[notmytarga]

Hugh R - Bottles exploding is usually from being over primed (too much corn sugar) or bottling before fermentation is complete. Gushers can also be from bacterial contamination.

My most recent tour of Sierra Nevada last year addressed this- Kent Grossman bought out his partner a while ago - he is sole owner. Anheuser Busch really wants to buy them at greater than value - but the presumption is that they would close them down. It remains the largest single location brewery. Anchor is up there too. Boston Beer (Sam Adams) and others are contract brewed all over.

The distrubution story I heard was that in order to satisfy Grateful Dead fans that only drink SN Pale Ale - two semi's delivered to each town on the tour, shelf space was created and then the other styles filled in. Maybe more Urban Legend, but I'll pass it on.