I was recently in Reno visiting family and I got the chance to sample a few local brews.
Brew Brothers is a brewpub in the El Dorado casino. They usually offer six of their own brews on tap (no guest taps). They also had a couple of seasonal selections, which are always my favorite. These rotating selections usually let the brewers get a little creative and have some fun. I chose the Cascade Pale Ale, which is their regular Gold Dollar Pale Ale with some extra Cascade hops thrown in. Light bodied, very crisp, finishes clean, and the extra hops give it a bit more punch. Nicely done. A great alternative if you want something a bit lighter than an IPA.
I also enjoy checking out the tap selections whenever I go to sporting events. The Reno Aces ballpark (the AAA affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks) gets an A+ in this regard. The Great Basin Ichthyosaur “Icky” IPA is a great brew that hits all the right IPA notes — great hop profile, decent malt backbone to provide balance, medium body, smooth drinking. A great ballpark brew.
Mammoth Brewing‘s Epic IPA is a robust brew that uses three malts to give it a richness and expansive mouthfeel. That big of a foundation more than handles the spiciness of the hops. A solid brew to carry you the late innings. Tip: they package this beer in cans as well. I’m not sure where they distribute in the Bay Area, but look for it.