NorCal Brewery Releases IPA Brewed With Actual Sierra Nevada Snowmelt

A small brewery in Auburn is making the most of this year's massive snowpack with what might be the most Northern California beer ever made.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 8:05pm

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Boneshaker Brewing in Auburn, California has announced the release of a limited-edition IPA called 'Runoff Season' that is brewed entirely with snowmelt collected from the Sierra Nevada mountains. The brewery says the beer carries a unique 'terroir' from the natural water source and features flavors like Citra hops, grapefruit, and pine resin.

Why it matters

This creative beer release taps into Northern California's obsession with locally-sourced, environmentally-conscious products, while also playing into the region's ongoing water conservation efforts and concerns around climate change's impact on Sierra Nevada snowpack.

The details

Boneshaker Brewing drove up to Donner Summit to collect the snowmelt in food-grade barrels, filtering and testing it before brewing the 7.2% ABV IPA. The brewery says the final product has a 'subtle terroir' that can't be replicated with municipal water. The limited-edition beer will be available in four-packs at the brewery's Auburn taproom starting on April 12, with plans to make it an annual release sourced from different Sierra Nevada watersheds each year.

  • Runoff Season will be released on April 12, 2026.
  • The brewery plans to make Runoff Season an annual release, with each year's batch sourced from a different Sierra Nevada watershed.

The players

Boneshaker Brewing

A small brewery located in Auburn, California that is releasing a limited-edition IPA called 'Runoff Season' brewed with Sierra Nevada snowmelt.

Runoff Season

A 7.2% ABV IPA released by Boneshaker Brewing that is brewed entirely with snowmelt collected from the Sierra Nevada mountains.

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What they’re saying

“We've got record snowpack this year, rivers are absolutely raging, and we thought, why let all that water just end up in the Delta?”

— Boneshaker Brewing Head Brewer

“Tasting notes include Citra hops, grapefruit, pine resin, and what the brewer describes as 'a faint whisper of someone's lost Nalgene from the 2019 season.'”

— Boneshaker Brewing Head Brewer

What’s next

The brewery says it plans to make Runoff Season an annual release, with each year's batch sourced from a different Sierra Nevada watershed.

The takeaway

This creative beer release taps into Northern California's obsession with locally-sourced, environmentally-conscious products, while also playing into the region's ongoing water conservation efforts and concerns around climate change's impact on Sierra Nevada snowpack.