In a move that’s sending ripples through the brewing community and raising a few eyebrows in Chicago, the Siebel Institute of Technology—the venerable granddaddy of American brewing schools dating back to 1872—has announced that it’s packing up its malt and hops and relocating to Montreal, Canada, come January 2026. Yes, after 157 years of calling the Windy City home, the institute’s answering the call of maple syrup country (and perhaps a little less red tape).
Dr. John Ewald Siebel, a German chemist, founded the Siebel Institute in Chicago in 1868, originally called the Zymotechnic Institute. By 1872, it became the Siebel Institute of Technology and offered various brewing courses. During Prohibition, the school diversified into baking and related fields. Dr. Siebel passed away in 1919, just before Prohibition began. The institute moved locations several times: to Peterson Avenue in 1952, then to Kendall College’s facilities in 2013, and finally to its current purpose-built site at 322 South Green Street in Chicago’s West Loop in 2020.
Why the big move? According to insiders, it’s largely due to the recent changes in the U.S. government’s visa policies making life a bit too complicated for Siebel’s international students, who make up the bulk of the enrollment. The visa hurdles got so tall they couldn’t brew over them anymore. Montreal, with its vibrant craft beer scene and a welcoming stance toward educational institutions, suddenly looked like the perfect fermenting vessel for Siebel’s future.
The relocation of the Siebel Institute is strongly supported by its strategic partner in Munich, Germany, the Doemens Academy, which together with Siebel forms the World Brewing Academy (WBA). Dr. Werner Gloßner, Managing Director of Doemens Academy, expressed full backing for the move, saying, “We fully support this move and look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.”
The new digs will be right in the heart of Montreal’s beer heritage, on Ste-Catherine Street East near the historic Molson brewery site—a fitting location that should keep the spirit of brewing alive while injecting a bit of Canadian savoir-faire. The move isn’t just a relocation; it’s a statement that Quebec is eager to take a leading role in North American brewing education, pushing the craft into bold new territory (and maybe producing a few poutine-themed brews along the way).
While Chicago residents are probably raising a glass to toast the memories, the move underscores a larger trend where regulatory hurdles and political shifts in the U.S. have pushed some of its oldest institutions across the border in search of friendlier climes. For Montreal and Quebec, it’s a win: more brewing expertise, more classes, and possibly more great beer. For the rest of us, it’s a story worth watching—and maybe raising a toque to Canada’s growing clout in the beer world. Cheers!
