Beyond the Pale: The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. by Ken Grossman

Beyond the Pale: The Story of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
by Ken Grossman

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2013

Ken Grossman gives an entertaining and candid first-hand account of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s rise from an early craft beer pioneer to an industry leader. From the cobbled together first brewery with its uncooperative bottling line to Sierra Nevada’s decision to open a second brewery in North Carolina, Grossman discusses the ups and downs of owning a brewery and managing a business through times of great growth and industry change.

The book is full of anecdotes that illustrate the struggles and triumphs on Sierra Nevada’s road to success. My favorite has to be when Grossman drove to San Francisco to pick up Sierra Nevada’s first order of malt but the malt was so heavy that it weighed down Grossman’s pick-up truck to the point that driving back to Chico became an adventure in itself.

In addition to the history of Sierra Nevada, Grossman also provides unique insights into the early days of America’s craft brewing industry. I hope more early craft brewers write a memoir like this, in order to preserve the history of America’s craft brewing revolution through the words of the brewers themselves.