Like giddy kids in a candy store, Team Grid recently headed to Sierra Nevada Brewery to take a tour, ask some questions, and observe the art of crafting amazing brew.

When you drive by the brewery, you can fail to take in the immense stature of both the facility, and the brand behind the storefront.  This company has grown from a minuscule science project to one of the nations premier craft breweries; and it’s safe to say that the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has put Chico on the map.  This impressive claim is supported by an equally impressive plant, which produces well over 675,000 barrels of beer per year.  Founder Ken Grossman and Communications Coordinator Bill Manley were kind enough to take some time out of their day and spend it with us, to share insight into daily operations, and the culture behind the name.

Our day started at the brewery offices, and upon entering we were immediately impressed by the friendly staff, and the amazing interior.  The entire brewery is one of the cleanest and nicest establishments we had ever seen, and the multitudes of awards scattered throughout only confirm Sierra Nevada’s commitment to excellence.

After a few introductions we jumped at the chance to talk to Ken, and he kindly postponed his morning activities.  Upon further discussion we were intrigued to find that Ken had started the company based off of his early endeavors with The Home Brew Shop (still in operation in Chico today!).  It truly was inspiring to hear the story of a Chico native following his dreams and chasing them to fruition.

After we said our goodbyes and Ken left to make moves, we hung out with Bill who took us on a tour and shared all that he knew about brews and technique.  We saw the boilers and the storage tanks, the fuel cells and the solar panels, the bottling and kegging rooms, and slowly but surely got the ‘crash course’ on all things brew.  Of course you can imagine how much is really entailed in producing one of the nations most popular pale ales, (as well as numerous other styles), bottling it, packaging it, labeling it, shipping it, pricing it, testing it, etc. etc. etc.  After Bill gave the full tour and saw that our heads were spinning from the amount of effort it takes to create such masterpieces, we simply just sat and watched the well oiled machine that is Sierra Nevada work its magic.

The place is unreal.  The people fantastic.  And the product, well, superb.  From the brightly colored and recognizable pale ale bottles to the trademark hops and the dedicated process, the experience was amazing, and a big thanks goes out from Team Grid, and all of Chico, to Ken and the company for doing what they do so well, and giving back so much.

For more information, do visit:
http://www.sierranevada.com
http://www.sierranevada.com/bigroom/
http://www.sierranevadagiftshop.com/

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