversees the brewing and fermentation program, approached Clikeman about offering the capstone project in a commercial setting. In addition to brewing, students will learn about marketing, developing a product and the financial side.

“They had to negotiate with me on how pricing was going to work,” Clikeman said. “It was an opportunity for us that’s very exciting. It was a way to get involved with the community.”

The project allowed students to see “all the moving parts” of brewing that they wouldn’t ordinarily see, Bruggeman said. Augustana first offered the program in fall 2022. A collaboration with Remedy Brewing Co. launched The Brew ‘N Gold beer, now in its second label iteration.

“They have to work together and think about their audience,” she said. “Sam and Big Lost worked with us so we can get a little bit back, above what it costs to sell. It will bring a little money back to the program and do things for future students and donate to a place that we think is fitting to this collaboration.”

It also was a unique chance to work with two female brewers, Clikeman said. He estimates that Juffer and Sliper did “99 and a half percent of the work on their own.”

“Even when the brewer was there, they had to do it truly on their own. We were there in an advising capacity.”

Augustana’s brewing and fermentation program generally has from nine to 14 students participating, Bruggeman said. The first three students with minors in the subject graduated last spring.

Sliper and Juffer are biology majors at Augustana. Sliper likely will take a year off before pursuing a career in ecology or conservation. Juffer also plans on a gap year while applying to medical school for the 2027-28 cycle.

“It was such a unique program,” Sliper said about her reasons for taking the brewing and fermentation classes. “I’m intrigued by the craft beer world. I like to go to different breweries and try different beers. It just fit me.”

Said Juffer: “It’s a niche field, but I’ve always been interested in health care and this industry as well. Whether it’s a patient interaction or guest experience, it’s similar. With these experiences, I’ve learned both fields.”

What they won’t be able to do until just hours before the launch is taste the beer. Their first sips will be the product without carbonation.

“I’m taking advanced brewing right now, and we’re talking about off flavors, the things you’re going to taste in your beer that might identify stuff that goes wrong,” Juffer said. “I hope we don’t taste any of those.”

The students used 10 pounds of maple syrup and later added a few ounces of fenugreek to “kick off the maple syrup aroma.”

About 400 people attended last spring’s launch party, Bruggeman said. As the overseer, the waiting period before the first tasting is “a little bit terrifying for me.”

But, she added: “We’re working with Bud and Sam, and they’ve been doing this for a long time. The students have a good handle on it, and unless things went crazily wrong, I think it’s going to be great.”

Clikeman agreed.

“I have the utmost confidence in your skills, ladies,” he told the students.

The students also want to create a mead-based cocktail or mule that can be served at both places.

Special glassware was designed for the anniversary celebration at the arboretum. If you buy a commemorative beer glass at either the tapping or the anniversary gathering, you will receive a 20 percent discount on the maple cream ale at Big Lost, 2215 S. Lorraine Place.