>> WELCOME TO "NORTH CAROLINA
WEEKEND."
I'M DEBORAH HOLT NOEL.
ONE OF THE TOP CRAFT BEER
BREWERS IN THE COUNTRY HAS
EXPANDED THEIR OPERATIONS FROM
CALIFORNIA TO THE MOUNTAINS OF
NORTH CAROLINA.
SIERRA NEVADA IS NOT ONLY MAKING
THOUSANDS OF BARRELS OF BEER IN
MILLS RIVER, BUT THEY'RE
INVITING FOLKS TO COME TOUR
THEIR COPPER-CLAD BREW HOUSE AND
TASTE A VARIETY OF THEIR UNIQUE
PRODUCTS.
STEPHANIE BOURLAND TAKES US TO
THIS BRAND-NEW BREWERY THIS HAS
EVEN MORE IDEAS ON TAP.
Z
>> THE COPPER-ENCASED OLD-WORLD
STYLED SIERRA NEVADA BREWERY HAS
A SOPHISTICATED GLOW ON HIS
PICTURESQUE SURROUNDINGS.
THE AMBER HUE GLIMMERS INSIDE
ITS WALLS AS WELL.
>> SO ALL THE BEER THAT COMES
FROM THE MILLS RIVER FACILITY IS
COMING OUT OF THIS ROOM RIGHT
HERE.
>> SCULPTURED KETTLES ARE AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PROCESS
THAT CONVERTS HIGHLY SELECTED
INGREDIENTS INTO FINELY CRAFTED
BEER.
>> THIS IS CALLED THE MASH TUN.
THE MASH TUN IS WHERE WE ARE
GOING TO PUMP ALL THAT MILLED
MALTED BARLEY, AND WE ARE GOING
TO ADD HOT WATER.
SO THINK OATMEAL IN YOUR HEAD AS
FAR AS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
>> AN IN-DEPTH TOUR GIVES SIERRA
NEVADA GUESTS A CLOSE-UP LOOK AT
THE PRODUCTION OF THIS POPULAR
BREW AS WELL AS INSIGHT INTO THE
INTRIGUING HISTORY OF THIS
FAMILY-RUN COMPANY.
>> PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO BREWERY
TOURS.
I MEAN, IT'S ONE OF THOSE
THINGS.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU GO AND TOUR,
LIKE, A DOG FOOD FACTORY, YOU
KNOW.
THERE'S SOMETHING -- THERE'S
SOMETHING ROMANTIC ABOUT BEER.
BEER IS LIKE MAGIC, YOU KNOW.
IT'S LIKE COMBINING ALL OF THESE
ELEMENTS.
IT'S PART ART.
IT'S PART SCIENCE.
IT'S PART ENGINEERING.
AND IT ALL COMES TOGETHER INTO
SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW AND LOVE
AT THE END.
>> THE KEY INGREDIENTS THAT
CREATE SIERRA NEVADA'S GOLDEN
ELIXIR HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE KEN
GROSSMAN STARTED BREWING IN
CHICO, CALIFORNIA, IN 1980.
MALTED BARLEY, YEAST, WATER, AND
HOPS.
>> SO RUB THESE HOPS IN YOUR
HANDS.
>> JUSTIN PALMERLEE FROM NEWPORT
NEWS, VIRGINIA, IS A SIERRA
NEVADA CONNOISSEUR.
>> BASICALLY, WHAT YOU'RE DOING
IS RELEASING THE AROMATIC
QUALITIES THAT THIS HOP WOULD
IMPART ON THE BEER.
>> ORIGINALLY FROM CALIFORNIA,
JUSTIN GREW UP NEAR THE CHICO
BREWERY, AND HE'S IMPRESSED WITH
SIERRA NEVADA'S NEW NORTH
CAROLINA SITE.
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S NEAT JUST
TO SEE THE FACILITY.
I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUSLY
BEAUTIFUL.
YOU CAN'T -- YOU'RE GONNA --
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME
WITH JUST THE SITE.
BUT THEN YOU'RE GONNA BECOME A
BEER LOVER BECAUSE IT'S SIERRA
NEVADA, AND YOU CAN'T GO WRONG
WITH IT.
IT'S THE BEST BEER IN THE
COUNTRY.
>> THE TASTING ROOM IS THE LAST
STOP ON THIS FREE TOUR.
THIS IS WHERE VISITORS HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TRY EIGHT
VARIETIES OF BEER FROM PALE ALES
TO DARK, RICH STOUTS.
INCREASED DEMAND FOR THEIR
PRODUCT AND THEIR ECOLOGICAL
ETHICS WERE THE IMPETUS FOR
SIERRA NEVADA'S EXPANSION FROM
CALIFORNIA TO THE EAST COAST.
>> SHIPPING BEER CROSS-COUNTRY
DOESN'T SPEAK TO OUR
ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE.
BEER IS HEAVY.
GETTING BEER ACROSS THE ROCKIES,
GETTING IT TO ALL 50 STATES,
REQUIRES A LOT OF FOSSIL FUELS.
>> THAT COMMITMENT CONTINUED IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
FACILITY.
IN ADDITION TO SOLAR PANELS AND
WATER CONSERVATION THROUGH
ON-SITE WELLS, TREES THAT WERE
CUT DOWN TO MAKE WAY FOR THE
BREWERY WERE HARVESTED AND ARE
NOW PART OF THE BUILDING'S
AESTHETIC APPEAL.
THE BREWERY IS ALSO A
STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY WHICH
CAN CURRENTLY MAKE ABOUT 350,000
BARRELS OF BEER A YEAR AND WILL
ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO RAMP UP TO
850,000 ANNUALLY.
BUT THIS BREWERY IS ALSO
DESIGNED TO BE A DESTINATION
SPOT.
>> RIGHT NOW WE'RE BUILDING A
44,000-SQUARE-FOOT PUB,
RESTAURANT, BREWERY.
IT'S GOT A JAZZ CLUB UPSTAIRS.
IT'S GOT A -- ABOUT A HUNDRED
TABLE RESTAURANT DOWNSTAIRS,
WHICH WILL DO ABOUT 1400 PLATES
A DAY.
>> WITHIN THEIR 215-ACRE
PROPERTY, THERE WILL BE A 600-
TO 800-SEAT AMPHITHEATER AS WELL
AS BIKING AND HIKING TRAILS.
>> WE ALSO HAVE JUST SHY OF A
MILE OF RIVERFRONT PROPERTY ON
THE FRENCH BROAD, AND SO WE HAVE
PLANS FOR A LITTLE EDDY-OUT
SECTION WHERE IF YOU'VE BEEN
RAFTING DOWN, YOU CAN COME, PULL
OUT, PONY UP TO A BAR IN YOUR
SOAKING WET BATHING SUIT, AND
WE'LL POUR YOU A PINT.
>> IN THE MEANTIME, FOLKS CAN
PURCHASE RARE AND HIGHLY SOUGHT
AFTER VARIETIES OF SIERRA NEVADA
BEERS AS WELL AS THEIR FAVORITE
FLAVORS AT THEIR GIFT SHOP.
IN MILLS RIVER, I'M STEPHANIE
BOURLAND FOR "NORTH CAROLINA
WEEKEND."
