News

Sierra Nevada's Taproom and Restaurant opens next week

The Taproom at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. opens March 10.

By Bill Moss, Published: March 2, 2015

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will open the Taproom and Restaurant at its brewery in Mills River next week.

A showpiece for the brewery, the Taproom and Restaurant seats nearly 400 visitors and features 23 beer taps and a creative chef-driven menu designed both to incorporate and complement great craft beer. Sierra Nevada's experimental 20-barrel pilot brewhouse is the centerpiece of the Taproom and Restaurant. Set just a few yards away from the dining room, the brewhouse will supply limited rotating draughts exclusive to the restaurant, and a real-time draught menu will be on the brewery website. Guests will be able to watch the beer-making process in action from seats at the bar or as they pass through the brewery on their way into the dining room.

Opening on Tuesday, March 10, the Taproom and Restaurant menu will focus on farm-to-table, small plate and sharable food sourced from conscientious suppliers. It will include whole-animal cooking and ingredients from local farms and markets with a focus on top-quality produce and proteins. Sierra Nevada beer will be a staple ingredient in the food, and the staff will suggest unique and inventive pairings to complete the dining experience.
"Western North Carolina, and specifically the Asheville area, has a reputation for great beer and love of good food," said Brian Grossman, second-generation brewer and co-manager of the Mills River brewery. "The Taproom will be our place to showcase the quality and flavors of what we do here at Sierra Nevada. Beer and food have always been a great match and we want to create new ways to combine the two and elevate what's considered beer-friendly food."

The brewing company will help break in the Taproom and dining area when more than 50 breweries from across the country will gather at Sierra Nevada on Saturday, March 28, to pour a selection of their heartiest beers.
Highlighting barleywine, stout or imperial stout, barrel-aged beer or spiced beer, the inaugural Burly Beers and Barleywines Festival celebrates the bold, malt-forward beers common in the cooler months. The festival is a partnership of Sierra Nevada and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild.
Featured breweries include Allagash Brewing Company (Maine), Epic Brewing Company (Utah), Dogfish Head Brewery (Delaware), Flying Dog Brewery (Maryland), and Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery of Farmville in Eastern North Carolina.
A festival ticket includes a commemorative tasting glass, unlimited tasting pours, live music and a Southern-style feast provided by the soon-to-open Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant. Ticket proceeds benefit the NCCBG, a not-for- profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the craft breweries of North Carolina and to promote North Carolina craft beer.
The event is from noon to 4 p.m. Tickets are $65 general admission ($30 for designated driver) and can be purchased at www.SierraNevada.com/BurlyBeers.