Upstart indie-media beer lovers are excited about things on the horizon
By Emily Haerter
Some may know Chico for its beautiful hiking trails, others may know it for being a college town with a deep-rooted heritage. What a few may not know is that Chico is home to one of the founding fathers of pale ale and craft beers: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was started by Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi right here in Chico in 1980.
Their achievement came on a horseshoe pattern of history: Back in 1919, the 18th Amendment of the Constitution came about, throwing the United States headfirst into the Prohibition period. Manufacturing, selling, and transporting alcohol had become illegal, including by any brewers or wine-making hobbyists that participated at home. The law was a major failure, with legitimate alcohol companies supplanted by organized crime, bootlegging and speakeasies. Some companies went underground themselves just to stay afloat or protest the unpopular mandate.
In 1933, the 21st Amendment repealed Prohibition, allowing the manufacturing and consumption of alcohol to be legal again; however, homebrewing wasn’t included in the specific language. Because of this, it wasn’t until 1978, when Jimmy Carter signed HR1337, that homebrewing was legal in the U.S. again.
Grossman took a major risk by getting in the beer business shortly after homebrewing was reinstated. Many breweries were either going out of business or hanging on by a thread after Prohibition was lifted. However, he didn’t let worries of history repeating itself stop him. And Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was a major success, not only because it crafted some of the smoothest pale ale anywhere in the Chico area, but also because of Grossman’s genuine love for beer and his passion for community culture.
Chico’s beer scene still exudes warm and friendly values. Many believe that the best way to share a craft brew is sitting out on the back patio, cracking open a cold one to share with their friends and family.
Nick Woodard and Kyle Lucas are such believers. They’re the creators of the “Sunday Sips” podcast produced in Chico and widely known for their brand “Tails, Ales, and Trails.”
Woodard and Lucas are convinced the main thing setting Chico’s beer scene apart from other cities is the rich history that many breweries and beer-lovers offer to share with new-timers and old-timers alike. The two are small-town creators and influencers who have gained a following for their insights on beer and the outdoors scene. It’s passion and the right connections that have led to great interviews on their podcast, including with Ken Grossman. The pair cited Grossman and Sierra Nevada as their “North Star.” Whenever they go to a brewery, or try out a new craft beer, they refer back to Sierra Nevada’s iconic taste and texture as they gauge what they’re encountering.
“We’re a tiny podcast by most metrics, but we wanted to start making content surrounding craft beer,” Woodard recalls, adding that the goal of the project is to share reviews and positive, intriguing stories about the beer they love and the breweries that make it.
For Woodard, Chico is the ideal place to do that.
“The community is really welcoming, especially in this area,” he observes. “There’s a reason so many different breweries can survive at once.”
Lucas agrees that the city played a part in the success story of “Tails, Ales, and Trails.” While he never pictured starting out as two guys doing what they love, drinking beer and having conversations blowing up into something so good, Lucas is happy that it has.
Woodard and Lucas acknowledge they’re still in the process of building their following. Despite this, they’ve already had many doors blown open for them, with one of their best moments so far being the interview of their idol, Grossman.
“This isn’t a business that you get into to ‘get rich quick,’” Woodard mentions of storytelling. “Everyone who gets into it has a passion for it, and really wants to create something and share it with a collective who want to appreciate that thing. Because of that, I think there’s no shortage of great stories to tell, and I think there’s countless big opportunities to keep telling those stories.”
The vibe in Chico, specifically, has convinced Woodard and Lucas that there’s still “a world of opportunities” for their project, including highlighting Chico’s vibrant wildlife and scenic hiking trails. It’s common to see trees and landscapes on the bottles and cans of Chico IPAs and craft beers and Sierra Nevada’s labels have been catapulting that appreciation into the zeitgeist for years.
“It mirrors the care and the love for quality here in Chico,” Lucas reflects. “You have people especially like us who sometimes form their weekend around something that’s craft and local. It’s a commitment to the community as a whole.”
A key element of the small-town beer fraternity is brewers trying one another’s creations. Along these lines is Paradise Brew Werks, a humble beer operation in Chico with plans to open a second location soon in the town of its namesake.
Paradise is still in recovery from one of the worst fires in state history.
Jason Pieper and Jamie Duncan, co-founders of Paradise Brew Werks, want to be part of its restoration.
“Paradise was a place we had come to love, visiting regularly for a decade since 2010,” Pieper told CN&R in an email. “Our family lost everything in the Campfire. We came up in January of 2019, it was horrific. We then witnessed the most amazing recovery happening. We wanted to be part of it. We always thought a craft brewery would be incredible in Paradise.”
So far, Paradise Brew Werks is stressing its love of innovation as well as creative and collaborative IPAs. Its mission statement includes being “dedicated to the beauty of intention in craft beer design” and “brewing with purpose in a rebuilding community.”
As an up-and-coming brewery, Paradise Brew Works faces its share of roadblocks. Nonetheless, Pieper and Duncan are planning a soft opening event for their Chico location, which is already open, and then a grand opening for it later this summer. The Paradise location is still in the planning phase.
“The community here in Chico is vibrant, with local musicians and craft beer enthusiasts, and has been outstanding and positive toward us,” Pieper says.