by MaRc TiaR
Virginia Street Antique Mall & Vintage Clothing
STOREWIDE SPRING SALE SAVINGS UP TO
30% OFF March 17th, 18th & 19th
A VARIETY OF OUTDOOR/GARDEN ITEMS PLUS VINTAGE CLOTHING, JEWELRY, BOOKS, FURNITURE & LIGHTING FROM NEVADA’S OLDEST ANTIQUE MALL OPEN DAILY 10:00AM - 6:00PM (BEGINNING MARCH 12)
1251 S. Virginia St • Reno • 775-324-4141 www.facebook.com/vsamreno
Bartender Jennifer Schaeffer pours a house brewed iPa.
Pioneer beer
Photo/Eric Marks
the years—the barrel-aged imperial stout, the raspberry wheatwine, and the Sweet Mama Pumpkin Ale, among others. There’s still always something seasonal and differThere are just a few breweries in our ent. There’s no reason to complain about area that I tend to lump together as the old a solid roster of well-made beers, made guard, the founding fathers of the local with consistent and familiar results. One of microbrew movement, those pioneers who the best-kept beer secrets in town is their took some risks, crafting full-flavored, monthly $5-$7 growler fills on the day of bold beers when this was mainly a the full moon. The beer world has evolved BudMillerCoors town. One of those early in dramatic and remarkable ways in the last pioneers still going strong after 18 years is decade, but Silver Peak remains steadfast, Silver Peak Restaurant and Brewery. and successfully so. They expanded with It’s funny, I think of Silver Peak as their River Peak location downtown over a place that has been there forever. 1999 a decade ago, and again in opening their— seems far too recent for them to have now closed—pizza place across from the opened for business. And maybe because baseball field downtown. of that relative lack of local breweries Sure, a beer geek like me would love that existed at the time, I still think of it to see Silver Peak rolling out crazy new primarily as a brewery. But as the full name IPAs, tart saisons and other popular, reminds me, it is Silver Peak Restaurant trending beers, but that’s not and Brewery—“restaurant” what they’re about. I should be first, and a brewery as well. the last one to complain. I’ve The brewpub business often praised their near-perfect model was booming in the combination of virtually 1990s, and the pairing of a everything I look for in restaurestaurant with house beers rants: good food at fair prices, is a good one. There’s little central location, good beer, 124 Wonder St., 324-1864 concern for shelf space, For more information, kid-friendliness and decent market trends, or staff and visit silverpeakbrewery.com. service. For the whole package, resources when you’re just a summer meal on the rooftop brewing for the house, not deck is one of my family’s top picks. concerned about packaging and production Nonetheless, this is the Drink column, quantities to satisfy other taps and store so back to beverages. With the utmost shelves. A formulaic lineup of beers could respect and recognition of their place in be expected—something hoppy, a blonde, a Reno’s beer culture, I realized my epiphany stout or porter for dark beer fans, an amber, today—Silver Peak is a restaurant that and the occasional seasonal brew to keep makes their own beer. And they make good things interesting. This model and a reliable beer! And like any decent restaurant, they lineup has served Silver Peak well over the have wine, and cocktails, and iced tea and years: the same Red Roadster I (probably) soft drinks. They aren’t a brewery that also ordered on the first date with my wife, the serves food. The brewery with artisanal porter, the wheat beer and the blonde ale, small plates or a regular rotation of food cheekily named with a nod to the nearby trucks outside is so 2000s. When you want adult theater. a consistent, agreeable selection of brewpub Don’t get me wrong—I can vividly classics, look to the Peak. Ω recall truly great beers at Silver Peak over
Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery
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RN&R
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03.02.17
