The Best Brewery Hops in Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is a little slice of paradise on the California-Nevada border. It’s the largest lake outside of the Great Lakes in America– but we happen to think Tahoe is a pretty great lake itself. It has everything you may want in a getaway. Fresh air? Check. Outdoor summer activities like hiking, swimming, and boating? Check. Outdoor winter activities like skiing and snowboarding? Check. Bears trying to break into trash cans and dumpsters? Check and check. But where can one find the craft beer required for any vacation worth taking?

We’re recommending one brewery hop per region in the greater Lake Tahoe area. Please note that much of the pleasure of Lake Tahoe involves driving, so instead of restricting you to hops that are immensely walkable, we’ve opened it up to biking/driving short distances in order to give you the best beer experience possible. You’re welcome.

TRUCKEE:

FiftyFifty Brewing –> Alibi Ale Works

Truckee is roughly a twenty-minute drive from the northwest side of the lake, but if you want the best beer in the region, you’ll make the trek. (It’s also a lovely small town to explore.) Start at FiftyFifty Brewing, which maintains the rare distinction of being one of the top fifty breweries in the United States according to Untappd. The reason for that high ranking? They are masters of the barrel-aged stout: the Eclipse and its assorted variants should be considered absolute musts for any stout lover in this world. The rest of the beers are rather good themselves– the Landslide DIPA was a hit at our table– and the facility itself is a lovely and spacious brewpub, with the perfect patio to enjoy the crisp Tahoe air. They also have an extensive menu, so grab a burger and prevent your stomach from getting overly filled with high-gravity barrel-aged beer. Our recommendations: they have a flight of three Eclipse variants you can try, so go straight for that. We had a tequila barrel-aged Eclipse, an apple-brandy barrel-aged Eclipse, and a vanilla-infused Eclipse. Even in the summer, this is a blissful combo, but if you’re visiting Tahoe in the winter? The Eclipse would be the perfect warmer before returning to the slopes.

Travel a little over a mile up Old Brockway Road and head to Alibi Ale Works to close out your journey. They may not have the Untappd rating of FiftyFifty or a single beer as renowned as the FiftyFifty stouts, but they are far too tasty a brewery to ever be (incoming pun alert) eclipsed by their neighbor. Alibi boasts a twenty-deep tap list, with many of the beers among the best of their style in the area. Their facility is welcoming, complete with lengthy communal tables, loads of games, and frequent live music on the calendar. They also have some good pub snacks, including some tasty-looking nacho plates. Our recommendations: it’s hard to narrow down. The Mozacca IPA was our favorite IPA this side of the lake; the Brut Wagon IPA was one of the better Brut IPAs we’ve ever had; and the nitro Contradiction, a delectable golden coffee stout, may not be aged in apple brandy barrels, but it’s damn tasty on its own. However, if we had to only pick one thing to order, you know we love our sours, and Alibi’s barrel-aged sour options are the best in the region.

INCLINE VILLAGE:

Alibi Ale Works –> Brewforia

Alibi Ale Works‘s original brewery in Incline Village doesn’t have a kitchen or as lengthy a tap list, but everything else from the above comments carries over. Incline Village is one of the lovelier communities along Lake Tahoe (it’s not unlike a sweeping, luxurious country club), and it’s a joy to enjoy beer so tasty in such an upscale area. From Alibi, take the three-quarter mile stroll to the Brewforia Beer Market. Brewforia isn’t a brewery, but it’s a craft beer lover’s dream. They have an extensive tap list with highly-rated beers from near and far. They have friendly and informative bartenders who can help make recommendations that will suit your wants. They have a massive bottle shop section, filled with the best local options a person can buy (we took home several cans from nearby Nevada breweries). Last but not least, they have a full kitchen with both familiar pub fare classics and healthier salad and sandwich options. Our recommendations: if you can’t make it out to the Reno area, seek out some cans of Revision Brewing and Lead Dog Brewing— and if ordering food, always reach for the Big A** Pretzel.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE:

South Lake Brewing Company –> Cold Water Brewery and Grill –> Sidellis Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe is the “touristy” side of the lake, filled with huge casinos, chain restaurants, and out-of-towners galore. The pleasures of this area differ greatly from those on the north end of the lake, but no matter your preferred style of vacation, there’s craft beer to be found. Start at the appropriately named South Lake Brewing Company. For those not looking for a hop, this should be your first and last stop, as this is our favorite brewery in all of the greater South Lake Tahoe area. It’s a terrific hangout first and foremost, with lots of games to play, cornhole inside and outside, and a separate ping pong room. The bevy of funky artwork on the walls helps this brewery ooze cool, making it a welcome respite from the more touristy parts of town. Luckily, it’s not just a great hangout– it also has the most consistently good beer in the area as well, as its pales and IPAs contend for the best in all of Lake Tahoe. Our recommendations: for those who dig haze, the Pillow Line is a refreshing hazy pale and the Fog Nozzle is an excellent New England IPA.

From here, you head northeast toward the casinos and make a stop at Cold Water Brewery and Grill. It’s more of a restaurant than a tasting room, but it plays host to some tasty sandwiches, a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar for those weekenders looking to get their brunch on, and some decent beers. For those who aren’t necessarily blown away by Cold Water’s own options, they also provide some guest taps– when we were there, they were serve Lead Dog’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout, one of the better peanut butter stouts out there. For those looking to avoid a restaurant setting, don’t fear– they have a small tasting room across the parking lot, in which you can also buy your own homebrewing supplies! Our recommendation: for those who aren’t into the hazy scene, the IPAs here are definitely more hop-forward– the Tahoe Cross IPA boasts an IBU of 120, for those really looking to get their hop on.

Finally, it’s about a 5-minute drink further northeast to our final stop, Sidellis Lake Tahoe. Sidellis is a great place to unwind– if there for the summer, hang out and play some cornhole in their outdoor biergarten. If there in winter, never fear: there’s plenty of indoor space, and they have one of the largest collections of board games I’ve ever seen in a brewery. They also serve tasty-looking appetizers, sandwiches, and wraps for those who need to put food in their beer-filled stomachs. They also have, to our understanding, the most extensive if not only barrel-aged selection in South Lake Tahoe. Our recommendations: their standards are decent, but the reason we left Sidellis for last is so you could zap your palate to kingdom come with the barrel-aged options. Some were a little more strong/tough than we prefer, but the Brower Sour was a delightfully tart raspberry sour, and the Whisky Pete is a barrel-aged porter that’s potent, dry, and not overwhelmingly whisky-soaked– it’s the best porter/stout in the South Lake Tahoe region.

BEST PLACE FOR IPAS:
Alibi Ale Works (Runner-up: South Lake Brewing Company)

BEST PLACE FOR SOURS:
Alibi Ale Works (Runner-up: Sidellis Lake Tahoe)

BEST PLACE FOR STOUTS:
FiftyFifty Brewing (Runners-up: Alibi Ale Works, Sidellis Lake Tahoe)

BEST PLACE TO PLAY GAMES:
South Lake Brewing Company (Runner-up: Sidellis Lake Tahoe)

BEST PLACE FOR A LARGE GROUP:
Alibi Ale Works (Runners-up: South Lake Brewing Company, Sidellis Lake Tahoe)

BEST PLACE FOR A SMALL, QUIET DRINK:
Brewforia (Runner-up: none, really… maybe South Lake Brewing Company)

BEST PLACE TO EAT:
FiftyFifty Brewing (Runners-up: Cold Water Brewery & Grill, Sidellis Lake Tahoe)

Which is your favorite of these brewery hops? Are there any you love that we neglected to mention? Please shout them out in the comments below! Also, please check out our other California beer travel guides, including guides for Downtown Los Angeles, the South Bay, and Orange County!