Facebook event promotion is happening in a big way at Sierra Nevada, but that's not interfering with priorities. The third-largest craft brewer in America started with a repurposed cheese vat and a five-barrel production of Stout. Sierra Nevada has revolutionized how Americans drink  -  and think about  -  beer. But founder Ken Grossman's vision predates his bottling: He opened The Home Brew Shop in Chico, California in 1976 because beer-making and beer-drinking should bring people together.