Nevada Beer Nuggets - June / July ‘10 Issue - Celebrator Magazine
By Bob Barnes

Nevada Scores Big at World Beer Cup!

  Nevada struck a bonanza of precious metal at the World Beer Cup, bringing home five medals, its bestshowing ever. Las Vegas’s winners included Chicago Brewing Company, with Brewmaster Dave Pascual scoring with two of his Belgian styles, beating the Belgians at their own game. Dave’s Daisy Chain Tripel earned a gold and his Mad Monk Dubbel a silver. Both of these beers previously earned WBC medals in 2006. Brewmaster Dave Otto of Big Dog’s Brewing Company mined a gold for his Red Hydrant Ale in the English style Brown Ale category, repeating his WBC gold medal win for this beer in 2006.

  Reno’s winners were Great Basin Brewing Company and Buckbean Brewing Company. Great Basin’s Whoop Ass Witbier and Buckbean’s Doug’s Very Noddy 40th Birthday Lager (other strong beer category) both were awarded a bronze. This is quite an impressive showing for a small state that’s usually known for things other than beer; this excellent showing gives notice that Nevada brewers are brewing some of the best beer in the world.

  Utah breweries fared nearly as well, garnering two gold and one bronze medal. Wasatch Brew Pub & Brewery’s Polygamy Porter and Squatters Pub Brewery’s Black Forest Schwarzbier were the gold recipients, and Uinta Brewing Company hooked a bronze for its Cutthroat Pale Ale. All three breweries are in Salt Lake City.

Northern Nevada News...

  Buckbean Brewing Company has more than its 2nd major medal win to celebrate. In April, the brewery celebrated its 2nd anniversary, with a bash featuring an anniversary beer, free food and a beer pong tournament; and in February co-owner Doug Booth was named Entrepreneur of the Year for Small Business in Northern Nevada by the Reno Gazette Journal.

  Consider heading up to Reno for the 15th Annual Great Eldorado BBQ, Brews & Blues Fest, hosted by the Eldorado Casino. This fest is a big draw, evidenced by the tally of over 20,000 fest-goers that turn out each year. The fest runs two days, Friday, June 25 from 3-8 p.m. and on Saturday June 26 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Award winning brews from The Brew Brothers (the Eldorado’s brewpub) will be on tap, along with beer from more than 45 breweries. Here’s your chance to drink beer in the street; the fest is held on Virginia Street just outside the Eldorado. Live entertainment will be on every corner, with blues bands playing throughout the fest. For more information, call 888-808-7720, or visit the Eldorado online at <www.eldoradoreno.com>.

Southern Nevada Hoppenings...

  The inaugural Brews & Blues Festival at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve will be held on Saturday, June 5 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Crossroads Commons Amphitheater. $30 will get you unlimited samples of over 50 craft brews, and buying your ticket in advance for $25 includes early admission at 3 p.m. Bands performing include the Chris Tofield Band, Cordle- Scott Band, The Lucky Cheats and Scott Rhiner & The Moanin’ Blacksnakes. Tickets can be purchased at the Springs Preserve or online at <www.springspreserve.org>. The Springs Preserve is located on Valley View, just south of the 95 Freeway.

  On June 12, the Big Dog’s Peace Love Hoppy-ness Beer Festival will be the brewing company’s way to commemorate its 22nd birthday. You can expect at least 16 of the best hoppy beers from around the southwest region, live rock n roll music throughout and a raffle prize of a Gibson guitar that has been customized with Big Dog’s graphics. Part of the proceeds will benefit local youth charities. The fest will take place outside at the Big Dog’s Draft House location at Rancho and Craig Rd. beginning at 3 p.m. and the party will move indoors after 9.

  Tenaya Creek Brewery will participate in the Pro-Am competition of the GABF this year. The chosen brewer is Matthew Breen, the Best of Show winner of SNAFU’s (Las Vegas’s homebrew club) Winterfest competition. Brewmaster Anthony Gibson will collaborate with Matthew to convert his porter recipe to a commercial-sized version, which will be served at Tenaya Creek and entered in the GABF in September.

  Southern Nevada brewers are hard at work to help us weather the summer heat. Jon Christiansen at Joseph James Brewing has JJBC Desert Dawn, an English-style Barley Wine brewed with 95% Maris Otter Floor Malt, 5% Chocolate Rye Malt, Fuggle hops and using English yeast, all of which result in a low hop profile and 9.6% abv. I can attest that brew is warming, smooth and very enjoyable. He also has vowed to brew all of his fruit beers with real fruit (no syrup). Case in point is his Raspberry Redemption, brewed with 600 lbs. of real raspberries, 50 lbs. of raw cocoa and Belgian candi sugar and Saaz hops. The result is a wonderful balance of tart and sweet flavors.

  Matt Marino at the 777 Brewpub at Main Street Station will bless us with Mario’s Honey (named after one of 777’s longtime cooks), a 9% brew made with 200 lbs of honey in a small 7 barrel batch.

  At Barley’s, Brewmaster Jim Wilson will introduce Barley’s Brewnette Bombshell, a dark ale that he says should complement the new beer-centric menu in the Brewpub Lounge. As always, great beer happens in Vegas!

Bob Barnes is a native Nevadan and is celebrating his 11th anniversary as a regional correspondent for the Celebrator Beer News. He welcomes your inquiries and is standing by to assist you in your Nevada beer quest. He can be reached via e-mail at LVBobB@juno.com.