The canning line at Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Earlier this month I combined my thirst for beer and learning into one activity—a tour of Sierra Nevada Brewery which is now 45 years old. This was an OLLI class through Chico State.

Years ago I had taken the self-guided tour at Sierra Nevada. This one was much more extensive. Along the hallways are old photos showing various aspects of the last four decades.

I knew the property was large, but until I walked the quarter mile from the front to the packaging area while listening to Byron regale us with facts, figures and stories, I had no idea the acreage was so extensive. It’s about 50 acres.

Ken Grossman, who started the brewery in his garage, is still very much involved in the business. In fact, he was having a beer with workers while some of us were imbibing post-tour.

Byron talks about hops at Sierra Nevada Brewery. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

It was obvious the brewery was constructed in stages instead of being laid out from scratch to be the facility it is today. In fact, there are doors that don’t go anywhere. Plus, the bottling area should be much closer to where the actual beer is produced.

Cans whir in a blur as they circle around being filled with the flavor of the day. Eight hundred cans are filled and sealed every minute. Byron is adamant cans are better for beer than bottles.

The North Carolina facility started making beer in 2014 after capacity was met in Chico.

Today, Sierra Nevada produces one-half of 1 percent of the beer made in the United States.

The company has been a leader in sustainability. This includes 10,500 solar panels on the property. The tour leader said this is one of the largest private solar arrays in the U.S. About 70 percent of the electricity used on site is produced on site.

A door we didn’t get to go in was the Quality Insurance Lab. While all beer has water, yeast, barley and hops, it’s the brewmaster and others who work their magic to make the various styles of beer and ensure each bottle or can or keg tastes the same year after year.

The tour ends in the innovation bar area where beers not available elsewhere, even in the main brewery, are being poured. I recommend the Dusk Runner, a Cascadia dark ale. They even have a hand cranked canning gizmo so you can take some to go.

An array of non-alcoholic drinks at All The Bitter in Chico. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

It might seem like a leap for two former French Laundry sommeliers to open the country’s first zero proof tasting lounge. And then in Chico of all places.

But that’s exactly what Ian and Carly Blessing did.

Their website says: “After having kids we decided that alcohol wasn’t in our plan anymore, but great-tasting drinks still were. So we ventured into the exciting new world of non-alcoholic beverages.”

Ian is a wealth of information. Carly probably is, too, but it was Ian who helped us last week on our (me, mom, Sue, Veronica) first visit to All The Bitter.

Veronica, Cleo, Kae and Sue enjoying an array of drinks at All The Bitter. (Image: Ian Blessing)

He talked about the mouth feel of alcohol, stressing that is the difficult part of non-alcoholic beverages—to have that same feel. Of course it’s about taste, too. He admitted NA red wines still need some work.

“It came as a surprise when we found limited alcohol-free bitters on the market—and nothing that truly felt classic—so we decided to make our own,” the website says. “Hundreds of test recipes, experiments, and tastings later we’ve nailed what we believe are some of the best tasting⁠—and most beneficial⁠—bitters in the world, alcohol-free or otherwise.”

This isn’t just a bar serving non-alcoholic drinks. For starters, it’s more of a lounge. You may order NA cocktails, wine and beer here, and zero alcohol.

This concept was so refreshing. For those who don’t want alcohol they have the opportunity to order anything on the menu. It’s like me walking into a vegetarian or vegan restaurant—I don’t have to think twice about some hidden ingredient that might not fit with my dietary choices.

While a drink menu is provided, All The Bitter is essentially a full bar, so any NA drink could be mixed. Full size glasses of what’s offered in the flights are also available. We opted to taste the whole menu, with glasses circulating around the table.

All The Bitter has a wide selection of NA offerings in the store and online. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

The Zero Proof Cocktail Flight ($15) include half-sized pours of Agave Margarita, Yuzu Meyer Lemon Drop and Classic Negroni. The Non-Alcoholic Wine Flight ($10) had Noughty Sparkling Chardonnay, Seaglass Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Tomorrow Cellars Petit Syrah 2023, and Ian threw in a Pinot as well. Also on the table were the Spiced Old Fashioned ($12) and Island Mule ($12), and a full glass of the bubbly.

All The Bitter is part bar, part retail. The retail continues to grow. Wine, beer, pre-mixed cocktails, ingredients to make drinks at home, a slew of bitters—all on their shelves. The website has a host of recipes.

A couple years ago I participated in Dry January. This made me a believer in NA beer. What thrilled me is my favorite, Deschutes Black Butte NA, is available in six packs at All The Bitter. Until last week I had not found it locally.

A window allows one to peak into where the bitters and other drink ingredients are made. It would be fun to be around to see them at work in the kitchen.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deets:

• Open: Monday-Friday, 3-7pm
• Address: 144 Meyers St., Suite 140, Chico
• Email: info@allthebitter.com
• Website

The public is invited to eat breakfast, like this Stanford Ranchero, at The Ravens at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

No matter how full I felt when breakfast was over, I looked forward to doing it all again the next morning.

Going out to breakfast is a rare treat for me, so having someone fix me something so delectable six days in a row, well, I was in unfamiliar territory. To be undecided about what to order because of the bounty of choices was a wonderful problem to have.

Breakfast is included with a night’s stay at the Stanford Inn in Mendocino. You won’t want to skip this meal. (The restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner to non-guests as well.)

Food in general is a big part of what this property is all about. After all, it’s one of the only vegan resorts in the country. The Ravens, the name of the restaurant, is all vegan. As the owners, Joan and Jeff Stanford say, vegan is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle. It’s their compassion for animals that brought them to this belief.

“At The Ravens, we choose to serve a whole-food, plant-based diet, setting us apart from most other vegan restaurants in the United States. Many vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants rely on seitan, soy protein, isolates, and tofu in main course to replace meat,” the cookbook from the resort says. “Seitan is pure wheat gluten and can be flavored and then roasted, grilled, or fried and can smell like and taste like animal meats. Soy protein isolate are nearly pure soy protein, concentrating the protein and with it, phytoestrogens. Tofu is the least processed of the three but lacks fiber. A version of edamame, or soybeans, is tempeh, a fermented soy product and whole food. We do not use seitan or soy isolates at all. We avoid using tofu in a major role of a dish, relegating it to a condiment.”

The Portobello Benedict is one of the recipes in the cookbook from The Ravens. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

The breakfasts I had in the order I liked them were:

• Portobello Benedict—English muffin, with spinach, grilled tomato and marinated portobello slices. Ravens hollandaise sauce. Choice of country rosemary potatoes or sweet potatoes. ($22)
• Stanford Ranchero—Corn tortillas with black beans, and choice of seasoned tofu or braised tempeh topped with chipotle sauce and salsa cruda. Choice of potatoes. ($18)
• Burrito—Scrambled tofu or braised tempeh, garden vegetables, black beans, rice, Ravens’ enchilada sauce and our cashew cheese in a whole wheat tortilla. With salsa cruda, tofu sour cream. Choice of potatoes. ($19)
• Enchilada—Organic corn tortillas steeped in Ravens enchilada sauce, filled with quinoa and spinach and topped with salsa cruda. Served with refried pintos and Spanish rice. ($20)
• Savory Breakfast Crepe—Chickpea crepe with turmeric tofu, zucchini, onion, garlic, topped with Ravens avocado chimichurri sauce; with choice of potatoes. ($19)
• Stanford Herbed Polenta—Their signature brunch entrée: grilled sun-dried tomato polenta with garden greens sautéed in our braising sauce. Served with cashew cream sauce. ($20)

This confirmed I’m not a fan of polenta, but glad I tried it. The rosemary potatoes won out over the sweet potatoes. Fruit could be substituted for the taters.

Most of the breakfasts are savory, but sweet options are on the menu.

Sea Palm Pad Thai pairs well with this local Cabernet Sauvignon. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Choosing what to have for dinner was just as difficult. The lone dinner I had at The Ravens was the Sea Palm Pad Thai: local sea palm, rice noodles, tofu, broccoli, cauliflower, peanuts, mung bean sprouts, green onions—$27. It was outstanding.

I’m pretty sure this is the first time I had sea palm, which is an edible seaweed. It comes in several forms, and it often used in a stir fry—which makes sense for the dish I had.

Dessert was the best carrot cake ($18) I have ever had. On a previous night I had a to-go order of the Mint Chocolate Ganache Tart ($19), so that’s why I didn’t get it. Mint chocolate is usually my go-to. It was so dense and rich I could not eat it in one sitting. It sure paired well with red wine in the room in front of the fire.

Back to the carrot cake. Moist, flavorful and melt in your mouth luxury. I didn’t know carrot cake could taste so sumptuous, especially considering I thought I made a pretty good carrot cake. This one is so far beyond my recipe. Instead of cream cheese for the frosting it uses a coconut spread and vegan shortening sticks. Vegan shortening sticks might be something added to my grocery list.

This carrot cake was so good, I would order it over the ganache.

Nearly every afternoon the Stanford Inn offers complimentary finger food and happy hour prices on adult beverages. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

I’ll have to try making the carrot cake at home because the recipe is in the cookbook I bought, Dining at The Ravens: Over 150 Nourishing Vegan Recipes from the Stanford Inn by the Sea (BenBella Books, 2016).

Besides how delicious the food was, it had me trying things that were new to me. With it being vegan, I knew I could eat everything so I didn’t worry if I didn’t know what something was. This was so liberating.

One day I took a 90-minute vegan sauce making class with Sid Garza-Hillman, the wellness programs director at the inn. He made Cashew Ranch Dressing/Dip, Hemp and Sunflower Ricotta, and Roasted Tomato Chipotle Sauce.

Garza-Hillman offers a few classes, with this one seeming like the one I’d be most likely to replicate in my kitchen. The private lesson allowed me to ask what I wanted and to be the sole recipient of the finished product.

Sid Garza-Hillman chops herbs for a vegan sauce during a class at Stanford Inn. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

I have read plenty of recipes to know cashews are a big deal in vegan sauces—I just hadn’t seen them made or tasted any that I remember. Garza-Hillman had me try the cashews after they were pulverized with some water. Much sweeter than I expected.

As he pointed out, traditional ranch dressing is primarily buttermilk and dill—and definitely not sweet. An acid would need to be added to balance that sweetness. Vinegars, though, come in a range of flavors. He had me taste a few. This confirmed how important it is to know the flavor profile of what you are adding to the cashew mixture—or any concoction for that matter.

I had never taken a vegan cooking class of any sort before. (I’m not a vegan, but I seem to keep getting closer without really trying.) It opened my eyes, and taste buds, to possibilities I had not explored before. Like learning anything new, as well as adapting to change, it will take some time. However, I think I’ll start trying some of these vegan sauces. They certainly are better for me than using animal products.

Beer and bakeries share a history that goes back to the beginning of this malt beverage.

Because they shared many of the same ingredients. it was common for breweries and bakeries to be in the same building. This was also at a time when the profession was female dominated.

Steve Kay of Allies Pub in Chico talks about the history of beer. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

“Breads were sour so the beers were more sour,” explained Steve Kay, owner and brewer at Allies Pub in Chico, who taught the class.

His was the second brewery in town after Sierra Nevada opened in 1980.

There was quite a bit to learn in a two-night class about the history of beer making. This is one of the OLLI classes I took this semester.

Having the classes at the pub also meant a couple tastes of beer.

That early beer required a unique straw to drink it with because it was thick.

More than once Kay stressed that beer should never be consumed out of a can. This is because you can’t smell it; it’s going to taste different, less authentic than out of a bottle or glass.

Like tasting wine, there is an art to tasting beer. It’s about noting the color, the clarity—which doesn’t have to be clear, smelling it, and then sipping it.

Hops were introduced in the 14th century. This is the same time the male brewers guild came into being and when witch trials started. From then on, beermaking became a male dominated vocation.

With the invention of refrigeration for beer in 1873, it meant the beverage could be available year-round.

With the 4,000 types of malt, upward of 300 types of hops, more than 400 commercial yeasts, and endless flavorings, as well as fermentation processes, the flavors and styles of beers are practically endless.

What I was sad to learn is Secret Trail Brewing Co. in Chico closed May 31. Taking its place is Paradise Brew Werks.

Don’t let the outside of Tiny Pony dissuade you from entering. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

You know the whole adage—don’t judge a book by its cover—well, the same can said of restaurant entrances.

I’ll admit I never would have found Pappy & Harriet’s without GPS. And Tiny Pony? Never would have gone inside without a recommendation. Just proves that what is inside is often more important than outside appearances.

Both restaurants became post-hike destinations after consecutive days at Joshua Tree National Park earlier this month.

Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace is full of history. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

I first heard about Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace from the Visit California website, with my friend Denise later saying it was a must-see spot after visiting Joshua Tree. More than once she expressed how the onion rings were out of this world.

So, the entire first day at Joshua Tree I kept thinking about my reward—onion rings and a beer. OK, all day is an exaggeration, but the thought of onion rings did make hiking in chilly headwinds more pleasurable.

Pappy and Harriet’s opened in 1982 after the buildings being part of Hollywood lore. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Siri took us on a circuitous route to reach Pappy & Harriet’s. It’s up in the mountains a few miles from the town of Yucca Valley.

Perusing the menu no onion rings could be found. The waitress didn’t remember them being on the menu. Damn. Fries it would have to be. Considering we were chilled, Darla and I both ordered the vegetarian chili, which was more to my liking because it was a bit spicy.

We didn’t wander around much, as it was dark when we left, we were tired, and kitties were waiting for us. But we were impressed with how large the restaurant is and that people were waiting for our table on a Thursday night.

This is what Visit California’s website says about the place: “Back in 1946, when the public couldn’t get enough of Western movies, silver-screen cowboy stars Gene Autry and Roy Rogers [and other investors] saw an opportunity, and created this 1870s-era frontier town–style movie set about 30 miles north of Palm Springs, in hard-scrabble desert near Joshua Tree National Park. The site, called Pioneertown, had camera-ready façades resembling saloons, jailhouses, and stables. Inside, the buildings doubled as tourist attractions, with a bowling alley, an ice cream parlor, and motel. The site that’s now Pappy & Harriet’s was used as a ‘cantina’ set for Westerns well into the 1950s.”

The Tiny Pony serves local and national beers, as well cocktails and ones without alcohol. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

After the second day of exploring Joshua Tree National Park, Darla and I found ourselves at the Tiny Pony Tavern in Yucca Valley. I had overheard a park worker say the yuca fries there were to die for.

From the outside it looked like an uninviting dive bar with its mirrored windows covered by bars. I have nothing against dive bars; they are usually fun. So, in we went.

Wow—this was a bustling, fun pub that without the recommendation neither of us would have found, let alone probably said yes to going into.

The only yuca fries on the menu came loaded—as in covered in homemade queso, crispy bacon, chives and choice of dipping sauce.

The furnishings are as interesting as the people watching at Tiny Pony. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Yuca fries, according to the Internet, are also known as cassava fries. They are  made from the starchy root vegetable yuca (aka cassava), but are not to be confused with the yucca plant.

We ordered the regular fries and each had a beer.

The décor is eclectic with black velvet prints on one wall, another dedicated to felines. The service was impeccable. I’d eagerly go back, wanting to try more of the menu and taste more of the regional beers.

The Drop Shot at Indian Wells costs more than $20. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

A drink that says tennis. That’s what the Drop Shot is supposed to be all about.

The layered colors are inviting in a tennis sort of way. It says summer.

Considering we were fortunate to be at the professional tennis tournament in Indian Wells this month when the temperatures called for a cool drink, mom and I had to try one.

This is the first year for the Drop Shot. It was good, but not great. It actually got better as I kept sipping—maybe the ingredients were mixing.

Pineapple lovers will enjoy this. I could have used a spoon to more easily get to  the macerated pineapple when the liquid was all gone.

It also has hard seltzer, pineapple syrup, tequila and is finished with a splash of green food coloring. It is garnished with two pineapple balls.

The best part might be that it came in a souvenir cup with previous winners listed on the back.

When it comes to tennis inspired drinks, for now I’ll stick with the Honey Deuce, which for years has been the signature drink of the U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Bambi Inn in Butte Meadows is not all that welcoming. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Have you ever walked into one of those places where you think you should know more than one way out and you shouldn’t put your back to the door or anyone?

OK, so the Bambi Inn in Butte Meadows wasn’t quite that bad. But it was so far from welcoming that I doubt I’ll be going back.

I like dive bars. They have character. They have regulars. They have stories. They have a vibe that is usually positive.

Maybe I should have known this experience was going to be different based on two rifles made out of metal across the front door with the words “We Don’t Dial 911.”

I drive by this bar every time I go mountain biking, hiking and most recently snowshoeing in the greater Butte Meadows area. New Year’s Day was my first time to stop in.

Like most bars of this variety the lighting is low and the preponderance of customers were bellied up to the bar. I joined them.

Having a drink at the Bambi Inn is an experience. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Dollar bills lined the walls and ceiling; signed presumably by the person who left it as décor. Then there was the bumper sticker with a picture of Joe Biden and the words: B.I.D.E.N. Biggest Idiot Democrats Every Nominated. Someone had drawn a target on his forehead.

I barely could understand the bartender. Not sure why. He was a scruffy fellow. Maybe missing a few teeth. Definitely failed the basics of friendliness when it came to customer service.

I got my NA beer (was trying to do Dry January again), paid for it, got my change and that’s the last the dude and I communicated.

It wasn’t just me. He was a minimalist with the other patrons too.

I wish he talked. I was curious about the moonshine on the bottom shelf. Not that I wanted any, but the liquid filled Mason jars made me curious. A search online at home (because there is no WiFi at the bar) told me the concoction is from North Carolina.

Still, I’m curious about who drinks it locally. Not curious enough to go back.

With each new report of what might be shortening my lifespan, I often quip: “Something has to kill me.”

Realizing all of those “somethings” will eventually add up I decided I should start addressing some of those “somethings” that are not good for me.

Tossing black plastic utensils for health reasons. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

This month out went all the black plastic kitchen utensils. Much has been written about them, including the mathematical error in how determining how bad the chemical content is was wrong. It’s not as bad as first reported.

Still, the utensils are not good. Obviously the danger each person is exposed to is going to be determined by how often these spoons and the like are used, the heat at which they are used, and if they continue to be used once they begin to fray.

Many of them are made from recycled electronic components. Some have toxic flame retardant in them.

How many times has my food touched toxins? Eek-gad.

These toxins are also found in black take-out containers (so don’t reheat anything in them and put the food in a different container when you get home), grocery meat trays (one thing I don’t have to worry about), as well as some kids’ toys.

Just when we thought recycling was good; that is was repurposing discarded items into something new. It was. Now we know that something new could be killing us.

Most of our plastic utensils were replaced with stainless steel. The pasta wand is made out of a pretty wood.

Mom and I discussed whether we should donate our old plastic or toss it. We tossed it. No need to poison others. Though we did wince at the thought of them ending up in a landfill and poisoning the earth. Sometimes there are no good choices.