Beer may have a blue-collar reputation in the U.S., but brewing scientist Charlie Bamforth is quick to point out that Shakespeare referred to the ancient beverage as "a dish for a king." Bamforth, who recently joined the UC Davis faculty to become the Anheuser-Busch Professor of Brewing Science in the food science and technology department, quotes everyone from Queen Victoria to Euripides when he writes and speaks about beer. And the science of brewing is anything but mundane, he stresses. "I think students are surprised at how sophisticated brewing is," Bamforth says. "It's not a case of taking any old malt and sticking in any old yeast." Students who graduate as food scientists with a brewing science specialty understand that the production of beer encompasses a variety of sciences, including biochemistry, microbiology and chemical engineering, he explains. Bamforth, who comes to UC Davis from Brewing Research International in England, will present a public seminar at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, March 3. He will discuss the basics of beer making, the future of beer and challenges facing the brewing industry. The talk will be given in Room 107 of Cruess Hall. Bamforth's research primarily focuses on the stability of beer flavor and foam, as well as the role of certain barley enzymes during the malting process. He is the author of "Beer: Tap Into the Art and Science of Brewing," a nontechnical book published in 1998 for beer enthusiasts and new brewers.