Nevada Beer Nuggets - Celebrator Magazine
By Bob Barnes
Beer Fests and Special Tapping Parties!
Beer fest season in southern Nevada is heating up, along with the pleasant spring temps. On April 30, the Big Dog’s Brewing Peace Love & Hoppy-ness Beer & Music Festival will take place outside at the Big Dog’s Draft House location at Rancho and Craig Rd. beginning at 2 p.m. You can expect at least 25 regional beers, three live bands, Southwestern BBQ and raffles. There’s no admission charge for the fest, but pours will be available for $1-6, depending upon the style and the size of the pour. Commemorative pint glasses will be $4 each and will be used throughout the event.
Next up will be the 8th Annual Barley’s Brewfest 2011 on May 7 from 2 to 8 p.m. This is the Vegas Valley’s longest running beer festival and an opportunity to try brews from all or most of the area’s brewpubs, as well as other breweries from the region and around the world. Fest organizer Jim Wilson is anticipating having more than 30 breweries serving beer, and with each serving three to four brews, there promises to be a plentiful and well-rounded selection. The fest will be held in the surrounding plaza and parking lot, with a commemorative tasting glass and unlimited tasting costing $25. This year’s event will be a fundraiser for the Beer for Boobs gang from White Labs in support of breast cancer care, research and awareness. Barley’s is in Henderson/Green Valley at Mountain Vista & Sunset.
A week later will be the 5th Annual Lee’s Beer Experience on May 14 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton. This is southern Nevada’s largest beerfest with well over 300 beers to sample. Tickets, priced at $40 ($50 at the door), will be sold at all Lee’s Discount Liquor stores. Admission includes unlimited tasting of beer and food and a commemorative glass. The Las Vegas Hilton is at 3000 Paradise Rd., about a half-mile east of the Vegas Strip, and is a stop on the Las Vegas Monorail System.
Aces & Ales continues to provide a beer menu with some hard to find brews as well as those not available anywhere else in southern Nevada, and sponsors weekly and sometimes bi-weekly special beer events. On April 20th all of the taps will be pouring Lagunitas specialties and Owner Tony Magee and Brewmaster Jim Jacobs will be on hand to talk about their beer and also participate in a live music jam. On May 21 and 22 the 2nd Annual Stone Domination event will result in the aforementioned taps being dominated by more than a dozen varieties of Stone Brewing, with Owner Greg Koch popping in to rub elbows with anyone who feels worthy enough. Aces & Ales is on Nellis near Sam’s Town, just south of Twain.
On May 5th, Boulder Dam Brewing in Boulder City will throw its annual Cinco de Brew-o Bash, during which it will tap Brewmaster Todd Cook’s Cincuenta Cerveza, a light pilsner infused with the juice of fifty limes. Cinco de Brew-o will also feature a special menu, drink specials and live music.
Vacation Beer
I was recently on the Big Island of Hawaii and made my way to Kona Brewing Company. My hope was to check out some of Brewmaster Rich Tucciarone’s brews that are only available at the brewery, and I was not disappointed. Here’s a rundown of the seasonals I enjoyed. The Big Island Ginger, made from the 2nd runnings of the Old Blow Hole Barley Wine, had a pleasant ginger flavor, derived from ginger root. Bourbon Barrel Aged Black Sand Porter is aged in wood for six to eight months and is made from the base beer of the Kona Brewing Porter. Da Grind Buzz Kona Coffee Stout is an imperial stout infused with Kona’s Cornwell Coffee, which is a special roast finely ground to the brewery’s specifications for brewing. Koko Brown is a medium-bodied brown ale enhanced with toasted coconut. A real bonus was discovering that many of the special beers incorporated ingredients from Hawaii. In addition to the great brews, the pizza is the best on the island. What’s on Tap
As always, Nevada brewers are toiling away to lend truth to Benjamin Franklin’s iconic statement, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
On April 1, BJ’s Brewing won’t be “fooling” around, and will release its Abbey Normal, a new seasonal that’s been brewed before but not previously put out company-wide. According to Brewmaster Derek Osborne, the creator of this brew, this dubbel style tastes and looks very similar to Westmalle, and weighs in at 20 IBU’s and 7% abv. Ingredients include Westmalle yeast, Special B, Dark Crystal, oats, wheat, Munich, 2-row and beet sugar.
Richard Lovelady at Gordon Biersch in Las Vegas will deliver his annual Maibock, an Einbecker style (traditional German Bock) weighing in at 7% abv and 25 IBU's, and tapping on April 4th.
Matt Marino at the Triple 7 Brewpub at Main Street Station in downtown Las Vegas is installing all new draft lines and towers, which will enable him to add more beers to the lineup. This means that his Hefeweizen will go on year-round, most likely the IPA and eventually a couple other taps will open up to seasonals as well.
Joseph James Brewing has released its Alpine Wit, a traditional Belgian-style Witbier with raw wheat, pilsner malts, Saaz and Perle hops, coriander, and orange zest from sweet and bitter oranges. This beer, along with four others will be featured at a beer dinner at Tbones Chophouse and Lounge at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas on April 7. Cost is $65 plus tax and gratuity. Call 702-797-7517 to reserve.
Knee Deep Brewing is now selling its Hopstar IPA, Immigration Red Ale, Knee Deep in Powder (Black IPA) and Tanilla in 22 fl oz. bottles and kegs in Northern Nevada and Las Vegas. Brewmaster/Owner Jeremy Warren reports he will be releasing his next seasonal in late April or early May, a pineapple wheat beer call Knee Deep in Surf.
Buckbean Brewing in Reno has extended the hours for its tasting bar and is also now serving snacks of mini pizzas, chips and popcorn. The new hours are Tues. 3 to 6 p.m., Wed. through Fri. 3 to 8 p.m., and Sat. from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The brewery is pouring a seasonal or specialty beer every month, which will often be bourbon barrel-aged.
The recent closing of the iconic Brickskeller in Washington D.C., which was renowned for stocking the largest beer selection in the US, has now opened up bragging rights for the Freakin’ Frog in Las Vegas to lay claim to the #1 position. The Frog currently serves 1,027 beers and routinely carries special taps that no other pub in the state carries, such as Firestone’s Double Jack and Velvet Merlin oatmeal stout (formerly known as Velvet Merkin).
Beer Nugget!
The latest beer nugget I’ve unearthed on the Vegas Strip is La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas. Situated in a corridor offering a respite from the hectic gaming area, design elements are intended to make you feel like you’re dining in an exclusive wine cellar. Executive Chef William DeMarco has designed a modern American small plates menu, and what makes La Cave even more commendable is its excellent beer selection, with several taps and bottles including Delirium Tremens, Duvel, Unibroue La Fin du Monde, St. Louis Kriek, Dogfish Head 60 Min. IPA, Firestone Walker Double Barrel Pale Ale and rotating seasonals. As always, great beer happens in Nevada!
La Cave at Wynn Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV, 89109
(702) 967-4111
Bob Barnes is a native Nevadan and is celebrating his 12th 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. | 
