Beer Hero: Sierra Nevada's Steve Grossman

Sierra Nevada were one of the first US craft breweries, founded in 1979 by Ken Grosssman & Paul Camusi. We spoke to its beer ambassador Steve Grossman on a recent trip to the UK about his impression of the changing UK scene, the parallels with the US and Sierra Nevada's legacy

As the Beer Ambassador for Sierra Nevada, you've been  coming to the UK for a few years, how have you seen it change?

The number of breweries in the UK now is incredible, the growth has been so dynamic. When I first started coming here 10-12 years ago I think there were three breweries in London, what are there now? 80 something? 85? And 17-1800 in the UK overall. That's an amazing growth in a short period of time. Faster than ours really, we have 4,800 about right now in the United States.

One of the issues is quality. Did you go through that teething period in the US?

We've been through that and are still going through that, but there are some breweries making incredible beer and there's some breweries that need to make improvements in their beer, and that's in the States, it's in the UK, it's everywhere around the world.

So you see similar patterns in the UK as in the US?

Very similar patterns, someone mentioned today that eight years ago you were 15-20 years behind the US, now you are like a year and a half behind the US. You've really closed the gap, and I've seen a lot of the same patterns: so proliferation of breweries, all fighting for shelf space, fighting for tap handles, but a lot of excitement as well, which is really great.

What do you think are the challenges facing the industry?

A big stumbling block is that everyone making beer needs to have as their goal to make the best beer they possibly can, to learn from experts and don't be afraid to ask questions. The breweries that have been around for a while are very happy to share their knowledge, this is a fantastic industry in that, and very unique. Most members are willing to share their knowledge and to help out others coming along. We were helped when we first started, we did the same, and other breweries are certainly very willing to do that.

Sierra Nevada have gone through most of the issues first. You must be in a fairly unique position?

Yes, my brother Ken's dedication to quality from day one has been paramount in the success of the brewery. He's learnt a lot along the way and we continue to learn, it's an ongoing process.

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Buy these classic Sierra Nevada beers at Beer Hawk

Sierra Nevada / Hop Hunter IPA / 6.2%

This marvellous beer uses hops picked directly from the farm to offer a unique twist on the usual IPA. -----

Sierra Nevada / Pale Ale / 5.6%

The Sierra Nevada Pale ale is a classic and one that could be considered the benchmark of the American pale ale style. Hailing from another one of California’s great breweries, this beer has been a beer-drinkers favourite for decades. -----

Sierra Nevada / Torpedo / 7.2%