Las Vegas Brewing News

September 2021

Beer Zombies Opens 3rd Vegas Location

Chris Jacobs, owner/founder of Beer Zombies, has built quite a following, as over the years he has stood up for independent breweries by refusing to carry brews from any brewery that doesn’t earn the independent craft brewery seal. He’s also distinguished his brand by his ultra-creative artwork morphing into craft brewing and his new location in Downtown Summerlin continues this trend.

Situated next to Wetzel’s Pretzels and a few doors down from SkinnyFats, the small space features seating for 22, Edison lights, riveted sheet metal walls, manhole covers hanging from the ceiling, large screen TVs, a zombie-themed Big Buck Hunter target shooting video game and framed cans of the first ten Zombie beer releases. It’s also BZ’s first to have its own kitchen, and the menu is curated by Marc Marrone, who is known for his pizza and has instituted pies made with 3-day fermented dough, along with wings, salads, prime rib dip sandwich, pretzels with beer cheese and roasted spicy cauliflower.

Of course, the main focus is beer, with 16 rotating taps and 50-100 bottled and canned beers offered, all from independent craft breweries, such as the Beer Zombies Hopped Alive Imperial IPA and locally-brewed Able Baker Atomic Duck and Gamma Ray Burst, a Belgian tripel collaboration by Able Baker and Astronomy Aleworks. Jacobs wisely uses smaller kegs that are emptied within a day or two to keep the selection rotating and fresh, saying, “If you come in three times a week, I want you to be able to have a different beer each time.”

If your significant other is an oenophile and not into beer, not to worry, for Jacobs’ wife Raquel, a somm at The Palazzo’s Mott 32, has put together a small but first-class wine program.

Weekly special events include Big Beer Sunday, a bottle share hosted by bartender Aspen Walling during which, in addition to enjoying beers customers bring in, the vintage list is offered at a 20% discount; Tuesday Tap Takeover featuring 5-10 beers from a different brewery each week (follow @beerzombiesdts on Instagram to see who’s featured); and happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. offering a beer of the day for $5 and half off all appetizers. Hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs. and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

Triple 7 Reopening

At long last, the Victorian-themed Main Street Station in Downtown Las Vegas is reopening on September 8th, nearly 18 months after it closed during the shutdown in March 2020. That also means the Triple 7 Brewpub will be reopening and I’m happy to report that Tom Harwood, who in the interim has been brewing at Hop Nuts, will now resume his position as brewmaster at Triple 7. Of his return, Tom said, “I’m looking forward to getting 777 up and running again, welcoming guests and reconnecting with the returning team members as well as new ones. We’ve missed everyone. We will have some updated beer recipes to go along with a few of the classics. I can’t wait to have Carlsbad IPA back on our regular tap list!” I, for one, welcome Tom’s return and am looking forward to enjoying his brews again.

Ripple Effect of Brewer Changes

Last month, I reported on Weston Barkley leaving for Portland and Amanda Koeller leaving Big Dog’s to take Weston’s position at Bad Beat, and the month before shared about Patrick Tofte leaving Banger to become North 5th’s first head brewer. These moves have created a ripple effect, as several other brewers are playing musical chairs and changing their brewery hats.

So, take a deep breath and read on. Michael “Banger” Beaman has resumed his head brewer’s role at Banger. Jamie Roberts has left Scenic Brewing to join the brewing team at Big Dog’s, which in May also brought on Marshall Lytle, who came over from Barley’s. Sam Tofte has also left Barley’s to work alongside his brother Patrick at North 5th. With Tom Harwood returning to Triple 7, Hop Nuts owner Kevin Holder has been handling the brewing duties, but is bringing on a new brewer soon. It was initially rumored that the renowned Dave Otto, who made a name for himself over several years and earned several competition medals as the brewmaster at Holy Cow!/Big Dog’s, and then brewed at PT’s Brewing and more recently at Tonopah Brewing and Virginia City Brewing, would be coming over to Scenic. However, Dave has informed me he is actually going to be the first brewer for the new Las Vegas Brewing Company and the new brewery will be taking over the old PT’s Brewing facility where Dave headed the brewing operations before PT’s stopped brewing. I’ll be sure to share more details as they are released.

PKWY Tavern Opens New Location in Henderson

PKWY Tavern, known for its extensive craft beer selection, has opened its fifth location, at St. Rose and Las Vegas Blvd. across from the M Resort. Seating surrounds a long bar, and several large screen TVs lend to a sports bar atmosphere, and large windows provide natural light. The elevated bar food menu has some nice surprises like black pepper shrimp, blackened chicken alfredo, harvest salad and prime rib sliders. Rounding out the menu are wings, pizzas, buffalo cauliflower, street tacos, sandwiches & wraps and desserts such as chocolate lava cake and churro waffle. The beer list has about 150 choices with 50 taps offering several brews from local breweries Bad Beat, Big Dog’s, CraftHaus, HUDL, Lovelady and 7Five represented. Hours are 24/7 and a happy hour is 3-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and midnight-3 a.m. Sun.-Thurs.

Beerfests

For updated info on upcoming beerfests, scroll down to my August and July columns.

August 2021

Beerfests Return to Southern Nevada

As mentioned last month, at long last beer festivals have returned to Southern Nevada. I had the great fortune to attend the Silver State Brewfest on July 24 at the Tuscany Casino, my first beerfest since February 2020. It was very well run, and proved to be an outstanding opportunity to sample a plethora of Nevada-brewed beers including several unique ones I hadn’t tried before.

Such opportunities will continue with five more on tap in August, September and October. Following is a very brief rundown of each; for more details, scroll down to my July column or visit the websites listed below.

August 21: The Nevada Craft Brewers Association will host the Nevada Beer Bash at The Front Yard at Ellis Island.
Visit nvbeer.com/beer-events.

August 28 and October 30: Big Dog’s Brewing will resume its quarterly beerfests at the outdoor area of the Draft House.
Visit www.bigdogsbrews.com.

September 24: CraftHaus Brewery’s 7th Anniversary will convene at the brewery’s parking.
Visit www.crafthausbrewery.com.

October 16: The Motley Brews Downtown Brew Festival will return to the Clark County Amphitheater with more than 60 attending breweries and 200-plus craft beers.
Visit downtownbrewfestival.com.

Bad Beat Announces New Brewer

There’s no question Weston Barkley has won over the local brewing community through his warm, easygoing personality and incredible brewing abilities in creating masterpiece after masterpiece as Head Brewer at Bad Beat Brewing since the brewery opened in 2014. So, it’s with great regret that we must say goodbye and wish him well, as he’s off to Portland, OR, to take the Head Brewer position with Great Notion Brewing. Taking over at Bad Beat is Amanda Koeller, who also has won our hearts with her welcoming, cheerful personality and knack for brewing phenomenal brews at Big Dog’s in her role as Lead Brewer alongside Director of Brewing Operations Dave Pascual. I’m pretty sure Amanda, who has been one of the leaders of the local chapter of the Pink Boots Society, is the first woman ever to hold the top brewer position of a Nevada brewery. I think it’s a very good bet that both Weston and Amanda will excel in their new positions.

Ryan Reaves Headed to New York but 7Five Brewing Co. Not Going Anywhere

By now, everyone’s heard about NHL Vegas Golden Knights right wing Ryan Reaves being traded to the New York Rangers. But his 7Five Brewing Co., named for the only number Reaves has worn in the NHL and co-owned by longtime friend and business partner Adam Coates, isn’t going anywhere. The beers will continue to be made by Able Baker, which it has been doing since 7Five’s founding in 2018, brewing the Training Day Golden Ale, Dawn Breaker Golden Lager, Showtime Blonde Ale (an exclusive partnership with MGM Resorts available at select locations throughout their Las Vegas properties), Shiver Giver Red IPA and Grim Reaver Imperial Stout.

Check Out Food & Loathing Podcast

Yours truly was a recent guest on Food & Loathing, the new podcast by legendary Las Vegas food writers Al Mancini and Jason Harris that is “a savage journey into the stomach of the Las Vegas restaurant and bar scene.” Naturally, I spoke about local breweries and was joined by CraftHaus co-owners Dave (pictured above on the left) and Wyndee Forrest. I’m told it should post in mid-August, so in the meantime, check out the popular podcast here.

What’s Pouring in August

Richard Lovelady at Lovelady Brewing is continuing his collaboration with Speedee Mart in which Richard brews beers suggested by Speedee Mart owner Paul Orluske to be sold at his beer-centric Speedee Mart locations. This month’s offering is the 5% Gas Station Mexican Lager spiked with Hatch chiles and lime. You can stop by Lovelady Brewing in Downtown Henderson or elsewhere around town for Richard’s other creations, which include Lovelady Lava Flow Sour, a kettle sour with pineapple, coconut and strawberry; and the 7.5% Lovelady Lady Luck Double Hazy IPA with pomegranate puree. The Lady Luck is the second of the “homage” series to former Vegas casinos, with this one honoring the Lady Luck which opened in Downtown Las Vegas in 1964, closed in 2006 and was replaced by the Downtown Grand.

During my recent visit to Banger Brewing (the first and still the only brewery on Fremont Street), Michael “Banger” Beaman shared that in the coming months he plans to make a lot more beer styles and currently has 12 wine, bourbon and gin barrels full of aging beer. I got to enjoy the fruits of one of them—Dangerous by Default—a delicious, rich, malty 10% English-style barleywine aged for a year in a Heaven Hill bourbon barrel. As I write this in early August it’s still on tap at the brewpub, so head over to Fremont Street to experience it for yourself.

My apologies to Nevada Brew Works, for in this column last month I attributed the Patio Tangerine Shandy solely to HUDL, but it was actually a collaboration brew with their neighbor two doors down. Hurry down to the Downtown Arts District and you might still be able to snag a pint of this summer quencher at either HUDL or Nevada Brew Works. While at Nevada Brew Works, be sure to drink to a good cause and enjoy their 5% Oliver Raspberry Sour, as a portion of the proceeds go towards assisting the beer’s namesake, a local child named Oliver who is in need of medical equipment.

CraftHaus Brewery has also done a collaboration brew, this one with Reno’s Great Basin Brewing Company, which just happens to be the first Nevada brewery to open (way back in 1993) in the modern age. Called Razzle All Day, it’s an 8.5% imperial raspberry parfait sour, which according to CraftHaus’ press release is a tribute to Great Basin co-owner Tom Young and all he and his team have done for craft beer in Nevada. Both breweries came together and created a mix of two fan favorites: Razzle Fo Shazzle and Parfait All Day to create this mix of tart, fresh raspberries bursting with brightness, which were then mellowed from the addition of smooth lactose and vanilla. Look for it on draft and 16 oz four packs at the brewery in Henderson, at the taproom in the Arts District and at select craft beer retail outlets. A portion of proceeds will benefit the Nevada Craft Brewers Association to protect and promote Nevada breweries.