I thought it was about
time I wrote a little bit about the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co out of
Chico, California, USA. I've been drinking their beers for a long
while now. I think the Pale Ale was the first non British Pale Ale I
ever tried, definitely the first American or American styled one.
Taking it back to the
very beginning... I may have mentioned in older posts about the first
I saw or even tried the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. They journey of
discovery began when I started working at Waitrose. With my previous
experience working in pubs and in beers, wines & spirits sections
in shops I was immediately placed in the wine department. My managers
planned on increasing my knowledge of beer and wine and further my
learning eventually leading to me being trained as a wine specialist
and becoming the branches 'full time' wine specialist. There was a wine
specialist already but she only worked part time, I would fill in
the gaps when she wasn't present.
I already had a keen
interest in beer and what I would consider to be at the time vast
knowledge of beer and it's production. I'd chosen to do brewing as a
scientific study as part of my Biology course. This meant lots of
research and brewery visits giving me quite extensive knowledge of
the beer making process.
I am and have always
been into experimenting with different things be it food, wine, beer
or other kinds of substances so planned to eventually work my way
through the entire beer assortment that my branch of Waitrose had.
I'd tried most of the ales and a fair amount of the 'fancy
continental lagers' before. It didn't take me long and I was soon
through the lot and had made my mind up on which ones I loved, liked
or barely tolerated, just enough to finish as I don't like wasting
beer especially if I've paid for it myself.
There were a few that
really stood out but one in particular left a permanent mark on me
and probably has contributed in changing my opinion and tastes
towards certain kinds of beers. It was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It was
the first time I'd set eyes on such a beer, it felt curiously foreign
more so than beers from Germany or the Czech Republic. When I popped
off the lid, poured it slowly into my glass to avoid disturbing too
much of the sediment then finally brought it to my mouth and tried
it, I immediately fell in love with it. So much so that I started
drinking it on a regular basis and used the fact that I could get a
discount on beer to my advantage and would take home several bottles
of it a week.
It wasn't until a few
months after the opening of Kings Place in Kings Cross, London that I
saw the beer on tap in the waterside bar. I went to a show and was a early so thought I'd
take in my surroundings and have a pint overlooking the Regent's
Canal. Of course I bought a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I can
vaguely remember it costing over £4 which at the time was an almost
inconceivable amount for a pint of beer.
I'd had it in the
bottle many times before so knew what kind of beer it was, how it
should taste, look and smell. It exceeded my expectations on all
levels, apart from value for money of course. I tried to savour it,
making the most of its wonderful intensity and complexity and its
near perfect balance. I would say length but I didn't get a chance to
appreciate its long remaining flavour as I quickly ordered another
and could still taste it past half way in the show. I was at a
documentary about various classical conductors and their
interpretations of Beethoven's Symphony #9, one of if not the best
piece of classical music of all time. In my opinion.
I would have quite
easily had another pint after the show if it wasn't for the fact that
I was beginning to look a bit like a narcoleptic.
link to the breweries website
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