Nevada Breweries Make Us Proud at World Beer Cup
The World Beer Cup (WBC), the world’s largest and most prestigious international brewing competition often referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competitions,” took place last month in Indianapolis. Unlike the Great American Beer Festival, open only to US breweries, the WBC is open to breweries from any country and this year a total of 265 judges from 37 countries assessed 8,375 entries from 1,761 breweries and cideries in 49 countries submitted in 112 style categories. Needless to say, winning a WBC honor is quite an accomplishment, and Nevada can be very proud, as three of its breweries earned two gold and one silver award.
Big Dog’s Brewing Co. brought home the gold in the Belgian-Style Tripel category with its Tripel Dog Dare. Head Brewer/Director of Brewery Operations Dave Pascual, who for several years now I have dubbed the “Michael Phelps of Nevada brewers,” has the distinction of having garnered more major medal wins than any other brewer in the history of Nevada. This gold adds to his dominance, with his collection now totaling 13 GABF and 4 WBC awards. Reflecting on the win Dave said, “We are all incredibly honored to bring home another prestigious medal for Las Vegas at one of the largest competitions in the world. Tripel Dog Dare is and will always be a special beer for me and my team to brew. Our brewery’s dedication to precision, balance and restraint has led us to produce this world class Belgian-Style Tripel that is masterfully balanced with complexity, strength and drinkability.”
Able Baker Brewing Co. earned gold in the Contemporary American-Style Lager category with its El Pato Loco. Director of Marketing and Public Relations Kevin Lingley speaking of the win said, “It’s an absolute honor to win this award. We know the competition is world class and the talent of the brewers in the WBC is at the highest level, so to be recognized as the best in the world is both very exciting and flattering. We thank every Able Baker fan that allows us to continue to do what we love every day, and we hope winning a prestigious award like Gold in the WBC will not only help give us exposure but give the Las Vegas brewing scene as a whole a bigger footprint on the map, and show people that Las Vegas makes world class beer.”
Mojave Brewing Co. received its first major competition award in the Experimental, Barrel-Aged or Specialty Cider category with its Mojave Brewing Barrel Aged Cider. Head Brewer Andy Kohon explained how the winning cider came about: “This was a collaboration with Rock ‘n Grapes Wine Pub. They got us a fresh California red wine barrel that we aged our cider in for six months. We are super proud of this barrel aged cider and are appreciative of the support our community has given us and look forward to continuing to make amazing cider for them!”
Summer Beer Events
Brews for Dad at Azzurra Wine Bar — June 12
Azzurra Wine Bar on Water Street in Henderson will host a special tasting of seasonal beers led by Tanner Norfolk of HUDL Brewing from 6 to 7 p.m. Charcuterie chips that pair well with the special beer will be available for purchase. Tickets for the beer tasting are $10 and can be reserved by emailing kaseys@gmail.com.
ØØ Pie & Pub CraftHaus Beer Dinner — June 11
ØØ Pie & Pub, which was named to the 50 Top Pizza USA list in 2024, will host a beer pairing dinner featuring the beers of local CraftHaus Brewery and the creations of World Pizza Champion and 2025 James Beard Best Chef: Southwest Semifinalist Chef/Partner Michael Vakneen. During the dinner CraftHaus Owners Dave and Wyndee Forrest will be talking to guests about the beers being served.
Included are a Welcome Cocktail and four courses with beer pairings. Courses are:
- Fruit Carpaccio or Sashimi paired with Tropical Forrest New England Hazy IPA
- Smoked Beets matched with Cukoo Cukoo Dark Lager
- choice of Short Rib with Sumo Stomp Tangerine Focaccia or Short Rib Pizza paired with Sumo Stomp Sumo Tangerine Japanese Rice Lager
- Banana Tempura with a GOAT reduction matched with The GOAT Doppelbock (aged in a Frey Ranch bourbon barrel)
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m. and the cost is $80 per person (plus tip). To purchase tickets, click here.
595 Craft & Kitchen Tap Takeovers and 8 Year Anniversary Celebration—June 16-24
Over the past eight years 595 Craft & Kitchen has proven to be one of our city’s best craft beer bars with a unique beer list featuring mainly beers you won’t find anywhere else in town and one of the best supporters of our local breweries.
Leading up to its anniversary celebration, 595 will host two tap takeovers. On June 3 beginning at 5 p.m., ISM Brewing out of Long Beach, CA will be featured, and Owner Ian McCall and other ISM peeps will be hanging out to talk about their beer. The ISM tap list will include Rainbow Harbor Blonde Ale, Gulp of Mexico Mexican Lager, Pasts Return American Red Ale, Asmodeus WCIPA collab w/Ghost Town Brewing & Ambitious Ales and Scooter Backflip Hazy IPA.
A week later, on June 10 at 5 p.m., the pFriem Family Brewing folks will be in town for the first time. At press time the tap list was TBD.
As it does every year, the 595 anniversary party is a weeklong event featuring beer from our local breweries. Starting on Monday, June 16 there will be four taps devoted to local, with four new taps being added each day until June 24 when all 24 taps are pouring local brews. On the final day there will also be the debut of their anniversary collab with Big Dog’s called Barkfest Club, a very approachable and balanced Amber Lager. I think it’s worth noting that while 595 initially drew patrons for its stellar beer lineup, now just as many show up for the excellent food, and I deem their Tom Kha Pasta one the best dishes I’ve ever eaten.
Red, White & Brews Spirits & Beer Bash — July 5
Crab Corner Maryland Seafood will present the Red, White & Brews Spirits & Beer Bash from 1-4:30 p.m. at AREA15 in The Portal. This 360-degree projection mapped room will be very immersive and impressive, feature all the sampling partners’ logos above their table location, as well as a variety of patriotic Independence Day images such as Mount Rushmore and fireworks over the National Mall.
Some featured partners include local breweries HUDL and Neon Desert and several regional breweries like Firestone Walker, Hop Valley, Silver Reef and Stone; and spirits such as Blue Valor Whiskey, El Cristiano Tequila, Ford’s Gin and Jack Daniels. Food for purchase will include the regular Crab Corner Maryland Seafood food truck menu including their Lobster Roll & Crabcake Sandwich as well as some more traditional 4th of July cookout items like burgers and sausages.
The cost is $50, but the Eventbrite website has a two-for-one deal priced at $50 for two people.
For the full list of participating breweries and spirits and to purchase tickets, click here.
Silver State Summer Brewfest — July 19
Tuscany Suites & Casino and Pub 365 will host the 8th annual Silver State Summer Brewfest from 3-7 p.m. in the Florentine Ballroom.
There will be unlimited tasting of more than 100 craft beers including Nevada breweries Able Baker, Beer Zombies, Big Dog’s, Cin-Cin, CraftHaus, HUDL and Lead Dog; and guest breweries such as Dogfish Head, Founders, Lagunitas, New Belgium and Voodoo. During the festivities there will be live music by 90s Station, yard games and food available for purchase including Marinated and Grilled Shrimp Skewers, Meatball Sub, IPA Bratwurst on a pretzel bun, Mac N Cheese Bites, Soft Pretzel and Beer Cheese. Tickets are only $20 if you buy your ticket by July 15 ($25 after), and designated drivers receive free entry, soft drinks and bottled water. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Animal Foundation. For the full list of participating breweries and to purchase tickets, click here.
Local Brewer Spotlight: Jimmy Doyle
In this monthly feature, we spotlight one of our local head brewers. This month we learn all about Jimmy Doyle, Brewer/Partner at Neon Desert Brewing.
Jimmy is a former attorney who got so good at online poker he decided to relocate from Arkansas to Las Vegas to try his hand at live poker. He did just fine, but after becoming a serious homebrewer and winning two best-of-show competitions (one local and one state) in 2015 and being interviewed by our local newspaper, he was asked why he doesn’t have his own brewery. It kind of put the idea in his head and after a friend offered to invest, they opened Beer District Brewing in the Arts District. It happened to open just 17 days before the Covid shutdown and after reopening kind of struggled to stay open. In 2021 the brewery was rebranded Neon Desert Brewing with new owners and eventually moved to the Henderson Booze District, taking over Bad Beat’s former space in early 2024. The new facility nearly doubled Neon Desert’s capacity, almost tripled fermenter space and Jimmy is also appreciative of being in a much safer area.
As for his favorite beer styles to drink and brew, he says he prefers “big, dark and strong beers” and likes brewing “the opposite of what most people drink, as far as you can get from Bud.” One of his favorites is his Jimmychlaus, a bigger 16% version of the 14% Samichlaus Doppelbock, which he makes once a year. He’s soon bringing us a 10% Triple West Coast IPA with Chinook, Warrior, Citra, Simco, Columbus and Centennial hops. On the horizon Jimmy has an Imperial Stout with maple syrup aged for 9 months in Heaven Hill 18-Year bourbon barrels. Did I mention Jimmy likes big beers? Also, every Friday Neon Desert releases two new beers, so show up any time after 2 p.m. to experience Jimmy’s latest.
Local Brewery Champion of the Month: Boom Bang Fine Foods & Cocktails
Boom Bang Fine Foods & Cocktails in the Smith’s center at 75 S Valle Verde just south of the 215 freeway in Henderson serves a beer list that is nearly 100% local. When I stopped in last month I found Beer Zombies Duck Hunter IPA, Tenaya Creek Bonanza Brown Ale and Tenaya Creek Pilsner.
This American brasserie opened in 2021 and is still putting out outstanding fare at reasonable prices. Best sellers include Dover Sol Meuniere with potato puree, Mary’s Duck Confit with cherry cassis compote and rosemary zinfandel sauce, and Organic Short Rib with Bordelaise salsa verde. The excellence of the cuisine is due in large part to Bravo Top Chef Alum and Joël Robuchon’s first female sous chef Elia Aboumrad, who recently competed (and did quite well, making it to the 5th round) in the Food Network’s 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing competition.
In this recurring feature we spotlight establishments that appreciate our local breweries enough to devote the majority of their beer lists to beer made in Nevada.
Las Vegas Brewing Adds New Smash Burgers
Beer is an excellent companion to burgers, and one of our local breweries, Las Vegas Brewing Co., is stepping up its burger game with the addition of six new smash burgers at its Arts District taproom at 1226 S 3rd St. Reasonably priced from $12-$16 and served with house chips, some examples are the Ghost Pepper Smashy with Ghost pepper jack cheese, banana peppers, caramelized onions and roasted red pepper sauce; Steakhouse Smashy with bleu cheese crumble, grilled mushrooms & onions and house-made steak sauce; Italian Smashy with mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, ricotta/mozz & pesto spread and Italian seasoning; and The House Plant with signature house made vegan patty, vegan cheddar and vegan Perfect sauce. To view the complete menu, click here.
- Hero image © Adobe Stock – licensed for editorial and edited by A.D. Cook
- All other pics supplied by their respective venues. Used by permission.
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Bob Barnes began his food and beverage writing career in 1998 as Regional Correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and wrote the Nevada Beer Nuggets column from 1998-2019. He was Editorial Director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional from 2012-2021 and has covered Las Vegas for Gayot since 2010. He continues to contribute to Gayot, writing the Gayot Las Vegas Restaurant News, features on new restaurants, and beer and spirit reviews. He also writes regularly for Off The Strip, The Vegas Voice, Neon Feast, and Las Vegas Magazine.
