By Hannah Truby
The Long Ride to Chico: How a Tinkerer Biked Into Brewing History
“Domestic beer was pretty pedestrian, pretty uneventful,” says Brian Grossman. “When my dad launched Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (SNBC) with the Pale Ale, 90 percent of people hated it because it was too bitter, too over the top.”
The second-generation brewmaster leans back at his desk in Mills River, North Carolina, reflecting on that legacy.
The SNBC Pale Ale—which turns 45 this November—has become a cornerstone of craft beer. Forty-five years ago, however, starting a brewing company meant major risk. But risk was in Ken Grossman’s blood.
Grossman says his father has always been a “tinkerer”— if he wasn’t home brewing or winemaking, Ken was taking apart anything mechanical just to see how it worked. He was also an avid cyclist. In the early ’70s, Ken even skipped his high school graduation to bike from his home in Woodland Hills, California, all the way north to Chico where he eventually settled and took a job at a local bike shop. Years later, when faced with buying the bike shop where he worked or starting a brewery, Ken chose the steeper climb.
“He knew he’d be more mentally fulfilled because breweries are dynamic—you can’t get bored,” Grossman says of his father.
Brian (left) and Ken (right) drink Sierra Nevada's Celebration IPA
Founded in Chico in 1980, Sierra Nevada became a pioneer in the industry, and a catalyst in the American craft-beer movement.
“The brewery was basically my fourth sibling,” he says. “My mom would take my sisters and me into town to see Dad. There are pictures of me getting pushed down the packaging line on a case box of beer. It was always a really fun experience.”
Having worked at the company since he was 15, Grossman became Chico’s general manager and now oversees operations in Mills River, carrying forward a legacy built on passion, risk, and family—now rooted in the Blue Ridge foothills as much as in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Trends Fade, Personality Endures
In a world of fleeting trends, the SNBC team prefers to dream up beers the way a novelist shapes characters—each with its own personality, quirks, and voice.
“Every beer we make has a personality,” Grossman says. “We sit down as a team and talk about what type of person this is. It’s not just the bitterness. It’s not just the alcohol. Really when you’re creating these things, you’re creating an identity.”
It’s one of the company’s philosophies that keeps SNBC nimble amid a near-constantly shifting public palate. And for Grossman, beer is not like other commodities—it ought to be grounded in the idea, the soul, behind it.
“I hate to use the word ‘trends,’ but there are these flavor inspirations that can move a whole industry,” Grossman says. “Look how quick seltzers came up—and how quickly they came down. But that’s the fun part—figuring out how to balance innovation with technology and efficiency.”
Roots in the Land
Grossman’s childhood was full of adventures that went beyond sliding down production lines. His family often enjoyed outdoor activities like camping, stream fishing, abalone diving, and hiking—the latter of which Grossman says isn’t so different from brewing: “It’s that yin and yang of those really great outdoor experiences: lots of planning, steady effort, and reward.”
Spending time in nature instilled a sense of responsibility in both Ken and Brian long before Sierra Nevada was founded. It’s an ethos Grossman continues to live by when it comes to sustainability and business practices.
“We brew the beers we like to drink with a strict eye toward the environment,” Grossman says. “Making beer requires natural resources. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. It’s our obligation to minimize the impact it takes to make beer the best we can, because we want to be enjoying these outdoor areas for generations to come.”
Brewing What You Preach
And it’s not just greenwashed business talk, either. Outfitting each location with a range of green tech and innovations, Sierra Nevada puts sustainability into practice.
Both breweries run largely on renewable energy, powered by the largest spread of solar panels in the craft beer world. (The 2.5-megawatt system cranks out enough juice to keep 380 homes lit for a year.)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Sustainability Map, Chico
The Chico brewery was the first to earn a TRUE Zero Waste designation from Green Business Certification, meaning 90 percent of its waste gets reused or kept out of landfills. Mills River wasn’t far behind. Just three years after opening, it not only claimed its own Zero Waste status but also became the first LEED Platinum-certified production brewery in the country and the first building on Earth to pull off both feats.
And every year, SNBC publishes its Hop Forward Impact Report—a public check-in on how its doing and where it’s headed. (You can explore SNBC’s interactive sustainability maps for a closer look at each site’s sustainability technologies.)
“I believe every company, in every industry, should have a clear understanding of their processes,” says Grossman. “When it comes to environmental or business sustainability, it’s not just one thing that makes or breaks you—it’s the thousand little things that add up over time. Starting your sustainability journey or focusing on operational efficiency will lessen your financial burden in the long run. Every decision needs to align with integrity, quality, and sustainability—those are the values we bounce everything off.”
Holding the Line on Craft
As Mountain Gazette readers will likely know, there’s a deep connection between beer and place, a business and the community around it, something Grossman has witnessed firsthand. While he runs the Mills River brewery, his sister still helms the original Chico location. In both places, he’s seen communities rally through tough times.
“We had a pretty biblical 2024 with the Park Fire in California and Hurricane Moline in North Carolina,” he says. “Both times, our teams and communities pulled together. I never once questioned that everyone who could help was helping. There’s a real sense of community and drive.”
Sierra Nevada’s brewery and taproom in Mills River, North Carolina closes in the midst of Hurricane Helene, Action News Now.
Today, Sierra Nevada beer is poured in all 50 states. That kind of scale could have flattened the brewery into a polished, corporate brand—but whether it’s a recipe, a business decision, or a conversation with a neighbor, SNBC refuses to trade substance for scale.
“There’s a saying in the beer world: There’s those who have to make beer and get to sell it, and those who get to make beer and have to sell it,” says Grossman. “And we’re definitely the latter.”
Corny though it may sound, it’s how the Grossmans have kept Sierra Nevada’s soul alive—by holding fast to authenticity and a belief in beer as an art form.
“My art comes in a glass. Yours is on a page,” he says. “We still have such a huge passion for our craft and our art. It takes time, energy, effort to put a piece of art together, and people need to believe in the quality you’re delivering. So, to me, it’s all about honesty. It's giving something the justice it deserves.”
And, Finally, The Best Beer Spot
Ask Brian where he’d drink his favorite beer; it's not necessarily a mountaintop or a beach. “It’s about who you’re with and the conversation you’re having,” he says with a grin. “My wife would kill me if I didn’t name her first as my drinking partner.”
Whether around a firepit, on a chairlift, or after a post-ride shower, every setting has its time.
Maybe keeping the soul isn’t about clinging to the past, chasing trends, or even about Pale Ale’s perfect hop bite. It’s about that perfect moment when beer, people, and place line up so perfectly that one plus one plus one equals ten.
And if that moment happens in the mountains? Well, that’s just good living.
