by MarC Tiar
Great Basin Brewery server Taylor Bruce stands in the brew area with brewer ryan Bauer.
RN&R’s
FAMILY guIde
on stAnds noV. 17
Feeling Icky
26
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RN&R
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11.10.16
Photo/ErIc Marks
sea voyage to India. Hops add bitterness to balance the sweetness from the malt, so IPAs have more hoppy bitterness. That story has largely been debunked, but the I really wish I had a beer in front of me name remains. Fast forward a century and right now. More accurately, I really wish a half, and the microbrew revolution is I felt like having a beer right now. Bad underway in America. The IPA style had timing, this head cold, the week I’m largely died out before being resurrected. supposed to dive into this new column. It Homebrewers were a driving force in bringdrains my life energy, dulls the senses of ing bigger, more flavorful beers into our taste and smell, so vital to enjoying beer. beer-drinking consciousness. Nonetheless, the show must go on, as they From that scene, Tom Young and Eric say. My passion cannot be quashed. McClary opened Great Basin Brewing Reno being the drinking city that it is, in Sparks in 1993. The bankers they and seeing as the local beer situation has approached for loans said a bitter beer like been humming with vitality in recent years, Icky wouldn’t sell. It wasn’t going to be a big beer geek like me couldn’t sit idly a regular offering, just part of a seasonal by and not find a soapbox for the gospel rotation. But when it became their first that is good beer. Our noble editor agreed beer to sell out, plans changed. The microthere was a place for a column offering brew market was booming but still very news, knowledge and a look at the locals much in its infancy. The beer festivals and who are producing, selling, and, of course, competitions had one basic IPA category. consuming beer, spirits and other libations. Fast forward again to 2016, and the A column is born. craft beer boom is in So when you’re full swing (again), both hip-deep in beer culture, in Reno and across the living in the Biggest nation. IPAs are the Little City, and think to most popular craft beer yourself “What is Reno 846 Victorian Ave., Sparks, 355-7711 style around, and reading beer?” there’s really just through the sub-styles For more information, visit www. one answer: Icky. Our sounds like a scene from greatbasinbrewingco.com. old friend, Ichthyosaur Forrest Gump—you’ve IPA, from Great Basin got your double IPAs, Brewing Company—even though the your session IPAs, West Coast IPAs, black original brewery is actually in Sparks. If IPAs, red IPAs, and so on. your beer drinking is limited to cans that So where does that leave our iconic come in 30-packs maybe you think Icky Icky, and what does that have to do with is too bitter. If you’re a beer snob, maybe my head cold? Icky is like the old man on you feel like you’ve moved on to more elite the porch, telling these kids to get off his brews. Truth is, after all these years, Icky is lawn. By the style guidelines used to judge still one rock solid beer. beers, it’s on the low end of IPAs, borderQuick beer/history lesson: IPA stands ing on pale ale. It’s old-school for sure. And for India Pale Ale. The story typically goes sometimes, that’s just what you want. You that in the days of British colonialism, don’t always need a triple-strength, wine brewers needed to add a bunch of extra barrel-aged, wild yeast beer with ancho hops, which have antiseptic properties, to chilies. Sometimes, the old classic is the help their regular pale ale survive the long best medicine. Ω
Great Basin Brewing Co.
