"A Taste of Adventure" spot with artisan beers opens in South Lake Tahoe

It took just minutes to fill up Lake Tahoe Aleworx Taproom & Pizzeria Thursday when they opened their doors officially for the first time. Friends, family, firemen and those looking for a great selection of beer and wood-fired pizza all came to see what the newest spot to open in South Lake Tahoe was all about.

Housed in the former Factory Stores at the Y, Aleworx is the first of two restaurants that will make their home at the new Crossing at Tahoe Valley.

Luca Genasci, a South Lake Tahoe native, graduate of South Tahoe High and UCLA, is the founder and CEO of Lake Tahoe Aleworx. Wise beyond his years, the 24-year-old Genasci started this path during his junior year in college when he made up a business plan for what people are now able to see, and taste.

It's not just beer, even though that is what brought Genasci to this point.

He wanted to brand the Lake Tahoe adventure lifestyle centered around sports, the lake and mountain in his beers, and so it began.

As he consulted with a top brewer and other business professionals, he had a decision to make about how he could share his Lake Tahoe brand of beer with the world. Either brew, keg it and sell it, or open a taproom first, then brew, keg and sell it. The latter would be the quicker way to make money so he could create the beers.

The system at Aleworx is something new to South Lake Tahoe as well, a self-service tap system by I Pour It, something that furthers the adventure at Aleworx. One checks in with the hostess upon entry and receives a special wristband that is linked to their credit card. 32 ounces of beer is loaded on the wristband and then the customer heads to the wall of pride with 25 beers, 3 wines, 1 nitro coffee and Kombucha. Scan the wristband and the beverage of choice is poured and the cost goes into a personal point-of-sale system.

The wristband can be reloaded as needed during the visit.

Just as many agencies have started working together in South Lake Tahoe, the craft brewers are doing the same. The community of brewers share their creations. Genasci's Cali Common can be found not only at Aleworx but also at Verde, Sonney's, The Loft, Ace's Smokehouse and Westshore Cafe, and Cold Water brews and others can be found at Aleworx. Their first flavors have been made under contract by Alibi Ale Works in North Lake Tahoe as Genasci works towards creating a brewery.

"I've surrounded myself with experts," said Genasci as he spoke proudly on his second day in business. He worked with Matt Levitt of Tahoe Blue Vodka and Josh Watterson, head brewer at Reno's Brasserie Saint James,both of whom are award winners. He brought in Audie Leonard to manage the place. Locals may remember Audie from Steamer's, Chevy's and the Lucky Beaver.

"I've been very fortunate to have an amazing team," said Genasci.

There is also an interesting story about the inside of the taproom and pizzeria. The finish materials have been salvaged from the rafters of the former factory stores as well as leftover materials from the pergolas on the new Crossing. The barnwood siding inside is from posts at the Genasci family farm and the steel from the old factory stores sign was cut up for the support on entryway benches.

"Everything in this place my family has been a part of," said Luca. His dad, local dentist Paul Genasci, had a major part in creating the atmosphere. He said he also had a lot of help from his mother who also happens to be a dentist, Dr. Leann Stigers, and David Gerhardt.

One might ask why the wood-burning pizza oven is covered in shiny copper pennies. Luca wants to focus on fundraising for local kids who don't have the opportunity to ski and snowboard as they grow up on the South Shore. With skis making the "X" in Aleworx, it seemed the right thing to do philanthropically, Luca said. The exact logistics haven't been worked out yet, but they will soon start collecting pennies (though larger contributions will be accepted) for the project.

One will find the only wood-fired authentic Neapolitan pizzas on the South Shore as well as "small bites" and salads.

The garage door walls will open up to the patio when weather permits, a patio with three fire-pits, seating and a stage. This spring there will be live music three nights a week, with five nights each week with music this summer. The outdoor area belongs to the whole center, but Aleworx was lucky enough to be adjacent to it.

When you're ready to elevate your beer and dining experience, Aleworx will have hours friendly to those who live, work and visit South Lake Tahoe. They'll serve food from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, and will stay open later with beer as they can serve until 2:00 a.m.

Official grand opening will be May 6, but you don't have to wait until them to visit. More information can be found at www.laketahoealeworx.com. They are located at 2050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. in South Lake Tahoe.