High Sierra Brewing’s Irish Red ale on a table in the restaurant.
New head brewer brings 20 years of beerk-making experience to Sparks, Nev.
High Sierra Brewery, a 15-barrel (465 gallon) brewhouse and restaurant, plans to open in October 2014 at Baldini’s Casino. Together, High Sierra Owner Jim Phalan and Baldini’s General Manager Craig Soper recruited award-winning brewer Tim Mason as Head Brewer for the new restaurant. High Sierra Brewery will open a 180-seat restaurant and put nearly a dozen beers on tap, including High Sierra’s gold-medal-winning Buzzed Bee Honey Ale.
Tim Mason, new head brewer of High Sierra Brewing Company. Photo provided by Baldinis.
Head Brewer Tim Mason has more than 20 years experience creating custom brews including taking home both gold and silver medals in the inaugural World Beer Cup in 1996. Tim started his career at Oasis brewing Co. in Boulder, Colorado under Bill Sherwood (now with Stone Brewing Co). He was later made head brewer at Oasis and during that time he won medals at the Great American Brew Festival with his Oatmeal Stout, American Amber and Brown Ales. He then worked under Frank Day of Boulder Beer Company and Rock Bottom breweries down in the US Virgin Islands. His return to brewing in the continental United States is a much-anticipated move and one High Sierra looks forward to capitalizing on.
“I am really looking forward to opening the doors to our newest location inside Baldini’s,” said Jim Phalan, owner of High Sierra Brewing Company in a press release. “Between the amazing partnership I have forged with Baldini’s, to recruiting one of the nation’s top brewers, I believe that the High Sierra Brewery is going to be a great new addition to the Reno-Sparks market and one that residents and visitors are really going to enjoy.”
High Sierra will also host beer tasting events and dinners featuring special creations from their kitchen paired with custom beers in the chef’s private dining room inside the brewery.
High Sierra Brewing Co.
Open date: October 2014
Address: 865 S Rock Blvd, Sparks, NV 89431
Mike Higdon
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