Take an armchair visit to a unique brewery, pub or other intoxicating venue that has a story you’ll love.
Sierra Nevada North Carolina:
Today’s armchair visit takes us to one of the brewing locations of an icon of the U.S. craft beer industry – Ken Grossman. Ken Grossman is the co-founder and owner of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Ken Grossman talking to brewery visitor.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was founded in late 1979 in Chico, CA. Along with Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco and the now-defunct New Albion Brewing Company in Sonoma, Sierra Nevada is considered one of the earliest and most influential breweries which spawned the craft beer movement of the 1980s-90s.
First released in 1980, their Sierra Nevada Pale Ale featured Cascade hops that provide intense aromas of citrus and pine and helped spark Americans interest in craft beer. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale changed tastes, made hops famous, and helped bring an industry back from extinction in the U.S. To this day, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an extremely popular craft beer.
As Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has grown, so has their vision for creating the best possible experience for their customers while also leading the beer industry in environmental responsibility. And Sierra Nevada’s North Carolina operations is a showcase for sustainable-based artisan craft brewing operations and for creating a wonderful customer experience.
Located in Mills River, North Carolina , Sierra Nevada opened its east coast brewery operations in the fall of 2014. Their Taproom and Restaurant opened in March 2015. The Mills River site is about 18 miles from downtown Asheville and near the Asheville Airport. Sierra Nevada’s North Carolina operations allow for the quick shipment of brewery-fresh beer to consumers in the east.
Sierra Nevada North Carolina
Here are three key reasons why you should visit Sierra Nevada’s North Carolina site:
A Grand Setting
About 200 acres of beautiful rolling hills, majestic trees, and numerous creeks showcase the Sierra Nevada Mills River Estate. The creeks flow into the nearby French Broad River. As you drive up the specially engineered, winding, half mile entry road named Sierra Nevada Way you’ll feel like the arriving guest at an exclusive Mountain Château.
Study in Sustainability
Local, state, and national groups have recognized Sierra Nevada for their leadership and commitment to environmental friendly operations. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” is a key and integral component of Sierra Nevada’s philosophy and business model.
Sierra Nevada uses the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for sustainable operations and is now LEED certified. As you self-tour the grounds, markers point out many of the design elements incorporated. If you want more than a self-tour, sign up for the Mills River Natural Resources tour that showcases Sierra Nevada’s sustainability practices and initiatives and LEED features.
A Variety of Quality Beers That Complement Fresh Local Food
North Carolina is known for its love of food and passion for quality craft beer. Sierra Nevada’s restaurant chefs focus on “small plate, sharable, whole animal and farm-to-table dishes sourced mainly from local suppliers”. The restaurant and small-scale pilot brewery (in the Taproom) uses fresh homegrown vegetables and herbs from the Mills River Estate Garden just behind the brewery. With 23 different flavorful beers on tap, the perfect beer accompaniment is readily available. Knowledgeable servers can help you select the best pairing.
You can also take your beer outdoors and enjoy the expansive “Back Porch” and Beer Garden. Once outdoors, you can stroll the grounds, play family friendly games, or just sit and relax. An Amphitheater supports regular concert events.
Overall, the Sierra Nevada North Carolina facility offers a grand space with attention to detail, fresh food, great beer, nature friendly design, and lots of family entertainment. I’m ready to go back today!
Sierra Nevada North Carolina
Don’t miss out on the behind the scenes brewery tour. You can take a brewery tour and learn the details of Sierra Nevada’s approach to creating world-class quality beers. The attention to detail that has gone into this brewery design is stunning. Whether you are a brewing novice or a Beer Geek, there is a tour for you. I was lucky enough to get a brewery tour from Founder and CEO Ken Grossman. What a great experience!