In our Drink of the Week segment, we’ll showcase one unique type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — to try at one of the countless breweries, bars and restaurants from around the basin.

For you hardcore local beer drinkers, yes, I understand that The Brewer’s Cabinet is not technically local to Tahoe (their physical location is off the hill in Reno). But, you can purchase this beer (in cans) at many local locations throughout the basin. And what goes super well after shoveling enough snow to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool? Beer. 

Given this winter I wouldn’t even judge if you wanted to crack one open after the morning dig. So we’re going with something a little outside the box for this week’s feature and giving you the skinny on a portable option should you want to hunker down and cross your fingers that the shovel fairy visits you overnight and you can enjoy your morning coffee before working up a sweat. 

Normally, you might think that a blonde ale as light and crisp as this is probably better suited for summer. While you’re not wrong, if you do go the route of pairing with snow removal, you probably want something that’s not immediately heavy-handed – something that is easy drinking and probably not going to hit you over the head with ABV (5.5% for this beer) so you can at least keep your bearings for the next round.   

The beer features German and Czech hop varieties along with Munich malt, which lends itself to a slightly floral nose. Everything about this ale is easy going. It’s the Jeff Spicoli of beers. 

The tag line on the cans is, “Famous as the Lake.” We’ll probably pump the brakes a bit on that saying, as I’m not sure anything is more famous in Tahoe than Tahoe itself, but if you’re looking to help take the edge off this winter season, this is a readily available option. 

The Brewer’s Cabinet is located at 475 S Arlington Ave. in Reno although their beers can be found throughout the basin at select liquor and grocery stores. For more information visit them online at thebrewerscabinet.com or by phone at 775-348-7481.