HISTORY...

In 1978, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi used dairy tanks, a soft-drink bottler, and equipment salvaged from defunct breweries to open the first Sierra Nevada Brewery. Though the equipment was secondhand, they created a first-rate microbrewery using premium ingredients and large quantities of hops that would become the brewery’s trademark. On November 15, 1980, the first batch of what has become a landmark in American craft brewing - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was brewed.

Over the next decade, the demand exceeded the brewery’s modest brewing capacity. Despite constant additions and improvements to the system, Ken was soon back to the drawing board, planning a new brewery. In 1989, Sierra Nevada Brewing moved to its current site. Ken traveled to Germany and brought back a traditional 100-barrel copper brew house, which became the heart of the new location.

Demand for the brand continued to grow and in 1997, Ken commissioned the original coppersmiths to create new additional kettles to match the originals, bringing the brewery’s total capacity to almost eight hundred thousand barrels per year!

Now, 30 years later and with international distribution, the dedicated brewing staff supports and maintains the original commitment to quality. Ken is still personally involved in every aspect of the brewery operations and to the continual evolution of the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

BREWING SYSTEM...

Information coming soon!

THE BREWERS...

Brewmaster: Steve Dressler - Information coming soon!

ATMOSPHERE...

Located a few miles south of the downtown Chico area, the well designed taproom and restaurant features high ceilings with copper clad trim, and stained glass and nouveau inspired woodwork. Table and booth seating fills the large dining area. The exterior patio has ample seating, and a romantic style with arched trellises shaded with climbing wisteria vines.

Offering complete lunch and dinner menus and vegetarian options, the distinctive, contemporary cuisine compliments the brewery’s entire line of premium ales and lagers, including hard-to-find specialty drafts. Showcasing the freshest locally grown produce, wood-fired pizzas and flatbreads baked in-house daily, aged beef from our herd fed on a special natural diet, then cooked over local almond wood, guarantees a wide variety of taste sensations!

Usually crowded evening and weekends with a mix of locals and tourists, the staff is always friendly, helpful, and happy to serve. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the brewery, or take a guided tour which is complimentary and available daily. See the brewing process, then try the award winning beers! The gift shop is open 10am to 6pm and has a large variety of reasonably priced souvenirs.

An additional 350-seat "Big Room" is a beautifully designed live music and multipurpose hall. The professional caliber sound, lighting, and display equipment are ideal for any presentation or performance, providing a great facility for weddings, reunions, and business conferences. Full banquet capabilities, and a range of food and beverage options, including catering by the taproom & restaurant are available. The adjoining mezzanine can also accommodate up to 100 people, and can be booked separately.

BEERS ON TAP...

Pale Ale: Our most popular beer is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor. (5.6% ABV / 37 IBU's)

Porter: Dark and rich, this is a delicious, medium-bodied ale with a creamy head. The Porter’s smooth flavor (malty with hints of caramel) comes from a blend of deep-roasted barley malts. (5.6% ABV / 40 IBU's)

Stout: Creamy, malty, and full-bodied, the Sierra Nevada Stout is satisfyingly rich. Caramel and Black malts give the Stout its deep, dark color and pronounced roasted flavor. (5.8% ABV / 60 IBU's)

Hefeweizen: "Kellerweis" is one of the only American Hefeweizens made using the traditional Bavarian style of open fermentation. This difficult and labor-intensive technique adds uncommon depth and flavor complexity. Our hazy-golden Hefeweizen is deeply flavorful, refreshing and perfect for a sunny day. To serve, pour two-thirds into a glass, swirl and pour the rest. (4.8% ABV / 15 IBU's)

Extra IPA: "Torpedo" Ale is a big American IPA; bold, assertive and full of flavor and aromas highlighting the complex citrus, pine and herbal character of whole-cone American hops. (7.2% ABV / 70 IBU's)

Indian Pale Ale: Brewed using a blend of English malts. Magnum hops are used for the early hop addition, with Goldings for finishing and dry hopping. A very flavorful and hoppy ale.

Brown Ale: A traditional brown ale brewed with a blend of roasted and caramelized malts, as well as the renowned British aromatic Goldings hops. This dark and flavorful ale is medium-bodied, with a delightful malt character.

Crystal Wheat: Brewed using two-thirds wheat malt and one-third barley malt, this filtered wheat beer is light blonde in color, light-bodied, and has a wonderfully clean finish. This is a great choice for craft brew novices and beer aficionados alike.

Blonde Ale: This wonderfully mild, pale-colored ale is brewed using Maris Otter English malt, Perle hops, and Styrian Goldings hops from Slovenia. A refreshing and thirst-quenching beer.

Best Bitter Ale: Brewed using imported English malts and hops, this medium-bodied, copper-colored beer is a great rendition of the popular English beer style. Our Best Bitter is a very drinkable yet flavorful ale, enjoyed by many of our Taproom visitors.

Ruthless Weiss Beer: This unfiltered ale is fermented with special wheat beer yeast imparting a clove-like spiciness of vanilla and nutmeg, combined with a fruitiness reminiscent of bananas or apples. Low in bitterness and mildly tart, with a soft roundness characteristic of a Hefeweizen (hazy wheat beer).

Seasonals...

ESB: Combines the best of English tradition with West Coast style, A blend of malts featuring British-grown Maris Otter is balanced with the earthy spiciness of hand-selected English and US hops. The ale is left unfiltered, which enhances mouthfeel and hop aroma creating a slightly reddish-copper hue. (5.9% ABV / 45-46 IBU's)

Summerfest: A refreshing, pilsner-style lager. Its incredible smoothness comes from an extra-long lagering period. Lighter in body than our ales but just as complex in character, Summerfest® quenches your thirst with big aroma and a tangy hop bite. (5.0% ABV / 32 IBU's)

Anniversary Ale: This beer is a big, full-flavored ale bursting at the seams with fresh, spicy and aromatic hops. Brewed in the style of an American IPA, a style that Sierra Nevada helped create, this beer is a complex brew made with a combination of four varieties of malts that add a rich and complex backbone to showcase our signature hop variety: the Cascade. This hop produces the big piney and citrusy flavors that Sierra Nevada beers are known for and is one of the varieties that have become the definition for what the new styles of American beers represent. (5.9% ABV / 46 IBU's)

Celebration Ale: Wonderfully robust and rich, Celebration® Ale is dry-hopped for a lively, intense aroma. Brewed especially for the holidays, it is perfect for a festive gathering or for a quiet evening at home. (6.8% ABV / 62 IBU's)


Limiteds...

Bigfoot: This year marks the 25th release of Bigfoot®. Our award-winning barleywine boasts a dense, fruity bouquet, an intense flavor palate and a deep reddish-brown color. Its big maltiness is superbly balanced by a wonderfully bittersweet hoppiness. (9.6% ABV / 90 IBU's)

Chico Estate: This "Harvest Ale" is one of very few estate harvest ales produced in the world today. All hops in the beer are grown naturally on the brewery premises in Chico. We pick the hops, then take them directly to the brew kettle, without being dried so they retain nearly all of their natural oils and resins. It is made with Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. Until now, this beer has been available only on draft. Starting this year, we will be bottling it on a very limited basis.

Harvest Ale: The beer that started the modern-day fresh hop ale phenomenon in America, our original Harvest Ale was created in 1996. Featuring Cascade and Centennial hops from the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington, these hops are harvested and shipped “wet" the same day they are picked, to our brewery in Chico. Our brewers eagerly get them into the brew kettle while their oils and resins are still at their peak. (6.7% ABV / 60-65 IBU's)

Southern Hemisphere: Brewed with fresh picked hops from New Zealand, featuring Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross, these hops are dried immediately after being picked. To ensure the freshest hops possible and retain their peak aromatics and flavors, we fly them directly to Chico, so we can brew with them the week after they're picked. (6.7% ABV / 66 IBU's)

AWARDS...

2007 Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival Gold: Porter

2005 GABF Gold: India Pale Ale
2005 GABF Gold: Bigfoot (Barleywine Style Ale)
2005 BIIA Munich Champion Beer Gold: Pale Ale (Draught Style)
2005 BIIA Munich Champion Beer Silver: Pale Ale (Bottle-conditioned)
2005 BIIA Munich Champion Beer Bronze: Porter
2005 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival Silver: Stout
2005 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival Bronze: Bigfoot (Barleywine Style Ale)
2005 Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival Bronze: Celebration Ale
2005 Helsinki Beer Festival Gold: Celebration Ale
2005 Helsinki Beer Festival Gold: Stout
2005 Helsinki Beer Festival Silver: Pale Ale
2005 International Beer Competition Bronze: Celebration Ale

2003 Chicago Real Ale Festival Bronze: Stout (Bottle-conditioned)

2001 ATI Award of the Americas Award of Excellence: Pale Ale

2000 US Beer Tasting Championship Best of California: Celebration Ale (IPA)

1998 GABF Bronze: Wheat Beer (American Wheat or Lager)

1997 GABF Silver: Bigfoot (Barleywine Style Ale)

*For a complete listing of awards go to the official website!

BREWERY EVENTS... (Reno)

$2 Pints: Sierra Nevada Drafts all day Mondays!

$7 Personal Pizza & Draft Beer: Wednesdays!

ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS...

RETAIL OUTLETS...

Available at most grocery stores throughout the USA!

DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION...

Southern Wine & Spirits Of America Inc

OFFICIAL WEBSITES...

http://www.SierraNevada.com/

http://www.SierraTapHouse.com/