Nevada Beer Nuggets
By Bob Barnes At the base of the East Humboldt Range of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains, a ranch sits below granite peaks covered with white snow. Looming above the ranch is the peak of Chimney Rock, where snow-white mountain goats roam. The location is just about as remote as you can get, and is graced with snow-fed streams teeming with trout, clusters of sapphire blue lakes, lush green meadows, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and one of the largest herds of mule deer in Nevada. Sound like the perfect locale for a brewery? If you’re Steve and Maggie Safford it does. Since 1991 the Saffords have produced top-quality horse hay and prime Black Angus beef cattle at their 1,500-acre Angel Creek Ranch in Clover Valley, six miles south of Wells. In 1995 it was decided that beer, beef and bales might make a more interesting product mix for their ranch, and Ruby Mountain Brewing Company
was born.
Steve had been homebrewing five-gallon batches since 1971 and ramped up his recipes to brew 420 gallons at a time in his 10 barrel brewing system. The brewery now produces between 700 and 800 barrels (about 30,000 gallons) a year. Ruby Mountain is no stranger to awards for its beer. It has earned two GABF medals and a bounty of honors from NABA and regional competitions. Four styles, all award-winning, are produced: Angel Creek Amber Ale-slightly sweet with a modest amount of roasted flavor; Wild West Hefeweizen-a Bavarian-style wheat with fruity and spicy flavors derived from its German Weinstephen Weissen yeast; Bristlecone Brown Porter-a roasty chocolatey malt character; and Vienna Style Lager-a lighter version of a Marzen with toasted malt flavor.
Ruby Mountain is only one of two breweries in the state that packages its beer for retail sales. The beer is distributed throughout Northern and Central Nevada, Southern Idaho, and is sometimes served as a guest brew at Great Basin Brewing in Sparks. If you get thirsty while exploring the out-of-the-way byways of rural Nevada’s Elko County, you can call the brewery at (775) 752 - 2337 to set up a free tour and tasting.
It’s been rumored that Las Vegas is a party town. It only stands to reason that a celebration that involves drinking good beer, namely Oktoberfest, would be commemorated. Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas claims its Oktoberfest will be the most authentic in the US, second only to the original held in Munich, and there are reasons to back up its claim. The Las Vegas version is an authentic replica of its brewhaus in Munich and the Hofbräu brewery is one of only six breweries commissioned to make the beer for the Oktoberfest in Bavaria. Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas will celebrate Oktoberfest from Sept. 13 through Oct. 31, and highlighting the festivities is the unveiling of the Oktoberfestbier, the very same brew created for the Oktoberfest in Munich. Celebrity guest keg tappings take place every Friday at 7:00 pm with Sigfried and Roy presiding at the opening ceremonies. Bands from Germany are imported providing nightly sing-a-longs. Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas is located at 4510 Paradise Rd. across from the Hard Rock Casino.
Steiner’s-A Nevada Style Pub never fails to pay homage to the annual festival. Its Oktoberfest party this year, dubbed ‘Biketoberfest,’ will take place on Saturday, October 4th at its Buffalo location (1750 N. Buffalo at Vegas Drive). The bash will run from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a live band, beer specials on Leinenkugels and Rogue beers and a give away of a 105th Anniversary Harley Davidson VROD as part of Steiner’s Summer Gaming promotion finale.
Rosemary’s Restaurant Sierra Nevada Beer Dinner will be held on September 30 and will include the debut of three new beers from Sierra Nevada: Sierra S8Zon-a saison Beverage Director Michael Shetler assisted in brewing while at Sierra Nevada’s Beer Camp, Chico Estate and Chico IPA. Brewery Ambassador Steve Grossman will be the guest speaker, presenting a history of the brewery. Rosemary’s has become famous in the beer world and was ranked as the 4th Best Food and Beer Destination in North America in our own 2006 CBN Writers Poll. To view the menu, go to <www.rosemarysrestaurant.com>; to reserve your spot, call 702-869-2251.
The latest beer nugget I’ve unearthed on the Vegas Strip is BLT Burger at the Mirage. Obviously the burgers are the main attraction, but when you throw in 32 different beers to wash them down with, it’s worth our time to take note. The vast majority of the choices are quality craft brews from around the globe. BLT sports 20 tap handles, some of which are beer gems not often found in Las Vegas, such as Stone IPA, Chimay Cinq Cents, Lindemans Frambois, Abita Turbo Dog, Firestone Pale Ale and Hoegaarden White Ale. There are also some treasures served in bottles including Duvel, Schneider Weiss and Sam Smith’s Lager. Local beers are served with Sin City Amber Ale and BLT Pilsner (made by Tenaya Creek Brewery) representing the Vegas breweries.
In Southern Nevada, local brewers are hard at work to satisfy our never-ending thirst for great beer. At Main Street Station’s Triple 7 Brewpub, Matt Marino will bless us with the return of his Belgian IPA. Todd Cook at Boulder Dam Brewing has weathered the hop crisis, and has had an IPA on tap all year-his most popular beer, High Scaler IPA. Up next is his American Wheat Ale with fresh blackberries and a five-hop IPA appropriately named Dam Buster. Dave Otto at Big Dog’s will offer up his Alpha Dog Double Red Ale. Tim Etter at Tenaya Creek has a bevy of seasonals: Kolsch, Black Widow Schwarzbier, Belgian Trippel, Imperial Stout and Nitro Barleywine. Tim is still growing hops in his backyard and should have a beer featuring his harvest by the time you read this. As always, good beer happens in Vegas!
Ruby Mountain Brewing Company
H.C. 60 Box 100
Clover Valley, Nevada 89835
775-752-BEER
www.rubymountainbrewing.com
BLT Burger @ The Mirage
3400 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-792-7888
www.bltburger.com
About the author...
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan and 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 - October ‘08 / November ‘08 Issue
What’s Brewing
By Bob Barnes-Associate Editor
The famous Rosemary’s Restaurant in Las Vegas hosted yet another beer dinner, pairing its award-winning cuisine with the venerable brews of Sierra Nevada. Brewery Ambassador Steve Grossman gave a power point presentation detailing Sierra Nevada’s ongoing expansion, and how the brewery has grown exponentially since its humble beginnings in 1980. Their new bottling line now can run 500 bottles a minute on each side; its new fermenters can hold 800 barrels; the brewery is run by fuel cells, powered by natural and bio-gas and solar panels that cover most of the brewery, with 80% of electricity produced onsite; the brewery now has 350 employees; and the twist-off cap was replaced last year with a new crown cap that guarantees a better seal. Steve also related that Sierra Nevada continues to use only whole-cone hops and now has a small 9-acre hop field that produces hops for its Estate Harvest Ale, accounting for less than 1% of the brewery’s hop use.
The reception featured the inaugural tasting of the S8ZoN, a saison brewed with coriander, white pepper and dried orange curacao peel. The first ever Sierra Nevada beer infused with spices, Rosemary’s Director of Operations Mike Shetler helped brew it on Sierra’s 10-barrel pilot system, as he was one of the 8 guests at Sierra Nevada’s beer camp (retailers are invited to the camp and decide on what beer to make). This beer was a real treat, heightened by the fact that it’s only available to the retailers involved in its brewing.
The first course was an Alaskan King Crab Timbale with Ruby Red Grapefruit Aioli, Fried Basil Leaves & Toasted Pistachios, served with Sierra’s flagship beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the beer cherished by craft beer lovers, brimming with the flavor of whole-cone Cascade hops. Course number two paired White Cheddar Stuffed Pancetta Wrapped Faro Quail with Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale, made with Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops from Sierra’s modest hop field and harvested within hours before brewing. This beer was a special offering, considering only eight cases were sent to Las Vegas, and approximately 1,500 cases total were produced. The meat course was Chimichurri Roasted Loin of Lamb on an Olive Pine Nut Couscous with Shitake Mushroom Reduction Sauce, coupled with Chico IPA, a beer which Steve related was originally supposed to be a Chico Estate wet hop harvest ale; when all of the hops weren’t picked in time to add to the kettle, plans were adjusted and the brewers decided to exercise some creative license, throwing in all kinds of hops on hand, resulting in a very well hopped (82 IBU) IPA. This 7.1% gem won a gold medal at this year’s StockholmBeer Festival. The finale was the dessert course, Chocolate Hazelnut Dacquoise prepared with a Sierra Porter Sabayon, matched with Sierra Nevada Porter, a beer with great character from roasted malts that pairs very well with desserts.
Part of the proceeds benefited the Abe & Louise Jaramillo Garden of Hope being built at the Nevada Cancer Institute, proving once again that drinking beer can be a very good thing, especially when it’s very good beer.
Martinis hosted its first beer dinner, pouring a variety of high-quality brews from around the globe. Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts and Bleu Cheese worked very well with the spicy La Fin Du Monde, a Belgianstyle tripel from the French Canadian Unibroue brewery. Aged Wisconsin White Cheddar Fondue with Root Vegetables was savored with the Bavarian Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, which imparted subtle banana and clove flavors derived from its distinctive yeast strain. The entree course was Veal Tenderloin accompanied by Green Lentils and Smoked Trumpet Mushrooms, paired with the robust Belgian Chimay Red, which complimented the meat with its creamy head and full-bodied richness. The dessert matched sweetness with sweetness: Granola Encrusted Pear Torte and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with the sweet and refreshing Wyder’s Pear Cyder.
Martinis is known for its namesake drink, with over 50 vodkas on the shelf, but its beer list will please beer fans, with a menu that includes the beers mentioned above, along with several more worthy craft brews. The restaurant and bar has a balance of modern decor mixed with Old Vegas, with modern lighting and extensive wood paneling. Martinis is located on S. Fort Apache just south of Charleston.
Tenaya Creek Brewery has closed its restaurant, enabling it to concentrate on expanding its brewing operations. So far it’s been a successful move, as Tenaya Creek brews are now served at 26 locations throughout the Vegas Valley, including on the Vegas Strip at BLT Burger at the Mirage, ESPN Zone at New York New York, and at the Harley Davidson Café; and at Suncoast Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort and Freakin’ Frog. A full list can be found on its website at <www.tenayacreekbrewery.com>. Tenaya Creek also has one of the best football happy hours in town, with $2 pints during all games on Sundays and Mondays and after 9 p.m. on most nights.
Martinis
1205 S. Fort Apache Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89117
702-242-8464
www.mixednutslv.com/martinis
About the author...
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan and associate editor of Food & Beverage News of Las Vegas. 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 Food & Beverage News - November ‘08 Issue
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