So glad I got to do this interview at Alibi, which turned out to be one of the great unexpected treasures of the whole first season. It's on the northern end of Lake Tahoe, in a spot they call Incline Village. If you drive out of Incline Village and head uphill, pretty soon you're going to run into Mt. Rose, which is easily the best skiing dollar for dollar in the whole Tahoe Basin. And when you come back down that same road at the end of the day, go ahead and seek out Alibi Ale Works, where you're going to find a whole pile of the best sour beers you'll ever taste. They are masters of a craft that not many places can do well. And their restaurant down the way from the brewery serves some great food, too. This is my interview from February 2021 with owner Kevin Drake and head brewer Matt Garcia.

South Of North Brewing sits right on the border between California and Nevada, just a short walk from the shores of Lake Tahoe. You can stand in front of the building on Stateline Avenue and look to the right, and you see a typical mountain town with log cabins and views. And to the left, you see casinos. But right behind you at South Of North, you're going to have your pick of some absolutely phenomenal beers that you just can't drink anywhere else. They make their beer on the property, they sell it on the property, and they don't distribute. You want what they got, you have to go to the source.

When I went back in February 2021 I had a great conversation with the GM Savannah Mendoza and the head brewer Brian Cicero. We drank some of my favorite beers from the whole season, and they told me about some special ones they had on the way. And I haven't been back since, and that's my loss.

Shelter Distilling had the special distinction of being the only stop on my first season of the podcast where they make both beer and spirits. And they excel at both, as I found out in this interview with co-owners Karl Anderson and Jason Senior. If you're skiing Mammoth and you're looking for local brews coming off the hill, the trip to Shelter is quicker and easier than any of the other spots in the area. Just take the Village Gondola down from Canyon Lodge and it's right around the corner when you step off. If you're like me, it'll immediately become one of your first stops every time you're back in town.