Edible Sacramento Summer 2022

LIQUID ASSETS

Brewer and winemaker strike gold in El Dorado. WRITTEN BY LAURA PETERSEN PHOTOS BY RACHEL VALLEY

I f you’re traveling to Tahoe, set your course for Solid Ground Brewery & Winery. Known for its award-winning lagers, sparkling wine, and ciders, the taphouse located in Diamond Springs is just five miles from Downtown Placerville. And did we men tion the fried chicken sandwich? Co-owners Scott Johnson and KC Sare are both for mally trained in their crafts and have honed their skills to produce a winning combination that keeps bringing cus tomers back for more. “We have a big local base and a big transient base. We’re a great stopping point if you’re going to Kirkwood,” says Johnson, the brain behind the award-winning sparkling wines and ciders. With Johnson’s 10-plus years in the wine industry and Sare’s background making traditional European lagers and ales, this duo was destined to create something stellar.

With their brewing team, Tommy Mills and Casey Hebard, this small produc tion crew handles the entire process, from grain to glass. What’s their secret? It’s all about consistency. “Any given day is taken up with tasks from receiv ing of barley or apple-based raw materials to filtrations, brewing, tastings, and packaging. We are a close team with very strong ties to the science of alcoholic fermenta tion,” Sare says. The beer-wine-hybrid business they launched in 2016 has morphed over the years — through a bit of trial and er ror — and now they’ve claimed their niche. “We now feel like we have an idea of where we are go ing. We are excited about growing into new markets and introducing new customers to the products we work hard to create,” Sare says. Side-pour Czech-style beer taps at Solid Ground

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