Ken Grossman
Ken Grossman is an American businessman and co-founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.
Early life
Grossman was born to a Jewish family in southern California on November 11, 1954. He studied at Butte College and California State University, Chico.Career
In 1978, Grossman founded Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California with Paul Camusi.The company brewed its first batch of beer, a stout, on November 15, 1980, followed closely by their flagship pale ale. During this decade, Grossman and his team concentrated on quality and consistency, dumping early batches until they could reliably reproduce a good product. They used returnable bottles initially and priced their beer competitively with imported beers. Their pale ale featured the Cascade hop, which was uncommon then for aroma, and was significantly hoppier than mainstream beers of that era. They deliberately brewed beers with unique and distinctive character to attract a niche market of consumers who appreciated flavorful and hoppy craft beers.
In 1998, Grossman bought out Camusi.