Nevada Beer Nuggets - Celebrator Magazine
By Bob Barnes

Nevada did not mine any gold at the 2008 GABF, but it did strike with a silver and two bronze medals, divided between Las Vegas and Reno breweries. Las Vegas’s Big Dog’s Brewing Co. added a silver to its collection for its Alpha Dog Double Red Ale (Imperial or Double Red Ale category), and Chicago Brewing Co. brought home a bronze for its All Nighter (Golden or Blonde Ale). The brand new Buckbean Brewing Co. from Reno earned a bronze with its Black Noddy Lager (Schwarzbier category), impressive considering the brewery has only been in existence for six months. Buckbean was also recently honored by Playboy.com for The Original Orange Blossom Ale, which was named Playboy’s Beer of the Week, garnering three and a half bunnies out of a possible four. Buckbean has catapulted into the top spot of the Silver State’s beer production; it is now Nevada’s largest production microbrewery, packaging its brews in kegs and environmental-friendly 16-oz. cans.

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. The brewery is now quite environmentally friendly, with 80% of its electricity produced onsite by fuel cells powered by natural and bio-gas, and solar panels that cover most of the brewery. Sierra Nevada continues to use only whole-cone hops and now has a 9-acre hop field that produces hops for its Estate Harvest Ale.

The reception featured the inaugural tasting of 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 (see CBN Oct./Nov. 2008 issue). 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, served with Sierra’s flagship beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, the beer cherished by real beer lovers, brimming with the flavor of whole-cone Cascade hops. Course number two paired White Cheddar Pancetta Wrapped Faro Quail with Chico Estate Harvest Wet Hop Ale, brewed with Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops from Sierra’s modest hop field, harvested within hours of brewing. The meat course was Chimichurri Roasted Loin of Lamb with a Shitake Mushroom Reduction Sauce, coupled with Chico IPA, a very well hopped (82 IBU) IPA. This 7.1% gem won a gold medal at the 2008 Stockholm Beer Festival. The finale was a 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 benefitted 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.

Tenaya Creek Brewery in Las Vegas 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 Harley Davidson Café, and at the 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 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.

Great Basin Brewpub in Sparks held its annual pine nut cracking party in preparation for its Harvest Ale. Separating the seed from the tough pod is an onerous task, so the brewpub’s faithful are recruited to help prep for the brew, and are rewarded with a free pint of beer, giving real meaning to the phrase, ‘Will Work for Beer.’ Nicknamed ‘Nevada in a Glass,’ the Harvest Ale is a true authentic Nevada brew, utilizing local indigenous materials that include pine nuts, sagebrush and juniper berries. Great Basin celebrates its 15th anniversary the first week of December, featuring some 20 brews and a special celebratory brew for the occasion.

This issue marks the 10th anniversary of my association with Celebrator Beer News. My thanks and appreciation go out to Editor Tom Dalldorf, for taking a chance on a newbie writer, and for having the wisdom to deem Nevada’s beer scene a worthy topic for CBN.

Vegas brewers are hard at work brewing beers to help us celebrate the holidays in style. Dave Otto at Big Dog’s Brewing has rolled out his much-anticipated Bitches Brew, a 6% pumpkin beer brewed with toasted Vienna and Munich malts, 300 pounds of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, clove and brown sugar. Matt Marino at Main Street Station’s Triple 7 Brewpub is brewing an IPA with all of his remaining Centennial hops; it’s due out around the New Year. Todd Cook at Boulder Dam Brewing reports his hop supply is improving, enabling him to bring back his High Scaler IPA. Richard Lovelady at Gordon Biersch will unveil his Winterbock, a dark, unfiltered 8% rich lager that is scheduled for release on Nov 28th.

The latest beer nugget I’ve unearthed on the Vegas Strip is Mainland, an Asian noodle house located in the brand new Palazzo (next to the Venetian). A more than respectable beer menu of brews from around the world lists 27 choices, with stand-outs Anchor Liberty Ale, Blue Moon Winter Ale and Franziskaner Dunkel on tap, and Hitachino White Ale, La Fin du Monde, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Pyramid Apricot Ale in bottles. As always, good beer happens in Vegas!

Mainland@The Shoppes at The Palazzo
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-414-4300

About the author...
Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, and is celebrating his 10th 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 - December/January 2008-09 Issue