The Sierra Nevada Brewery was founded in California in 1979 when Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi decided to turn their homebrewing hobby into a business. The brewery’s flagship product, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, was its first commercial release and played a pioneering role in accelerating the craft brewing movement in the United States. In 2010, the brewery won the Green Business of the Year environmental award, in part due to its use of self-sustaining solar power.