Nevada Beer Nuggets - Celebrator Magazine

By Bob Barnes

Nevada has a new micro-brewery producing craft beer. Buckbean Brewing Company, the first micro-production brewery to open in Reno, is packaging its brews in kegs and in 16-oz. environmentally friendly cans. The rationale for the use of aluminum is an effort to reduce waste, improve taste and cut down on energy use. Owners Doug Booth and Dan Kahn, while acknowledging that canned beer suffers from an image problem, point out several benefits to using aluminum: cans aren’t packed in cardboard and don’t have to be rinsed of packing dust (cuts back on water use), are lighter than bottles (requiring less fuel to ship), are the most easily recyclable material, and a case of cans uses about 70% less paper and cardboard than a case of bottles. The myth that canned beer tastes metallic is easily dispelled, since all cans have had inert, flavorless inner linings since the 1980’s. Cans are able go to many places that bottles can’t, and the packing process preserves freshness better than bottles and promotes foam retention.

Dan Kahn handles the brewing duties, having honed his skills at Buzzards Bay Brewing in Westport, Mass. and at Riverside Brewing Company in Riverside, California. Currently two beers are produced for distribution in cans: Original Orange Blossom Ale-brewed with Caramel and Munich malts balanced with the aroma and flavor of real orange tree flowers; and Black Noddy Lager-a schwarzbier with Caramel, Munich and Honey malts adding character and depth. Rotating seasonals for draft sales include Artown Vienna Lager-toasty malt complexity with medium bitterness.

Buckbean takes its name from the buckbean plant, an herb that grows in the nearby Tahoe Meadows. Buckbean was a traditional substitute for hops in brewing beer, and Dan plans to use buckbean in crafting some of his specialty releases. Buckbean beer is available on draft at a slew of restaurant and pubs in the Reno area and in cans at all locations of Scolari’s Food and Drug Co. and Ben’s Fine Wine & Spirits. In Las Vegas, look for it at Whole Foods and Lee’s Discount Liquor locations. The tasting room, located near the intersection of S. McCarran and S. Rock/Pembroke, is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 to 6 and from 11 to 7 on Fridays and Saturdays. For more information and a map visit <www.buckbeanbeer.com.

Great Basin Brewing Company in Sparks (Reno/Tahoe area) is now producing Truckee River Organic Red, Nevada’s first certified organic beer. A party was held in June to celebrate the USDA certification, and a portion of the proceeds went to the Nevada Land Conservancy, a local non-profit group dedicated to protecting Nevada’s open spaces and special places. Owner Tom Young in describing this beer said, “This unfiltered beer explores full caramel malt flavors derived from selected organically grown domestic and German barley.” Head Brewer Jazz Aldrich says he’s doing his best to keep up with demand, as his patrons are drinking a ton of it.

More beer trains are on tap this fall for the Northern Nevada Railway, featuring the 4th Annual Oktoberfest Celebration, with beer provided by White Pine Brewing Company. The beer train jaunts depart from Ely, and consist of crafted gourmet German-style fare paired with stellar beer, while touring the foothills of the picturesque White Pine Mountains on the historic railway. Two beer trains are slated for Sept. 20th and Sept. 27. Since the train on the 27th is already sold out, don’t delay in reserving your spot. For tickets, go to the Northern Nevada Railway website at <www.nevadanorthernrailway.net > or call 1-866-40STEAM. For more information on the brewery, visit <www.WhitePineBrewing.com>.

Vital beer research has been conducted in Las Vegas. Adam Carmer, owner of Freakin’ Frog, has opened Adam’s Ribs, a family-friendly BBQ restaurant located just steps from the Frog. After exhaustive experimentation Adam has selected 35 craft beers that pair best with the flavors in BBQ. I recently enjoyed a sampling of his ribs and let Adam choose the beer for me, based on his research. Deschutes Black Butte Porter was matched with beef ribs while Pyramid Apricot Wheat paired with baby back ribs; both accentuated the BBQ flavors, proof that Adam had done his homework. It’s the best of both worlds. Freakin’ Frog now has 925 different beers, reputed to be the largest selection in the West; now, after enjoying your favorite beers, you can exit the Frog and walk across the parking lot to get your fill of BBQ.

Adam’s Ribs is on Maryland Pkwy., across the street from UNLV. It’s in the same building that formerly housed Moose McGillicuddy’s, but after a complete renovation you would never guess it’s the same place. Windows allow natural light and panels of natural knotty pine on the walls and ceiling have transformed the space into a bright and cheery atmosphere. Show up with this article in your hand and you’ll get a pint of the rotating seasonal brew for free.

Steiner’s has long been one of the best watering holes in Vegas. I’ve always appreciated its beer menu listing over 70 beers with 24 taps. In celebration of the 5th anniversary of its Buffalo location, it will host an outdoor party with live music and special prizes on Friday August 15th, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Here’s a chance to go back in time, with food and drink specials at the same prices they were in 2003 when the pub first opened. Steiner’s is on Buffalo at Vegas Drive in the Albertson’s Shopping Center, about a mile north of the Summerlin Parkway. In Las Vegas, local brewers are hard at work producing great beer to satisfy our never ending thirst during the long hot summer.

Dave Otto at Big Dog’s Brewing offers up a pilsner, brewed with 100% German Hallertau hops, and his thirst-quenching Belgian White Ale. Matt Marino at Main Street Station’s Triple 7 Brewpub will refresh us with a Mango Cream Ale made with real mango, followed by his highly requested Belgian IPA, brewed with noble hops, and the return of his multi-award winning Black Cherry Stout. As always, good beer happens in Vegas!

Buckbean Brewing Company
1155 S. Rock Blvd. Ste. 490
Reno, NV 89502
775-857-4444
www.buckbeanbeer.com

Adam’s Ribs
4770 S. Maryland Pkwy.
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-242-8227
www.AdamsribsLV.com

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 - August / September ‘08 Issue

What’s Brewing
By Bob Barnes-Associate Editor

When is a burger more than a burger? The easy and short answer is when you have 32 beers to compliment it with. The brand new BLT Burger at the Mirage, at the heart of the Vegas Strip, opened just days before the 4th of July holiday; the burgers and taps have been flowing non-stop ever since.

While there is a smattering of mainstream domestic brews on the list, the vast majority of the beer choices are quality craft brews from around the globe. Some of the 20 tap handles 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. There are also some treasures served in bottles including Duvel, Schneider Weiss and Hitachino Nest White Ale. Local beers are served with Sin City Amber Ale and BLT Pilsner (made by Tenaya Creek Brewery) representing the Vegas breweries. Take it from me, this beer list is well-rounded, a nice balance of beer styles and bristling with quality.

The food menu is naturally heavy on beef burgers, which are 100% Certified Black Angus beef and a combination of sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket cut. The burgers are not your average burger, exemplified by the American Kobe (Snake River Farm American Wagyu Beef) and Lamb Tandoori (Colorado lamb with cucumber and mint-cilantro yogurt sauce). Non-beef eaters are not left out, with choices of Turkey Breast, Buffalo Chicken, Veggie Falafel and Salmon rounding out the burger menu.

The non-beer drinkers in your party will want to check out some of the unique milkshakes. Twinkie Boy is blended with actual twinkies, caramel syrup and vanilla ice cream; The Lunch Box has peanut butter, jelly and vanilla ice cream. Spiked versions include the All  Nighter-Kahlua, Bailey’s, Espresso and coffee ice cream; Fuzzy the Bear-peach schnapps, peaches and vanilla ice cream; and Malibu Barbie-Malibu Rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and vanilla ice cream.

BLT is kid-friendly and even sports a kid’s menu. They should also appreciate the dessert menu that features ingredients that are youngster favorites. The S’More combines peanut butter, marshmallow and milk chocolate; “Krispy Kreme” Doughnut Bread Pudding is a concoction of the famed doughnut served with rum-raisin ice cream; and the Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwich melds strawberry-vanilla with chocolate-hazelnut.

The room is designed in an upbeat classic diner style with tables and booths, a textured ceiling and an oak pieced floor. The brightly-lit room’s main attraction is a circular open-grill kitchen where guests can view the chef’s creations. The kitchen is surrounded by bright, shiny red bricks and a huge grill hood reminiscent of a hanging lamp extends from the ceiling. A series of flat screen TV’s tuned to sports and a sound system playing good old rock ‘n’ roll contribute to the energetic environment.

At first glance you may think that BLT stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato, but it’s actually the initials of the name of the restaurant’s company. Bistro Laurent Tourondel is named for the renowned French chef that has opened eateries of varying cuisines in several cities in the US and Puerto Rico, and now Las Vegas. BLT could not be in a better location. Situated in the space where the Siegfried and Roy White Tiger Sanctuary used to be, it’s smack dab in the casino, just steps from the room registration lobby. With an estimated 10,000 people walking by each day, BLT is sure to do well, and the interesting menu and outstanding beer list certainly adds to its appeal.

BLT is open daily from 11a.m. till early morning and has seating for 186. To view the complete menu, go to www.bltburger.com. As always, good beer happens in Vegas!

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 an 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 - August ‘08 Issue