{"id":434,"date":"2020-12-12T00:46:08","date_gmt":"2020-12-12T05:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sierrasothebysrealty.blog\/2020\/12\/12\/the-craft-beer-boom\/"},"modified":"2020-12-12T00:46:08","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T05:46:08","slug":"the-craft-beer-boom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/sierrasir\/blog\/2020\/12\/12\/the-craft-beer-boom\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reno-Tahoe Craft Beer Boom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch Out Asheville, North Carolina. Lake Tahoe\u2019s Coming Up Behind You in the Beer World.<\/em><\/h4>\n
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Courtesy Alibi Ale Works. Credit Jeff Freeman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If it seems like a new brewery pops up every six months to a year here in the Sierra, you\u2019re not far off. The Reno-Tahoe beer scene is teeming with craft brew pioneers and upstarts. While home brewers are taking a leap of faith to pursue the passion, art and science of the craft, the boom of new residents and steady stream of area visitors is helping to support the area\u2019s growing choices. We also can\u2019t ignore the fact that in Tahoe\u2019s active outdoor world, a frosty beer is the ultimate reward after a long bike ride, trail run or a day on the slopes. And with Lake Tahoe\u2019s famously pure water, local breweries have a huge head start when it comes to delivering a well-crafted libation. Whatever is driving the trend, there\u2019s no denying that there\u2019s a region-wide thirst for locally made beer.<\/p>\n

In response to the area\u2019s growing craft beer scene, Truckee Tavern co-owner Ryan Dierks said, \u201cA couple more breweries, and Truckee becomes a destination for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His statement rings true with newcomers like Donner Creek Brewery, which former pharmacist Greg Speicher and his wife Wendy Lautner opened in summer 2020. They chose its off-the-beaten-trail location on the eastern side of Truckee near Donner Lake to be conveniently near bike and ski trails such as Coldstream Canyon. The brewpub\u2019s pico status\u2014smaller than a nano-brewery\u2014also sets it apart and means interested imbibers must seek them out to collect their goods.<\/p>\n

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Credit Donner Creek Brewing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cYou can only get our beer here, where it\u2019s made onsite in small quantities,\u201d said Speicher, of winter beers like easy-drinking English cask ale (an old-school draught ale with live yeast). \u201cWe put a premium on freshness so nothing\u2019s sitting around for long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Foraging for wild hops that grow like weeds in Truckee and collaborating with nearby Dark Horse Coffee Roasters for a whiskey-barrel-aged seasonal stout, Donner Creek belongs to a subset of hyper-local area brewers.<\/p>\n

Matt and Heidi Petyo also fit that mold. Founders of the year-old Good Wolf Brewing Company in Truckee, they take the art and science of the craft to extremes with beers inspired by foraging trips in the Tahoe National Forest. Tips from two types of pine trees wind up in their Needle & Resin black lager, and a local mycologist gathers wild mushrooms for their Dirt Candy ale.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife and I were hiking when yarrow was in full bloom. As a breeze blew its aroma, we thought how
\ncan we use these ingredients all around us to capture this moment and place in a beer?\u201d said Matt, of their Eureka moment that resulted in Diving Bell honey lager with yarrow. \u201cWe\u2019ve always loved farmhouse beer, but it doesn\u2019t make sense to brew it because we\u2019re not on farm. We are in the middle of a forest though.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple is forever challenging themselves. After resurrecting the lost, 19th-century recipe for California\u2019s first lager\u2014christened Boca Ghost as an homage to original maker Boca Brewing Company\u2014they\u2019re releasing an ap\u00e9ritif-style beer for the holidays. Cleverly named Saturnalia for the winter pagan festival, the boozy beer\u2019s ABV of 20 percent is ideal for cozy nights by the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an insanely strong beer like a fortified barley wine ale or barley port ale,\u201d said Matt.<\/p>\n

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Fifty Fifty- Courtesy Fifty Fifty Brewing Co<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s just one of the many limited-edition releases to collect competitively around the holidays.<\/p>\n

Truckee\u2019s FiftyFifty Brewing\u2019s Eclipse, a series of barrel-aged variations on its Totality imperial stout, sells out according to cofounder Alicia Barr. New flavor layers are mezcal and peanut butter coconut. \u201cPeanut butter coconut is super limited, but we always hold some for the pub so people can come in and taste,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

South Lake Tahoe\u2019s Cold Water Brewery & Grill also celebrates the season with homey scents like its Tahoe Dirty Blonde\u2019s juniper berry and mountain sage and El Ni\u00f1o Mexican chocolate stout\u2019s whiskey, cocoa nibs, nutmeg and orange peel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started with five core flavors six years ago and am now up to 14 of my own handles on tap,\u201d said owner Debbie Brown, who doubled production by installing outdoor tanks, a pricey anomaly around Tahoe. \u201cWe outgrew our facility, so I literally had to think outside the box<\/p>\n

Quick to pivot with COVID, Brown created a magical outdoor dining area warmed for winter by fire pits and comfort food like new short rib and curry dishes. She encourages diners to dress accordingly in Uggs and beanies and to bring blankets. If they show up empty-handed, there are throws for sale.<\/p>\n

Alibi Ale Works is going all-in with elaborate beer gardens for its Public Houses in Truckee and Incline Village. The latter, which opened last year, has already become known for its natural amphitheater, a tiered, boulder-filled backyard. Truckee\u2019s location installed a beer garden for covid and launched a GoFundMe campaign to reinforce the temporary structure for winter according to general manager Rylan Cordova. It\u2019s a must beyond drinking and dining.<\/p>\n

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Courtesy Alibi Ale Works. Credit Jeff Freeman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been coined the Truckee convention center because we\u2019re so event-driven,\u201d he said, minding safety protocols with scaled-down, socially distanced live music performances and trivia nights.<\/p>\n

Each venue including Alibi\u2019s Brewery and Barrel House in Incline Village has its own identity. Helmed by executive chef Aaron Zendner, Incline\u2019s Public House offers a more expansive menu that pushes the envelope with non-traditional fare. He recommends the elk burger, but you can also find tuna crudo and a beet salad. The Brewery and Barrel House\u2019s original barrel room was remodeled and transformed into a private event space; its 2020 grand opening and bookings have been postponed for safer times.<\/p>\n

Alibi\u2019s beer variety is impressive for an operation that turns six in December. Along with flagships, beloved seasonal brews from porters to a cranberry and tangerine sour affectionately dubbed Mr. Tartacular\u2019s Awkward Family Dinner return. But beer geeks will probably want to
\ntry Contradiction, a golden mocha \u201cstout.\u201d Its color mimics a pale ale, while it tastes like a stout or iced coffee (hence, the quote marks). \u201cIt\u2019s definitely unique,\u201d said Cordova.<\/p>\n

Sierra Craft Beer Guide:\u00a0 Take a virtual tour of these regional breweries online. Many offer curbside pickup and shipping.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Truckee:<\/h4>\n