Fall 2025 | Edible Notables

Full Circle: Beer Grain to Beef

Great Basin Brewing Co. and Park Ranch Meats created a closed-loop food system.

Part of the joy of visiting your favorite brewery is the tantalizing aroma of roasted grain, reminiscent of baking bread. But have you ever wondered what happens to the grain once the beer is brewed?

Chef Mark Estee, founder of Local Food Group, which includes Great Basin Brewing Co. and other food-and-drink establishments, saw an opportunity: Put the beer by-product back into the local food chain as nutritious feed for cattle. David Park, owner of Park Ranch in Minden, shared Estee’s vision, so together they launched the Brewery Beef Program. 

Closed-Loop System
“For the last 20 years, we’ve been trying to do simple, seasonal, local, and fresh. When we partnered with David three years ago, we started to think, ‘What’s a large-scale way to make a closed-loop system — to really move the needle?’” Estee says.

Park Ranch raises grass-fed cattle, then finishes the cows on the spent brewery grain before processing them for beef on site. The beef stays local, supplying restaurants and butcher counters in the Reno-Tahoe area. 

“It’s satisfying to know we’re in control of the animal for its entire lifespan, from when it’s born to when it hits the plate. We can ensure the quality, and we get to see the results,” Park says.

Where’s the Beef?
As the exclusive beef supplier for LFG restaurants, Park Ranch’s beef is on the menu at Cucina Lupo in Carson City; Liberty Food & Wine Exchange in Reno; Overland Restaurant and Pub in Gardnerville; and the four locations of Great Basin Brewing Co. in Reno, Sparks, Carson City, and Minden.

Popular picks at Great Basin include burgers and brisket, while Liberty, Lupo, and Overland feature Park Ranch steaks on their menus, with cuts ranging from top sirloin, flat iron, and New York to filet mignon, rib eye, and porterhouse.  

“I really love the flavor and marbling of grain-finished beef. You add in the brewery grain — it’s fermented with the sugar and yeast and hops — and the cows go ballistic for it!” Estee says.

Want to cook it at home? You can purchase this same beef directly from Park Ranch Meats, a butcher and specialty food store inside the Minden location of Great Basin Brewing Co. Select standard butcher cuts at the counter, or order ahead for a quarter or half cow. While you’re there, pick up Park Ranch honey and beef tallow products, or your favorite local beer, wine, specialty pasta, or ice cream.   

For hours and menus of all seven Local Food Group restaurants, visit Renolfg.com.

Park Ranch Meats (Retail Location)
1573 Hwy. 395, Minden
775-782-7275 · Parkranchmeats.com
Open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily