From hazy IPAs to barrel-aged beer and slow-brewed lagers, the South Shore is the perfect place to explore local craft beers.
There are more than a dozen local breweries creating craft beers in the Tahoe Sierra, and in this final installment of my series on local breweries, I’ll be highlighting those on the South Shore.
South of North Brewing, South Lake Brewing, Cold Water Brewing and Sidellis also collaborated over the summer to produce “Tahoe Together” West Coast IPA to raise money for the Tahoe Together Caldor Fire Relief, a fund for food and beverage workers impacted by the wildfire.
“This is a newer style of beer using a different brewing and fermentation process brewed in cold conditions for a few weeks.”
–Jenna Brown, South Lake Brewing Company
South Lake Brewing | Largest production brewery
Chris Smith, head brew master, and his wife Nicole opened South Lake Brewing Company in 2017 with a commitment to creating a community-based taproom and production brewery. They survived the pandemic and evacuation from the fires last summer to rise out of the ashes and continue to brew unique craft beers. The taproom offers 16 different beers at any given time. Food trucks offer food options on the weekend and make it easy to enjoy a meal while tasting beer.
“We brew all of our beer in-house and are South Lake Tahoe’s largest production craft brewery,” says Jenna Brown, marketing and merchandise manager.
Two of their flagship beers include the Marlette Sunrise Blood Orange Blonde brewed with honey, malt and blood-orange puree that provides a sweet fruity, clean and refreshing flavor and Fog Nozzle Hazy IPA, a New-England-style IPA.
“This is one of our most popular beers. Hazy IPAs are all the rage. People are all about hazy IPAs,” Brown says.
Fog Nozzle is full of fruity notes and is brewed with a variety of hops.
South Lake Brewing is now serving seasonal darker beers with a Barrett Brown on tap. Along with a couple of new cold-style beers like the Park Rat Cold Pale Ale and Steeze Cat Cold IPA.
“This is a newer style of beer using a different brewing and fermentation process brewed in cold conditions for a few weeks. So that’s some of the newer, exciting stuff we’ve been working on,” says Brown.
“I think just another thing about our taproom that makes us unique is we are really community-focused. We’re family-friendly, kid- and dog-friendly and a hub for the whole community,” she says.
In addition to their taps, they sell canned beers through several Tahoe and Bay Area region retailers. They also have a beer membership program and are open daily. Outdoor seating on chair lifts and beer flights offered on skis, adds to the enjoyment and love of beer at this brewery.
South of North Brewing | Brews for every palate
South of North Brewing keeps several hazy IPAs, barrel-aged sours and stouts, as well as regular stouts and porters, on tap. At any given time, there are 15 beers on tap. In addition to their brews, they pour several guest taps from local breweries to highlight some of the other microbreweries in the region.
“We want to make sure that we hit every kind of palate that’s out there in terms of beer style. I definitely think that our wide variety of beers really sets us apart from a lot of breweries in town,” says general manager Savannah Rudross.
“Our most popular beer is our First Light Blonde, which is light, easy drinking and aptly named after the first light of day. Our second most popular beer is our Motorcycle Mama IPA,” she says.
South of North Brewing also offers a selection of pub food to accompany the variety of beers on tap and is open nightly.
Cold Water Brewery | Hand-crafted all-grain brews
Cold Water Brewery & Grill crafts their distinct beers on site. Their seven-barrel brewhouse produces roughly 200 gallons of fresh-tasting beer per batch. They have 14 beers on tap and offer IPAs, pale ales, stouts, porters, Kolschs, lagers and ambers.
“We are a boutique-style brewery and have a full spectrum of beers. We honor and feature all types of beer,” says owner Debbie Brown.
The brewery and grill go beyond pub food and offer a full menu with a selection of seasonal California comfort food.
“We are a scratch kitchen. Everything is made from scratch. We offer beer and food pairings as well,” says Brown.
The family-friendly brewery and grill is open seven days a week with indoor and outdoor seating.
Sidellis Brewery | Microbrewery and restaurant
Owners Chris Sidell and his husband Ellwood Ellis take their home brewing to a new level with their small microbrewery along with brewer Steve Canali. They are a small microbrewery and offer five year-round brews, seasonal brews and several barrel-aged beers. Wine and cider are also on the menu.
Sidellis Lake Tahoe Brewery and Restaurant is open Wednesdays through Sundays. The taproom offers beers on tap with snacks and sandwiches with indoor and outdoor dining
Mountain Brews | Newsman turned brewer
Taylor Flynn is the owner of Mountain Brews and is also the publisher of “Tahoe Mountain News.” This newsman-turned-brewer is creating a unique niche on the South Shore.
When we spoke, Flynn and co-brewer Colleen Dulin were finishing a New England Pale Ale.
Dulin is a fan of dark beers and they have two darks on tap, a Brown Nut Ale and Oatmeal Stout. Some unique brews include an Apricot Blonde made with organic apricots and a Cranberry Sour made with organic cranberries.
“Our West Coast IPA is big in every way with a 9.5 percent ABV. It’s our flagship beer,” says Flynn.
The brewery is downstairs beneath “Tahoe Mountain News” offices and located in an industrial area.
“We are off the beaten track with really good beer,” says Flynn.
“We are also known for our cozy cabin-style environment with a roaring fire,” says Dulin. Mountain Brews is open Fridays and Saturdays.
Cold Water Brewing | (530) 544-4677, tahoecoldwaterbrewery.com
Mountain Brews | (530) 545-9338
Sidellis Brewery | (530) 600 3999, sidellis.com
South Lake Brewing | (530) 578-0087, southlakebeer.com
South of North Brewing | (530) 494-9805, southofnorthbeer.com
Plan your own brewery tour with our Sierra Sips map
