Nevada Beer Nuggets - February / March '10
By Bob Barnes
Reno Beer Scene Part II
The allotted space for my column is not large enough to do justice to a roundup of northern Nevada’s most worthy hop spots in one issue, so the following is the next installment of my report on the Reno Beer Scene. Fans of Sierra Nevada will want to head directly to the Sierra Tap House, where they can select from at least six different Sierra Nevada brews on tap. Reno’s only riverfront tavern features a patio for outdoor enjoyment of breathtaking views of the Truckee River. Every Thursday at 6 p.m., a new cask conditioned ale. For a listing of what’s currently flowing from the taps, visit <www.sierrataphouse.com>. The tap house is located at 253 W. First St. at Arlington, a few blocks from Virginia.
Silver Peak Brewery operates a 10-barrel brewhouse that produces 310 gallons a batch. It would appear Brewmaster Brandon Wright is keeping busy, as there are 11 to 12 beers on tap at Silver Peak’s two locations. Brandon brews both traditional styles and some very unique ‘extreme’ seasonals throughout the year, including an Imperial Pumpkin Ale, a Lemongrass Wheat and a Chamomile Pale Ale. His next creation, due out in mid to late February, will be the Sinister Stout, an Imperial Stout aged for six months in bourbon barrels and infused with locally roasted espresso beans. Wake up and smell the stout! House brews are the Red Roadster, XXX Blonde, Baileywheat Hefeweizen, Peavine Porter, Sierra Amber Ale and Silver Peak IPA, and you will most likely find six more seasonal brews on tap at any given time. Very detailed description and specs on each beer can be found on the brewery’s website at <www.silverpeakbrewery.com>. The brewery is located at 124 Wonder Street, east of Virginia Street between Wells Avenue and Holcomb Street. The other location is in the downtown river corridor area and is a popular hangout, especially on weekend nights. It’s on the corner of 1st and Sierra Streets, one block West of Virginia Street and one block north of the Truckee River.
Buckbean Brewing Company’s motto is Native Nevadan, due in part to the fact that co-owner Doug Booth was born and raised in Reno. Buckbean has been kegging and canning its beer since the spring of 2008 and has already distinguished itself as an award-winning brewery, earning a GABF medal for its Black Noddy (a traditional Bavarian Schwarzbier) in 2008.The Black Noddy was also selected as one of the top 10 Artisanal Canned Beers by Bon Appetit. Buckbean’s other flagship beer is the Original Orange Blossom Ale, which features the aroma and flavor of real orange tree flowers. It truly is original and may be the first of its kind; Brewmaster/Co-owner Dan Kahn created it in the mid 1990’s when he was brewing in Riverside, Calif. to celebrate the city’s yearly orange blossom festival. Buckbean has just released its 3rd beer in a can, the Tule Duck Red Ale, a deep red, robust ale with a caramel malt flavor and herbal dry hopped finish.
Buckbean’s brews can be found at a slew of restaurants, bars and retail outlets throughout the Reno area. Buckbean’s tasting room offers free tastes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and until 7 p.m. on Fridays. Show up on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and you can get ½ price growler refills ($3.75 for a half gallon of beer). In support of the men and women serving our country, a 20% discount is given to all active military. Seasonal brews can be enjoyed here, including the Very Noddy Lager, a 10.5% Imperial Schwarzbier that is the same recipe as the Black Noddy, but with everything doubled. The brewery and tasting room is located on S. McCarran near the intersection of S. Rock/Pembroke.
At North Lake Tahoe, just barely across the California border and about a 30-minute drive from Reno, is the Fifty Fifty Brewpub in Truckee, Calif. The quality of beer makes the short trip worthwhile. Brewmaster Todd Ashman travels to Belgium every year and not surprisingly brews a lot of Belgian styles. There’s an excellent chance you’ll find two or three Belgian styles on tap at any time. During my visit I sampled the Collaborative Evil, a rich and chewy Belgian Strong Ale weighing in at a whopping 12%. Assistant Brewer Kyle Ashman (Todd’s brother) treated me to his Eclipse, an Imperial Stout aged in a bourbon barrel. This two time GABF medal winner (2008 and 2009) earned my seal of approval. Fifty Fifty has a strong focus on sustainability; all of its spent grain from the brewing process is donated to a local ranch for livestock feed, all of its to-go containers and cups are 100% compostable and all of the used fryer oil is donated and converted to bio-diesel fuel.
Southern Nevada Hoppenings
Tenaya Creek Brewery celebrated its 10th anniversary with a catered charity event, with all proceeds benefitting the Injured Police Officers Fund. Brewer Anthony Gibson designed a special beer to commemorate the brewery’s decade of great beer, the 10th Anniversary Double Altbier-9%, full bodied, deep copper-hued and brewed with German specialty malts and Noble hops. Anthony also has put some of his beers on nitrogen, imparting a creamy cask-like character. Tenaya Creek’s beers continue to pop all up over southern Nevada, with tap handles currently at over 45 pubs and restaurants, including several at the Vegas resorts and at the new Hard Rock Café on the Vegas Strip.
Sin City Brewing Company has opened its 3rd bar on the Vegas Strip. The newest addition is in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. The other two are at Planet Hollywood and Flamingo, and all pour Sin City Amber, Sin City Light, Sin City Stout and Sin City Weisse. It’s become pretty easy to find Sin City tap handles throughout the Vegas Strip, and it is currently the lone local beer being tapped at the Yard House.
Beer from the brand new Backyard Brewing Company was unveiled at Aces & Ales at a release party in November that drew over 200 people. Owner/brewer Russ Gardner is doing all of the brewing and kegging of his beers at the brewing facilities of Joseph James Brewery in Henderson (suburb of Vegas). Russ’s flagship beer is his Workday Wit, a 5.1% Belgian wheat ale that features flavors of fresh orange and coriander. Other initial offerings are the Back Patio Brown, an English dark mild brewed with English malts, hops and yeast, and with no filtration or preservatives; and the Rock’n Chair Red, a 9% Imperial Amber with all Simcoe hops and lots of them. Look for some other interesting beer styles to follow. In the near future Russ is planning to brew a sour pale ale aged in oak. As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
Sierra Tap House
253 West First St.
Reno, NV
775-332-7678
Silver Peak Restaurant & Brewery
124 Wonder Street
Reno, NV 89502-2424
775-324-1864
Silver Peak Grill & Taproom
135 N. Sierra St.
Reno, NV 89501
775-284-3300
Buckbean Brewing Company
1155 S. Rock Blvd. Ste. 490
Reno, NV 89502
775-857-4444
Fifty Fifty Brewing Company
11197 Brockway Rd.
Truckee, CA 96161
530-587-BEER
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan 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 Vegas beer quest. He can be reached via e-mail at LVBobB@juno.com.
*This article is published in the Celebrator Beer News - November / January ‘10 Issue
What’s Brewing
By Bob Barnes The Village at Lake Las Vegas, Buckbean Brewing Co., and the Nevada Brewers Guild are hosting the 2nd Annual Spring Craft Beer Festival on March 13 from 2-8 p.m. at the MonteLago Resort. Located at Lake Las Vegas in Henderson about 20 minutes from the strip, this event is a fund raiser to benefit The New Vista Community, the premier facility for housing and empowering adults with disabilities in Nevada. The cobblestone walkways at Lake Las Vegas will provide a unique location for this mid-sized beer festival. With more than 30 breweries represented, guests will be able to stroll around from tent to tent, enjoying an unlimited sampling of local and regional beers. At press time, breweries signed up to bring beer include local breweries, distributors and pubs Boulder Dam Brewing, Barley’s, Big Dog’s, Gordon Biersch, Backyard Brewing, Tenaya Creek, Aces & Ales, Nevada Beverage, Wirtz Beverage and Old Dubliner; and regional brews from Buckbean (Reno), Boiler Room Brewpub (Laughlin), Sonora Brewing (Phoenix), Bayhawk Brewing (Irvine, Calif.) and Stone Brewing (San Diego). Here’s a great opportunity to enjoy a bevy of local and regional beers in a beautiful environment during an optimal time of our gorgeous springtime, while supporting a worthy cause.
Brewmaster Dave Otto at Big Dog’s Brewing is now serving up cask-conditioned ales, with the unveiling occurring every Thursday at 6 p.m. In case you’re wondering, a cask ale is an un-carbonated beer without any preservatives and one that exudes freshness and real beer flavor. These cask-conditioned ales will only last a few days, so don’t delay in getting over to the Draft House at Rancho & Craig Rd. to try it before it’s gone.
Ever since the Monte Carlo Brewpub stopped brewing beer four years ago, it’s left a bit of a void for locally brewed beer on the Strip. That’s now changing, as the Monte Carlo has reopened its refurbished and rebranded The Pub at Monte Carlo. With 83 taps, the Pub is supporting local brews with 11 of its tap handles pouring local beer. Vegas brewed beers offered are Tenaya Creek Brewery’s Pilsner, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale and Barleywine; Joseph James Brewing’s Weisse Guy Light Hefeweizen, Apple Wit, Hopbox Imperial IPA and Russian Imperial Stout; and Backyard Brewing’s Workday Wit and Rockin’ Chair Red. Show up during a twice daily Happy Hour and you’ll get a 2 for 1 deal on all drafts. Happy hour times run from from 4-7 p.m. and from 9-11 p.m.
I’ve been lamenting the fact that the 32 Degrees Bar at the M Resort was serving no local beers on any of its 96 taps. I lament no more, for now on tap is Tenaya Creek’s Nut Brown Ale. The 32 Degrees at the M is at the south edge of town on S. Las Vegas Blvd. (the Strip) at St. Rose Parkway. Go out and support our local breweries!
When you think of Italy, the subject of beer probably doesn’t cross your mind, and if it does, it’s most likely Peroni or Moretti. Craft beer is taking hold in Italy with nearly 200 craft microbreweries producing a wide array of outstanding beer, encompassing nearly all beer styles. Julius Caesar toasted his troops with beer after their successful crossing of the Rubicon, so perhaps this resurgence in beer appreciation signals Italians returning to their roots.
D.Vino at the Monte Carlo recently featured Italian craft beers with a 3-course beer dinner. A selection of Artisan Italian cheeses with sheep, goat and cow cheese varietals was paired with Friska, a traditional Flemish specialty brewed with coriander and orange peel. The spicy and citrus fruit notes of this ale blended well with the rich sharpness of the cheese. Next up was a pasta offering of Pappardelle-Mushroom ragout with truffle scent, which was a delightful mixture of shitaki, porcini and button mushrooms infused with truffle oil. It was matched with Sella Del Diavolo, an amber ale that is a cohabitation between strong caramel and fruity notes that are derived from the use of aromatic hops. The finale was Steak Roulade ‘al Funghi’ that featured a parmesan potato cake, onion-haricot vert fricassee, and a marsala-mushroom glaze atop a generous portion of perfectly prepared skirt steak. Backing up this hearty dish was the Stada S. Felice, an 8% bottom-fermented lager with chestnuts imparting an earthy and nutty character.
All of the aforementioned dishes and Italian craft beers are on D.Vino’s regular menu. Other Italian craft brews on the list include Via Emilia, Re Ale Extra, Toccadibo, Sella Del Diavolo and Birrificio Barley. In Southern Nevada, BMC Fine Spirits distributes dozens of flavorful and interesting Italian brews, most of which have unique ingredients that you don’t normally encounter in beer. Look for them at Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits and at Whole Foods Markets. As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan and associate editor of Fork & Pour-Food & Beverage Magazine of Las Vegas. He welcomes your inquiries and can be reached via e-mail at: LVBobB@juno.com.
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