South Lake Tahoe straddles the California and Nevada state line.  The California side offers hiking and bike trails, swimming and boating, skiing, climbing, and tons of other activities. The Nevada side offers all of the same plus casinos for gambling.

There are also 3 breweries in the immediate Lake Tahoe area. The Brewery at Lake Tahoe and Stateline Brewery & Restaurant are located in South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company’s Brewpub is located in Tahoe City. [Tahoe Mountain Brewing will be covered in my next article. Breweries in Truckee and surrounding areas will be covered in the article after Tahoe Mountain.]

My first stop was The Brewery at Lake Tahoe.  Established in 1992, The Brewery is Tahoe’s original brewpub.

I ordered a sample flight of 6 of their beers for tasting – White-Out Wit, Washoe Wheat Ale, Needle Peak Pale Ale, Alpine Amber, Sinbad and the 7 C’s, and Paramount Porter.

When I picked up my glass of White-Out Wit, I was disappointed to discover that my glass was not ” beer clean”. “Beer clean” means a glass that has been washed clean of all trace residue.

Beer is the actually the standard for restaurant glass cleanliness because it is actually one of the most delicate beverages on a typical menu. Beer’s flavor compositions, carbonation, and foamy head can all highlight flaws in an improperly cleaned glass. Residue left behind by soap and food, even if they are invisible to the naked eye, will be highlighted from the sides of the glass by the beer’s carbonation – resulting in bubbles that cling to the side of the glass. The chemicals can kill the beer’s head as well as add unwelcome flavors to the beer.

Since the glassware was not “beer clean”, I’m not going to review any of the beers I tasted. Instead, I’ll just provide a pretty picture of Lake Tahoe as I transition to my next brewery visit.

Located on the California side of the CA-NV state line, Stateline Brewery & Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day and features a rotating selection of ales and lagers made by the brewery as well as guest beers from other breweries. The brewery and bar are located downstairs. There is a bit of a Sports Bar atmosphere.

I sampled 7 beers – 4 brewed by Stateline and 3 brewed by guest breweries.

My tasting notes follow.

Stateline Beers

Stateline White-Out Wit (5% ABV / 25 IBU): This wheat beer is brewed with Belgian and German wheat malt, orange peel and coriander. White-Out Wit pours a hazy gold color with white foam. The beer has a wheat malt and orange peel aroma. White-Out Wit is light-bodied with mild carbonation. The beer has a nice concentration of wheat malt, orange peel, and coriander flavors. This beer is pretty good for the style and one you should enjoy on a hot summer day.

– Serve this beer in a pilsner or pint glass at 45 – 50 degrees F and pair it with peppery cheeses, salads, poultry, or seafood.

Stateline Avalanche Pale Ale (5.7% ABV / 22 IBU): This beer pours a copper gold color with thick white foam in my glass. Avalanche has a toasted malt and hop floral aroma. The beer is light-bodied with mild carbonation. Avalanche has a toasted malt flavor with very mild hop floral and citrus in the background. I thought this was a decent and solid session pale ale, but it didn’t make me crave another glass.

– Serve this beer in a pint glass at 40 – 45 degrees F and pair it with earthy, nutty cheeses, chicken, or Asian cuisine.

Stateline Octoberfest (6.2% ABV): This beer pours a clear copper gold color with white foam. Octoberfest had a hay/straw aroma. The beer is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. Octoberfest tastes of hay/straw and malt. To be honest, I was mostly underwhelmed by this beer.

Stateline Alpine Glow Amber (6.2% ABV): This beer pours a clear amber color with tan foam. Alpine Glow has a toasted malt aroma. The beer is medium-bodied with mild carbonation. Alpine Glow tastes of toasted malt with a hint of caramel. The finish includes a complementary hops bitterness. This beer provides some solid malty fun.

– Serve this beer in a pint glass at 45 – 50 degrees F and pair it with some roast beef.

Stateline Guest Beers

21st Amendment Brewery Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (4.9% ABV / 17 IBU): This beer has a hazy gold color with white foam. A wheat and watermelon atom prevails. Hell or High Watermelon is light-bodied with mild carbonation. This summer thirst quencher offers wheat grain and watermelon flavors. Pretty good but I’m not going to be seeking this beer out in the future.

Mammoth Brewing Double Nut Brown Ale (5.5% ABV / 25 IBU): Easily my favorite beer of this visit, this World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner pours a dark brown color (almost black) with brown foam.  On the nose Double Nut Brown aromas include toasted malt, nuts, coffee, and dark chocolate. The beer is light to medium-bodied with creamy, mild carbonation. Flavors of coffee, dark chocolate and sweet toasted malt engulf the tongue. There is a roasted, dry finish. I was tempted to lick the glass clean.

– Serve this beer in a pint glass at 45 – 50 degrees F and pair it with grilled steak.

Ninkasi Brewing Oatis Oatmeal Stout (7.2% ABV / 50 IBU): Pours a deep black color with brown foam. I didn’t get much aroma except for a hint of coffee. Oatis is full-bodied with mild carbonation. The beer offers strong flavors of coffee with some dark chocolate and toasted nuts. There is a dry bitter finish. This beer is pretty good, but I’d opt for Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout if I had a choice.

 – Serve this beer in a pint glass at 50 – 55 degrees F and pair it with dark chocolate.

South Lake Tahoe is beautiful and fun but I’m hoping to see improvements in the local brewery arena. However, I wouldn’t cross into Nevada and bet on this happening any time soon.