Sierra Nevada Brewery

In 1979, Ken Grossman began building a small brewery in the town of Chico, California. His goal: to brew exceptional ales and lagers. Today, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is considered the premier craft brewery in the United States. And the beer? Critics proclaim it “Among the best brewed anywhere in the world.”

Ken’s passion for brewing began when a friend showed him the basics of home brewing. Using homemade equipment, Ken began brewing five-gallon batches of beer on his own, and soon became a proficient home brewer.

In 1976, after studying chemistry and physics at Butte Community College and California State University at Chico, Ken opened his own store, The Home Brew Shop. There, he supplied Chico’s home-brewing community with equipment, materials, and advice, but dreamed of opening his own brewery.

Two years later, it was time to make the dream a reality. Ken and co-founder Paul Camusi cobbled a brewery together from dairy tanks, a soft-drink bottler, and equipment salvaged from defunct breweries. Though the equipment was secondhand, they created a first-rate microbrewery. The ingredients were premium, including the copious quantities of hops that would become the brewery’s trademark. An avid backpacker, Ken named the new company for his favorite hiking grounds- the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Finally, on November 15, 1980, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. brewed the first batch of what would soon become a landmark in American craft brewing: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

To this day, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. remains true to its roots. Ken is still personally involved in every aspect of brewery operation. Most importantly, the Sierra Nevada commitment to quality remains the same. Premium ingredients and time-honored brewing techniques make Sierra Nevada ales and lagers truly exceptional beers.

Brewery Pictures:

Sierra Nevada E-Fuel

And for further truly exceptional experiences, vist our website Sierra Nevada Brewery here.

Life and Limb

Life & Limb is a 10% ABV strong beer that defies style characteristics-brewed with pure maple syrup from the Calagione family farm in Massachusetts and estate barley grown on the Grossman “farm” at the brewery in Chico. The beer is alive with yeast-a blend of both breweries’ house strains-bottle conditioned for added complexity and shelf life, and naturally carbonated with birch syrup fresh from Alaska; it is the first beer we know of ever to use birch syrup in the brew. If stored under good conditions, this rich, full-bodied beer should age well for years. Life & Limb will be available in 24-oz. bottles and limited draft starting November 2009.

Check out what the Taste Buds have to say about Life & Limb.

ABV: 10%
IBUs: 50

Visit website (http://www.life-limb.com/) >


Limb and Life

Limb & Life is a companion to the big beer-an acorn off the larger tree. It is a 5% ABV small beer-a low-gravity beer made using the residual sugar as “second runnings” from the first larger brew, fortified with American hops. This is a session beer. Its big brother is a sipper. Limb & Life will be a limited draft-only product, a prelude to the bigger beer, available in select bars and restaurants in October 2009.

ABV: 5%
IBUs:49

Visit website (http://www.life-limb.com/) >


Estate Brewers Harvest Ale

Estate – Brewer’s Harvest Ale is the homegrown hero of beers. Brewed exclusively with hops and barley from our fields at the brewery, this is one of the very few estate ales produced antwhere in the world. Estate Ale has a rich and smooth malt body; works as the perfect platform to show off the freshness and complexity of our estate-grown wet-hops. The bready malt carries a mild sweetness that acts as the perfect counterbalance for the green, pine and grapefruit flavors of the Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops from our fields next door.

ABV: 6.7%
IBUs: 68


Harvest Wet Hop Ale

The cornerstone of our Harvest series is the beer that started the modern-day fresh hop ale phenomenon in America, our original Harvest Ale.

Created in 1996, Harvest Ale features Cascade and Centennial hops from the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington. These hops are harvested and shipped as “wet” un-dried hops – the same day they are picked – to our brewery in Chico where our brewers eagerly wait to get them into the brew kettle while their oils and resins are still at their peak.

ABV: 6.7
IBUs: 63


Summerfest

Summerfest is 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.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER California State Fair (European Light Lagers: 1999)

alcohol content 5.0% by volume

bitterness units 32


Anniversary Ale

This beer is a big, full-flavored ale bursting at the seams with fresh, spicy and aromatic hops. Our 2008 Anniversary Ale is brewed in the style of an American IPA, a style that Sierra Nevada helped create. This beer is a complex brew made up 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.

alcohol content 5.9% by volume

bitterness units 46


Celebration Ale

The long, cold nights of winter are a little brighter with 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.

“best beer ever made in America.” – Stan Sessor, San Francisco Chronicle

GOLD MEDAL WINNER
United States Beer Tasting Championship (IPA: 1994)

FIRST PLACE
Chicago Beer Society – 1996 Fall Beer Tasting

SILVER MEDAL WINNER
California State Fair (IPA: 1999)
Great American Beer Festival (IPA: 2002)

alcohol content 6.8% by volume

bitterness units 62


ESB

Our 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.

alcohol content 5.9% by volume

bitterness units 45-46


Bigfoot Barleywine

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.

“Bigfoot captures the imagination, and its character is as big as the name implies, with a huge hoppiness in its earthy aroma, a chewy palate, and a great depth of flavor.” – Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion

GOLD MEDAL WINNER

California State Fair (Strong Ale/Barleywine: 2005, 2000, 1997)

Great Alaska Beer & Barleywine Festival (Barleywine Style Ale: 1998)

Great American Beer Festival (Barleywine: 2005, 1995, 1992, 1988; Ales: 1987)

alcohol content 9.6% by volume

bitterness units 90


Pale Ale

Our most popular beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 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.
“Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the flagship beer, the one that made Chico famous. It is a flawless beer that opens with bright, perky high notes of maltiness and orange blossom and segues into a delectable hoppiness.”

- Elaine Louie, Premier Beer-A Guide to America’s Best Bottled Microbrews

GOLD MEDAL WINNER

Great American Beer Festival (American Pale Ale: 1995, 1994, 1993;

Classic English Pale Ale: 1992; Pale Ale: 1990, 1989, 1987)

alcohol content 5.6% by volume

bitterness units 37


Porter

Dark and rich, Sierra Nevada Porter 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.

”...there can be little doubt that this is one of the best porters being brewed anywhere in the world today.” – Christopher Finch, A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best Beer

FIRST PLACE

California Brewers Festival (Robust Porter: 2000)
Colorado State Fair (Porter: 1996)

alcohol content 5.6% by volume

bitterness units 40


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.

“Sierra Nevada Stout is admirable from nose to finish, with notes of malty sweetness to the palate but plenty of bitterness available to set up a stimulating counterpoint.” – Christopher Finch, A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best Beer.

GOLD MEDAL WINNER

California State Fair (Stout, Sweet & Foreign: 2000)

alcohol content 5.8% by volume

bitterness units 60


Torpedo

Sierra Nevada 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.

alcohol content 7.2% by volume

bitterness units 70


Kellerweis

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 IBUs