Sierra Nevada Beer: Chico's Cheaper Option?

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is a popular brewery located in Chico, California, that offers a range of beers, including pale ales, IPAs, and stouts. With its rich history, dating back to 1979, and its reputation as one of the earliest and most influential craft breweries in the United States, Sierra Nevada has become a well-known name in the beer industry. Visitors to the Chico location can enjoy a variety of experiences, from sampling beers and dining at the taproom and restaurant to exploring the brewery through tours. But is buying beer from Sierra Nevada in Chico cheaper? This question sparks an interesting discussion, as pricing can vary based on various factors, such as local taxes, distribution costs, and promotions specific to certain regions.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. history

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1980 by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi, who expanded their hobby into a brewery in Chico, California. The company was established the previous year, in 1979, with Grossman and Camusi renting a 3,000 sq ft warehouse and piecing together discarded dairy equipment and scrapyard metal to create their brewing equipment. The name of the brewery comes from Grossman's love of hiking in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

Grossman's first batch of craft beer was brewed on November 15, 1980. This first beer was a stout, followed by a pale ale, which sparked a craft beer revolution. The company sold 950 US beer barrels in its first year and doubled that amount in the second.

In the early 1980s, the company distributed the beer itself, struggling with financial and marketing problems. However, a 1982 article in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting the brewery, as well as having its beer sold in prominent restaurants, helped establish a market for Sierra Nevada's beer. By 1987, the brewery was distributing to seven states, with production reaching 12,000 US beer barrels per year. This led the company to pursue building a new brewery, which they moved into in 1988. The following year, Grossman and Camusi added the Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant, as well as the "Big Room", a live-music venue located inside the brewery's facilities.

Camusi retired in 1998 and sold his share in the company to Grossman. In 2010, Sierra Nevada Brewing was named "Green Business of the Year" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for its practices in sustainability. That same year, the company released a series of collaborative beers to celebrate its 30th anniversary. In 2012, Sierra Nevada announced it would build a second brewing facility with an attached restaurant in Mills River, North Carolina. The LEED-Platinum-certified building opened in early 2014.

Chico, California location

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is located in Chico, California, United States. The brewery was founded in 1980 by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi, who expanded their homebrewing hobby into a brewery in Chico, California. The company's name and location come from Grossman's love of hiking in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada.

The first batch brewed on the premises was its Pale Ale in November 1980, which was an instant hit and led to the brewery expanding twice to keep up with demand. In the following year, the brewery introduced Celebration, an IPA, which continues to be released as a winter seasonal beer.

The brewery is known for its sustainability practices and was named the "Green Business of the Year" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2010. It is powered by solar energy and uses a small-scale biodiesel processor to convert used cooking oil from its restaurant for biodiesel use in its delivery trucks.

At the Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant in Chico, visitors can sample a range of draft beers and enjoy seasonal, farm-to-table food. The restaurant makes bread from spent brewers' grain and offers a kids' menu with organic options. The brewery also has a live music venue with a capacity of 350 people.

Various tours of the brewery are available, including a free tour that includes beer tasting, and a more in-depth "Beer Geek" tour. The site also features a gift shop where visitors can purchase fresh beer, food made with beer, clothing, and other merchandise.

Sierra Nevada's restaurant and taproom

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is a brewery, bar, and eatery located in Chico, California, United States. It was established in 1979 by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi and has since become one of the most influential American craft breweries. The on-site taproom and restaurant, added in 1989, serve lunch and dinner and include a gift shop. The taproom offers a range of beers on tap, including IPAs, stouts, ales, and lagers, with options for non-alcoholic and sparkling water infusions. The restaurant showcases local farmers and food artisans, using seasonal ingredients and produce from its own organic kitchen and estate gardens. The menu features a variety of dishes, from small plates and greens to sandwiches, pizzas, and main courses, with options for children and desserts. The Chico location also features "The Big Room," a live-music venue located inside the brewery that hosts a variety of musical acts.

Sierra Nevada's sustainability efforts

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. has been committed to sustainability and energy efficiency since its founding in 1980. The company's founder, Ken Grossman, began with the mindset that brewing beer shouldn't be wasteful. This commitment to sustainability is evident in the company's practices and facilities.

Sierra Nevada's first brewhouse was a hand-built combination of old dairy equipment and scrapyard metal. From the beginning, the company has chosen not to compromise its values or the environment, even when presented with opportunities to brew more easily and cheaply. Instead, they have invested in high-quality, low-impact brewing methods.

One of the company's most notable sustainability initiatives is its use of solar energy. Sierra Nevada boasts the largest solar array in craft beer, with a total of 2.6 megawatts (MW) across both its Chico, California, and Mills River, North Carolina, locations. The solar array in Chico provides about 20% of the brewery's electricity needs, while the array in Mills River provides approximately 6% of the facility's electrical demand.

In addition to solar energy, Sierra Nevada also focuses on operational efficiency and on-site renewable energy generation. They have implemented programs for energy efficiency and heat recovery, leading to a 50% energy cost savings compared to a standard brewhouse. The company also captures stormwater and uses it for indoor plumbing and irrigation, reducing unnecessary runoff.

Another key aspect of Sierra Nevada's sustainability efforts is their commitment to reducing waste. The company diverts 99.8% of its solid waste from landfills and has implemented comprehensive recycling and composting programs. Spent grain from the brewing process is sent to local farmers to be used as feed, and the company has achieved TRUE Zero Waste Platinum Certification for its Mills River facility.

Sierra Nevada also encourages a culture of sustainability through education, training, and encouragement. They provide on-site electric vehicle (EV) charging stations for employees and customers and offer incentives for employees to carpool or bike to work. The company is a Certified Silver Bicycle Friendly Business, with ample bike parking spots at both breweries made from retired kegs.

Sierra Nevada's sustainability initiatives have earned them recognition and accolades, including the US Environmental Protection Agency's "Green Business of the Year" award in 2010. The company continues to advocate for clean energy and advanced manufacturing investments, working towards a more sustainable future.

Sierra Nevada's range of beers

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1980 in Chico, California, by homebrewers Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi. The company's name comes from Grossman's love of hiking in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. The first beer brewed on the premises was a Pale Ale, in November 1980. The following year, the brewery introduced Celebration, an IPA, which continues to be released as a winter seasonal beer.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is considered one of the earliest and most influential craft breweries in the US, enduring to become one of the largest independent brewers in the country. Its beers are known for their "character and complexity". The brewery is also known for its sustainability practices, winning the US Environmental Protection Agency's "Green Business of the Year" award in 2010.

Sierra Nevada offers a wide range of beers, including:

• Pale Ale: The flagship beer of the brewery, it is a balance between aggressive hops and hearty malt flavor, with Cascade hops offering a grapefruit aroma and fruity palate. It is the best-selling pale ale in the US as of 2012.
• Porter and Stout: These beers have been described as "gently coffeish" and "beautifully roasty" examples of their respective styles. They have been brewed since the company's first year of operation.
• Torpedo: An American India Pale Ale (IPA) introduced as a nationwide offering in 2009.
• Kellerweis: A traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen, also introduced in 2009.
• Celebration Ale: A hoppy, malty amber ale, and a "bigger version" of the company's Pale Ale. It has been brewed as a winter seasonal beer since 1981.
• Tumbler Brown Ale: A full-bodied, malt-heavy brown ale sold during the autumn months.
• Ruthless Rye IPA: An IPA brewed with rye and whole-cone hops for the spring.
• Summerfest: A pilsner brewed in the Czech tradition.
• Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale: Brewed with two types of malt and three different hops, with an alcohol content of 9.6%. It is marketed as a "barleywine style ale" due to US alcohol laws.
• Hemisphere Harvest Ales: Featuring both a Northern and Southern Hemisphere version, these "wet hop" ales use undried hops from eastern Washington and New Zealand, respectively. The Northern Hemisphere version was the first fresh-hop ale brewed in the US.
• Chico Estate Harvest Ale: Brewed with organic wet hops and barley grown on the brewery's premises.
• Old Chico Crystal Wheat: A wheat beer named in memory of the Chico Brewery, which operated in the town during the 19th century. It is only distributed in the northern California area.
• Resilience Butte County Proud IPA: A limited-edition IPA released to benefit recovery efforts for the Camp Fire, which impacted areas near the Chico brewery in 2018.

In addition to these, Sierra Nevada offers a range of seasonal beers, special releases, and experimental beers, showcasing their constant hop exploration and commitment to bringing something new to the world of brewing.

Frequently asked questions