What to do in Tahoe When There's No Snow

  As the new year roles in up here in NorCal we all have been loving the less than winter like weather so far this year. I sit here and write this post in shorts, a t-shirt, and my slippers on January 7th....yes that's right, it's 70 degrees out today and full sunshine. Last weekend we went to South Lake Tahoe, where I once called home, amongst the beautiful summers and snow-filled winters. After college I lived out my snowboarding dream for two seasons, working at Heavenly resort and drinking my way through the plentiful drinking holes of the south shore, always ending at a nearby blackjack table.

  Well, those days appear to be a thing of the past as this year the only thing white in Tahoe was the pasty skin of those from the midwest on a holiday vacation in sunny California. So what do you do if there is no snow in Tahoe? You drink beer of course!!! And play blackjack and shoot pellet guns in the middle of the Nevada desert, but that story is for another time.

   This trip I finally tried the brewery I had walked by at least 100 times. Stateline Brewery is located in the basement of the Heavenly Village shops at the base of the Heavenly Gondola. There are signs everywhere so you can't miss it. I've always seen their logo and liked it, boasting their "It's always 5 o'clock here" slogan. I finally decided to give their beer and food a try. Stateline Brewery offers a rotating menu of their five beers that include Stateline Pilsner, White-out Wit, Neat Wheat, Avalanche Ale, and Darker Parker Strong Ale. I decided to try their sampler that included three of their craft beers plus three guest beers.

First up was the Stateline Pilsner, a German style lager in which they brewed using Belgium barley and German yeast. This beer was very light in color and in taste. It wasn't my style of beer as it was very light and resembled somewhat of a craft version of the typical mass produced American lagers of the world.

Next up was their Avalanche Pale Ale, a very mellow version of an American style pale ale. It was light in color and surprisingly very light in taste and hoppiness. I guess that was the theme of their brewmaster as their beers were all of a lighter version in hop flavor compared to most craft breweries. Finally, the third sampler was placed in front of me, their Darker Parker Strong Ale. It was by far the darkest and most flavorful of their current beer selections but still a pretty mild ale by craft beer standards. It is a Scotch Ale that offered the common characteristics of a malty flavor, but this one didn't follow up with much of hoppy finish.

Overall, Stateline Brewery was a fun atmosphere and more modern scene than many of the bars/restaurants of South Lake. They have a pretty extensive menu of your typical brewpub type food. I had a french dip sandwich that was a generous portion and pretty good au jus on the side. The side was good as each sandwich comes with a beer battered, almost tempura-style french fry that had a good seasoning. Next time your in South Lake Tahoe, whether you're fresh off the powder or just praying for it, stop by Stateline Brewery for a pint and some food.

CHEERS!!!