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So, Sierra Nevada is holding a contest for it’s famed Beer Camp. They asked for submissions as to why someone would want to go.
Here is my REPLY
It’s a little over a minute. If you think it’s funny or even just mildly amusing hit the like button for me. It might help me get to summer camp.
As threatened in yesterday’s post, here are some thoughts and a video from Steve Grossman’s visit to the Library Alehouse.
–Sierra Nevada started in Woodland Hills with a homebrewing neighbor who left his creations unguarded in the back yard.
-It was a homebrew shop in Chico first, then a brewery.
– Their flagship pale ale was the 2nd beer brewed.
-They did 723 thousand barrels last year.
-Sierra Nevada is staying in the family.
-They are dedicated to the sustainability issue.
Now on to a bit of video where Steve talks about Southern Hemisphere’s origins….
As usual, when you go to a Library Alehouse event, you get great beer and great food. You can tell some thought has gone into the preparations.
This post will talk about the beer and the food and tomorrow I will post a video and some interesting notes from Sierra Nevada Ambassador Steve Grossman. (That last name should sound familiar to SN fans.)
We started with a palate opener that was great for our new found Southern California sunny weather, Summerfest.
It was probably my favorite for the night (tied with the Nautilus). It was a straw yellow and pretty zippy. A little bit of tart lemon to it as well as some nice hops.
Even though it was not included in the menu, I had to try the latest in the 30th Anniversary collaborative beers. This being the Imperial Helles Bock. The Charlie Papazian and Fred Eckhardt inspired offering.
This beer left me a bit confused. Complex. Lots of alcohol but not heavy. Malty flavors that faded into a touch of hoppiness. It was an interesting take on a bock for sure. Poor me, I will have to try again (maybe from a bottle) to see if I can catch anything new.
Then it was on to the Beer Camp Nautilus.
This was another really punchy, wake you up type of beer. Very easy to drink. I could see this as a gateway beer for people raised on pilsners. It has all the attributes of a pils with extra hops and extra grain flavors.
Next was the Southern Hemisphere Harvest. Sierra Nevada knows IPA’s. Nothing fancy here. Just straight up well balanced hop profile. Nice floral aroma with a lot of good citrus notes.
Last was the first 30th Anniversary beer, the Anchor Steam collaboration. I don’t know what happened since my last taste of this beer but it was wicked smokey. I don’t know if that is how it ages but the chocolate notes I first encountered were smothered away. I was really looking forward to it and it was the biggest let down.
On the food front, I ate fried calamari! Not the spidery bits. Just the suckers. Not horrible. Sorta like mussels except less chewy. The Jerk chicken was really spicy. The beans and rice duo on the side really helped put the fire out. The most successful dish to me was the Mocha Torte. Delicious! All paired well with their respective beers.
In the past, Beer Camp at Sierra Nevada has been by invitation only.
Now it is being opened up as a contest for anyone who would like to experience beer the Chico way.
As I write this, I am thinking of what kind of entry that I could send their way.
Sierra Nevada has really been putting out new stuff left and right. Kellerbier, Life and Limb, Glissade and now the new 30th Anniversary series is under way.
The label reads, “Fritz Maytag, owner of San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, is regarded as the founding father of the craft brewing movement. Frtiz agreed to guest brew this very special ale with us in honor of our 30th anniversary. As a nod to the dark ales and stouts that seduced both Fritz and Ken in the early years, we bring you this pioneering stout, a rich and roasted ale, perfect for aging, and worthy of your finest snifter.”
Future collaborators may include Jack McAuliffe of New Albion fame, Fred Eckhardt (who already has a Hair of the Dog beer with his name) and Charlie Papazian, the noted homebrewer.
Check the Sierra Nevada website HERE for more up to date information.
Some news for next year from Chico, CA“Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is proud to announce the release of Glissade Golden Bock as its newest seasonal beer. Glissade celebrates the slow slide of winter into spring with a full-bodied beer that is delicately balanced, yet bold enough to brace against the last cold nights in the foothills of the Sierras. Glissade will be available in 6-packs, 12-packs, 24-ounce bottles, and on draft starting in January, 2010.
“We have been making versions of bock beers for our local fans for years, and with every release we get people clamoring for us to make it more widely available. Spring for us is the season for bocks, so we finally decided to do it,” said brewery founder Ken Grossman. “Glissade is something new for us–and something different from the other bock beers out there. We’re using the best German malts we can find, together with interesting and flavorful European hops.”
This zealous consumer demand inspired the brewery to make a change to its seasonal lineup. Glissade will be replacing the brewery’s ESB (Early Spring Beer) and will add an interesting new dimension to the popular seasonal offerings.
Glissade Golden Bock is the brewery’s take on the traditional pale bocks of Germany. The beer is remarkably mellow, with layers of subtle malt flavors and a more restrained sweetness than many of its continental cousins. Glissade emphasizes layers of malt, with flavors reminiscent of freshly-baked bread and toasted nuts held in perfect balance by a touch of spicy and floral European hops. This delicate balance helps the beer slide across the palate and welcomes another sip.
2010 marks the 30th anniversary for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Glissade is the first step into this auspicious year, which promises to be filled with events, celebrations, and specialty beer releases.”
Roll out the red carpet, LA. Forget the Oscars and the Grammys. Last night brought two new and highly anticipated beers to the City of Angels.
First at the Daily Pint was Life and Limb from Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada. Sadly, Limb and Life did not make it, yet. Now this a winter warmer. As I tried to explain it to people, this beer is a porter with Sierra Nevada hoppiness on one side and Dogfish Head alcohol warmth on the other. It worked for me but it like the other beer I had are sippers.
Then I drove back across town to Blue Palms for the unveiling of Firestone-Walker 13th Anniversary. Brian Lenzo had the foresight, nay genius, to start buying these beers years ago and has amassed quite the impressive collection. He had a sampler of 10, 11, 12 and 13. The 13 was nice. You may know me as the dark beer hater but 13 had a good balance. Some liquor aroma and bite but the beer was still there and it was smooth. Plus it was good to see celebrated Celebrator writer Tomm Carroll amongst all the familiar faces. Next years vertical flight should be killer.
It has been posted already but I wanted to make sure this nice little article got some more air time because it is a great example of how craft beer is much more in touch with its ingredients and suppliers.
Click HERE to read it.
from Beer Advocate…
This fall independent craft brewers Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head, will release two collaborative beers. Limb & Life-a draft-only beer-will debut in October; with Life & Limb 24oz bottles and limited draft to follow in November.
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 this November.
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 this October.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is honored to announce the release of Estate Ale–one of the world’s only estate-made beers brewed with 100% all-natural, locally-grown hops and barley, which are produced at the brewery in Chico, California. Inspired by the renowned winemaking region of its Napa and Sonoma neighbors, Sierra Nevada is the first brewery to develop its own terroir. This beer is brewed with ingredients that reflect the flavors of the environment and the seasonal rhythms of nature.