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    Brewer

    Ken Grossman

    Discipline
    Brewer
    Portrait of Ken Grossman

    Portrait of Ken Grossman

    i. Biography

    Beer with a defined house character depends on repeatable process, raw-material choices, and the ability to make distinction legible in the glass. Ken Grossman’s work at Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is positioned in that lane: beers built for identifiable character that drew a dedicated niche of beer enthusiasts. “ninety percent of people hated it. But the people who loved it, loved it.” Ken has said.

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    Coming Up

    Homebrewing supplied the practical brewing base before the company scale arrived. Ken Grossman studied at Butte College and California State University, Chico, began as a homebrewer in 1969, opened The Home Brew Shop in 1976, and co-founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in 1978. The progression kept brewing knowledge close to materials, equipment, and process before it moved into commercial production.

    The Current Work

    Continuity in a brewery of this kind is a production question as much as a management one: keeping quality, creativity, and operating discipline aligned as the company changes scale. Ken Grossman serves as Interim CEO of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the Chico, California brewery he co-founded, and remains tied to the company’s current direction within craft beer.

    Signature

    Signature beers include Pale Ale.

    Credentials

    Industry and business recognition includes the Outstanding Entrepreneur Award (2004).

    ii

    FAQ

    Asked of Ken

    • Where did Ken Grossman train or study?

      Ken Grossman trained at Butte College and California State University, Chico.

    • What recognition has Ken Grossman received?

      Outstanding Entrepreneur Award (2004).

    The Sunday email

    Get new Made By stories every Sunday.

    Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.

    See a sample of the Sunday email

    Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.