F&M Stories
Colin Presby ’06 Brews Up Beverage Career
Colin Presby ’06 began homebrewing at Franklin & Marshall College under the guidance of chemistry professors. He never stopped.
Being a brewmaster has taken Presby around the globe – he even oversaw Carnival Cruise line’s first on-board brewery in 2016.
Concocting craft beer “allows me to be both creative and scientific at the same time,” said Presby, a mathematics major and chemistry minor at F&M.
Presby captained Red Frog Pub & Brewery on the 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista, the cruise line’s largest ship and first North American vessel with a brewery. He created beers with restaurateur Guy Fieri to launch Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brew House on a second ship.
“You wake up in a different port every day and have the chance to explore a lot of really amazing places,” Presby said.
“F&M, in one way or another, has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember."
When the cruise industry stalled due to coronavirus, Presby pivoted to an adjacent career in distilling at Mount Hope Winery & Estate. He has served as head distiller at the estate’s Spirits Distilling Company since 2022.
Mount Hope is home to the wildly popular Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, the fourth-largest festival of its kind in the U.S.
Presby credits the STEM skills he honed at F&M for helping him craft the perfect pour.
“Upper math isn’t about numbers. It's about problem solving. Whatever field you end up in, being able to approach a problem from a systematic approach is really useful,” he said.
Time spent in undergraduate chemistry labs helped Presby perfect pipetting (liquid sampling) and volumetric analysis skills.
Attending F&M was a decision steeped in tradition.
“F&M, in one way or another, has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Presby said.
His father, Philip Presby, is a Class of 1972 graduate. His mother, the late Marcia Presby (née Maurer), attended F&M for two years as part of the College’s first co-ed class. An uncle and aunt – siblings Allen Presby ’69 and Rosamond Presby ’79 – provide another family tie.
“I have a lot of fond memories. My first concert was Billy Joel at the ASFC [in 1997],” said Presby, who resides in Wernersville, Pa., with his wife and two daughters.
From family legacy to award-winning brews, Presby’s unconventional career path shows the countless ways an F&M education can shape a lifetime.
Presby captained Red Frog Pub & Brewery on the 3,954-passenger Carnival Vista, the cruise line’s largest ship and first North American vessel with a brewery.
Presby created beers with restaurateur Guy Fieri to launch Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse and Brew House on a second Carnival ship.
As head distiller at Mount Hope Winery & Estate’s Spirits Distilling Company, Presby is the mastermind behind award-winning cocktails and canned beverages.
The Science Behind Beer
"Brewing Science," a summer course open to F&M students and members of the public, will explore the science behind a perfect pour. Led by biology professor Robert Jinks, students will dive deep into beer fundamentals and develop their own recipes (non-alcoholic for those under 21).
Register by June 19 »Related Articles
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