Sierra Nevada Brewmaster Meet and Greet - Binkley's

On Wednesday, October 12th, Binkley’s and Monarch Beverages brought Steve Dresler, Brewmaster of Sierra Nevada to town and tapped 8 Sierra Nevada beers. Life and Limb, Ovila Saison, Estate Homegrown Ale, Northern Hemisphere, Torpedo, Tumbler, Kellerweis, and Sierra Pale Ale.

We were only able to share 2 pints, but I wish we could have tried them all.


Life and Limb - This is the second edition of this beer and a collaboration between Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head. The beer has combined yeast strains from both breweries and maple syrup from a family farm of Sam Calagione. It results in a high alcohol, yet delightfully drinkable beverage worthy of seeking out. It is bready and chewy and has swirling flavors of dark fruit and raisin. The good news is that you can currently find this beer on liquor store shelves. It is definitely worth seeking out, and you may even still find it on tap at Binkley’s (if it is still there, it won’t last long).

Harvest - Matt recently highlighted wet hopped beers and this is an excellent one. It has a beautiful nose, of pine and citrus thanks to the cascade and centennial hops. This begs to be drank while it is young. It would do this beer a disservice to not enjoy the wonderful hop aromas. The lacing it leaves on the glass is abundant, like white foam waves. While the nose is strong, the bitterness is approachable, mild even. Among the hoppy goodness is a tinge of malt sweetness. You may find this one around town as well.


First, Mr. Dresler was a salt of the earth kinda guy. He was incredibly gracious and though we only got to spend a few minutes talking to him, we had a very enjoyable conversation. We chatted a bit about Estate and how it is made. All of the barley and hops that are used in the beer are organically grown on nine acres of the brewery’s property. Those nine acres yield enough to brew between 800 and 900 barrels. That sounds like a lot of beer, but when you distribute as many places as Sierra Nevada, those barrels go pretty quick.

Thanks to Mr. Dresler for dropping by at Binkley’s and down in Bloomington for the Big Red Beer Fest. Thanks also, to Monarch and Sierra Nevada Rep, Steve Thiel, for making it all happen. We also hope Mr. Dresler enjoys his stay and gets his luggage at some point!