Tag: Sierra Nevada

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Beer Camp at a Beer Bar

What do Lucky Baldwin’s Trappiste Cafe, Library Alehouse and Select Beer Store all have in common?

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All three will be having Sierra Nevada Beer Camp tap take-overs!  If you can’t find one of the variety boxes in stores, or you prefer tap to bottle (and cans) then check out the following three events….

Wednesday, July 16 at 6PM. Sierra Nevada Brew Camp Across America lands at Library Alehouse

Sierra Nevada got together with 12 of its brewery brothers from around America and made 12 unique collaborative beers.
In order to ensure maximum distribution and enjoyment of each of these beers, they will be available EXCLUSIVELY in the following FLIGHTS at $13 per flight, WITHOUT EXCEPTION on the night of the event.

Full pours of any beers left from the event will be available when the Alehouse opens on 7/17.

 

Thursday, 7/17 – Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s “Beer Camp Across America” is stopping in at Lucky Baldwins Trappiste, 6PM
Here’s one of your only chances at trying these Extremely RARE Sierra Nevada collaboration ales on draft before the big festival down in San Diego. They have joined forces with some of the elite brewers of the United States  to make 12 different beers, collaborated with 12 different brewers such as: Ballast Point, Bell’s, Firestone Walker, Ninkasi, Cigar City and Russian River. And we’ve got all 12! Come find out which is your favorite. It’s one night only, and only while supplies lasts. Don’t miss out!

Friday, 7/18 – Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Total Tap Takeover at Select Beer

Oh and here are the beers in pack….
– Russian River Yvan the Great Belgian Blonde
– Oskar Blues CANfusion Rye Bock
– Bell’s Maillard’s Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale
– 3 Floyds Chico King Pale Ale
– Cigar City Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock
– Asheville Brewers Tater Ridge Scottish Ale
– Ballast Point Electric Ray IPL
– Victory Alt Route Altbier
– New Glarus There and Back English Bitter
– Ninkasi Double Latte Coffee Stout
– Firestone Torpedo Pilsner
– Allagash Myron’s Walk Belgian Pale

 

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12 Amazing Beers in One Box

In celebration of their new North Carolina brewery, Sierra Nevada is going all out.  They are festing all over the country but more importantly they are bringing out a collaboration variety pack that beats all others.  It is serious.  And probably damn tasty.

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This is a killer line-up.  And it includes two cans as well!

Allagash Brewing Co, Portland, ME (Myron’s Walk Belgian-Style Pale Ale)
Asheville Brewers Alliance, Asheville, NC (Tater Ridge Scottish Ale)
Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, CA (Electric Ray India Pale Lager)
Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo, MI (Maillard’s Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale)
Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL (Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock)
Firestone Walker Brewing Co, Paso Robles, CA (Torpedo Pilsner)
New Glarus Brewing Co, New Glarus, WI (There and Back English-Style Bitter)
Ninkasi Brewing Co, Eugene, OR (Double Latte Coffee milk Stout)
Oskar Blues Brewing Co, Longmont, CO & Brevard, NC (CANfusion Rye Bock)
Russian River Brewing Co, Santa Rosa, CA (Yvan the Great Belgian-Style Blonde)
Three Floyds Brewing, Munster, IN (Chico King Pale Ale)
Victory Brewing Co, Downingtown, PA (Alt Route Altbier)

And for a suggested retail of $24.99 no less.  Be on the lookout this summer for this.

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Book Review – Beyond the Pale

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My Kindle started up and I dug into the Sierra Nevada story on the flight up to Portland from Burbank.  And I was, to be honest, only intermittently enlightened.  Even though I really wanted to like it more.

Starting with the story of Ken Grossman’s childhood and how he found his way to Chico, good back story as it was, moved a little slow and highlighted aspects of his work habits and expertise that get repeated later.  And then when we got to the start of Sierra Nevada the details started to diminish.  And as we got closer to current time, it became almost a press release touting the workplace at Sierra Nevada and their ecological efforts.

And that is why I can only marginally recommend Beyond the Pale.  It is very important that all beer fans and writers see what it took for Grossman to make what we take for granted today.  It was nip and tuck at many crucial junctures.  The sheer amount of hours that Grossman put into the brewery building is tiring and amazing at the same time.  We could easily be living in a world without the iconic green label of the famous pale ale.  But that focus on the brewery getting off the ground trials comes at the expense of the beers.  How did Kellerweis come about?  Why was the stout overshadowed by the Pale ale?  Why is Torpedo getting bigger and not the pale?  As it stands, I got a peek into what makes a Sierra Nevada beer special but not the nitty gritty.

The section on the split between Grossman and his initial partner was also quite informative.  Recapping that part of Sierra Nevada’s history must have been hard to do but it was handled adroitly without being mean spirited or too soft.  And most importantly, it gave me the full (from Grossman’s perspective) story of what transpired.

But at other points in the narrative, I wanted to say, now talk about this or go in more depth about that.  And instead it would head to another chapter on building the new facility or buying more equipment.  More photographs may have enlivened those stretches of text (and perhaps the book-book has that as opposed to the Kindle version).  I would also have shortened the childhood section and fleshed out who the other brewers have been at the brewery and what they brought to the table and how that has changed the beers brewed and the flagship ales.  As it stands, you have a hybrid book that is part childhood memoir, part story of building a brewery and part brochure.  None of which is bad, but the subject matter is so fascinating to me that I wanted more.

Now I have to read the story of Lagunitas in book form and compare with that and the Brooklyn Brewing and Dogfish Head stories.

 

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Sierra Nevada Collab-a-palooza

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Check out this mega-collaboration……

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is celebrating the opening of its new Mills River, North Carolina, brewery by bringing revered craft brewers to North Carolina via a cross-country festival path in 2014. A dozen craft breweries across the U.S., both up-and-comers and noted names, will join Sierra Nevada in the creation of a variety 12-pack—one partner brewery per beer—to be released in summer 2014. A multi-weekend, west-to-east tour of regional festivals will culminate with the Mills River doors opening.

The specific travel path for festivals is a work in progress, but in spring 2014, these breweries will visit Chico to develop recipes and begin brewing:

Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, ME
Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI
Cigar City Brewing, LLC, Tampa, FL
Firestone Walker Brewing Co., Paso Robles, CA
New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI
Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene, OR
Oskar Blues Brewing Company, Longmont, CO
Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
Three Floyds Brewing, LLC, Munster, IN
Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, PA
Local brewing community in Asheville, NC”

Holy Hell that is an impressive list of breweries.  From the LA perspective it would have been nice to see Craftsman on the list or Eagle Rock but hey, you can’t win ’em all.  I will be really interested in the New Glarus and Russian River combos.  I know the Firestone Walker one will be a huge hit.

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Summer has begun…..

…at Four Points – The Beer Hotel they re-open the pool bar as a rite of summer.  And this year they did so with help from Sierra Nevada and some rare beers.  Rich Rosen took photos and partook of the beers and filed this report

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It is official. The pool at this hotel is now open! Every year close to Memorial Day weekend; a craft beer event kicks off the re-opening of the swimming pool at Four Points By Sheraton – LAX. The brewery that was present was Sierra Nevada. Steve Grossman was the main speaker, who talked of the brews as well as it’s charitable work.
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Brewsters is the bar/restaurant within the hotel. It rotates the beers on tap. Local craft beer can be found there, both on tap and in bottles. The food menu is diverse and well prepared. Many big flat screen televisions are found throughout the hotel. You can watch a plethora of sporting events while enjoying some brews.
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The brewery that was present was Sierra Nevada. Steve Grossman was the main speaker, who talked of the brews as well as it’s charitable work. Mr. Grossman mentioned that every country now has a craft beer movement. He is quiet the philanthropic person. Works closely with re-establishing a monastery near the brewery. It should be finished by the end of 2013. Part of the proceeds obtained by selling Ovila goes to this endeavor.

The hotel will be holding a craft been event the second friday of the month. Stop by and enjoy the pool area. Once that slows down or closes, move on into Brewsters. Enjoy the ambience of this establishment.

Some beers that were enjoyed here are as follows:
Pale Ale – the flagship of the Sierra Nevada line. Light and crisp in flavor.
Bigfoot – the robust barleywine. Strong, nice flavor.
Ovila– this is a Belgian style ale. Made in collaboration with Monks.

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Some Sierra and Sun

The 4 Points Sheraton LAX – Home of Brewster’s has an event to kick off the summer season in L.A. (Granted, that summer season never really ends)

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Every year the pool area bar is “re-opened” and/or christened with a special party.  And this year, “Steve Grossman will be here and we’ll have Blindfold (Black IPA) in addition to the list…maybe Ovila Brandy Barrel Aged Quad if everyone is good.”

Here is the Facebook event page for sending invitations and RSVPing.

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Review – Ovila Abbey Quad with plums

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Sierra Nevada didn’t have to do the Ovila line of beers.  They continue to hold a stellar reputation, they are building on the east coast and they grow some of their beers ingredients.  But we are blessed (pun intended) with this group of Belgian Abbey style ales.

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This beer comes in a small but heavy bottle that is caged and corked. The aroma is slightly plummy with a sharp medicinal note.  It pours a cola brown with a touch of red to it.  The taste is very dry and those plums really come through.  There is a slight warming to it but it really hits that strong set of Quad notes. I’m glad it is in the size of bottle it is!

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This is how the brewery describes it, “Ovila Abbey Quad is heady with aromas of caramel, rich malt, and dark fruit balanced by the spiciness and delicate fruity notes of a traditional Belgian yeast. This complex beer is a collaboration between Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. and the monks of the Abbey of New Clairvaux. It features sugar plums grown on the grounds of the Abbey and harvested by the monks in Vina. We hope you enjoy this collaboration ale.”