Nevada Breweries Win Big at Great American Beer Festival
The Great American Beer Festival (GABF) convened in Denver Oct. 9-11, the 39th year of the competition. 8,315 beers from 1,555 breweries and cideries from all 50 states and D.C. were entered, with 347 medals being awarded to 273 breweries and cideries—making it the largest professional beer competition in the US.
Nevada fared quite well, equaling last year’s record of seven medals won.
Reno breweries brought home three of Nevada’s medals, with Great Basin Brewing earning a gold for its Red Nose Holiday Wassail in the Herb and Spice Beer category, Parlay 6 Brewing a bronze for its Coconut Mafia in the Dessert Stout or Pastry Stout category, and Schussboom Brewing a bronze for its Tripel Cork in the Belgian-Style Tripel category.
The other four medals were earned by Las Vegas’ Big Dog’s Brewing, who took gold for its Just Friends in the Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale category and silver for its Tripel Dog Dare in the Belgian-Style Tripel category; and St. George, Utah’s Silver Reef Brewing (which brews for Las Vegas’ Ellis Island) took home two silver medals for its Ay Dios Mio! in the Chili Beer category and Mas Fuego in the Smoke Beer category.
Big Dog’s Head Brewer/Director of Brewery Operations, Dave Pascual, has the distinction of having garnered more major medal wins than any other brewer in the history of Nevada. These two medals add to his dominance, bringing his collection to 15 GABF and 4 World Beer Cup awards. It’s worth noting that the Triple Dog Dare also won a gold medal at this year’s World Beer Cup back in May, so definitely quite an accomplishment to bring home gold twice in one year with the same beer. Reflecting on the win Dave said, “What can I say? These wins are truly a testament to how well we work together as a team. It’s incredible that we continue to win and represent Las Vegas on some of the biggest award stages in our industry. It’s not just about brewing great beer—it’s about the amazing support we receive from everyone: the Wiesner family, our office staff, our pub team, our fellow local breweries, and of course, all our patrons—both locals and visitors—who seek out our beer. With everyone’s support, we’ll keep pushing ourselves to produce the highest-quality beers out there. If you haven’t heard of us yet, I highly encourage you to stop by and experience all our award-winning brews for yourself.”
As previously mentioned, Silver Reef brews the beer for Ellis Island, which was where the brewery was located for more than 20 years before outgrowing the space and moving to a production facility just across the state line in Utah. Like Big Dog’s, one of their medal wins was for a beer that had previously medaled at the World Beer Cup. Silver Reef Director of Brewery Operations Michael Key said, “We are thrilled and honored to win another medal for Mas Fuego Smoked Lager in a major competition. To get a second medal with Ay Dios Mio in the Chili Beer category was unbelievable. So many great breweries participated, and to double medal was a proud moment for our brewery. We always attend the awards ceremony with the gang from Big Dog’s, and we have become each other’s lucky charm. Cheers to Dave Pascual and his crew!”
Nevada Brew Works New Boca Park Location Now Open
Nevada Brew Works, which has been open in the Arts District since 2020, now has a second location.
Set in a former Vons grocery store at 820 S Rampart #110 in Boca Park, the 3,100 square foot space is decked out with wood floor, rustic red brick wall, long bar, 150” split screen TV in the dining room and large screen TVs around the bar and in the mezzanine, five gaming spots, a dark green color scheme, a private party space upstairs that can be rented out for about 50 people and a 7-barrel brewpub style brewhouse in full view in the dining room.
Brewer David Castro is splitting time between the two brewery locations and mainly brewing the core beers at this new brewhouse, which include Golden Blonde, Blood Orange Hefe, Hazy IPA, Raspberry Sour and Ariana Rye (Nevada Brew Works is the #1 donor to the Ariana Rye Foundation with $1 of every pint sold donated to assist disabled children to get needed equipment). He’s also making some seasonals, which during my recent visit included an Oatmeal Stout.
Like the Arts District location, there’s an excellent whiskey selection with more than 50 choices, the largest of any local brewery. There are flights priced to sell, like the Standard for $16 with pours of Basil Hayden, Buffalo Trace, Elijah Craig Small Batch and Woodford Reserve.
Other similarities are the trademark silo alerting passersby there’s beer being made here, large windows providing a cheerful atmosphere with natural light, a dog-friendly outdoor patio with picnic tables and cornhole game and a full kitchen with a similar menu of pizzas, wings, burgers and wraps but with the addition of dinner items such as steaks, lobster, chicken marsala and salmon.
Co-Owner Jason Taylor shared reasons for adding the new location are the Downtown Arts District is getting saturated with businesses and the city’s lack of oversight to provide necessary parking. This location has no shortage of free parking within steps of the entrance.
Some other differences are an extended wine list, table service to place orders, seating including booths and banquettes and unique cocktails specific to this location like the Barbie Bubbles with vodka, rhubarb liqueur, lime juice and house made strawberry puree.
Nevada Brew Works Boca Park is open daily from 11 a.m. to midnight and a happy hour Sunday through Thursday from 2-5 p.m. and 9-11 p.m. offers reduced prices on beer, wine, cocktails and food (and also half off steaks during the reverse happy hour).
For more info and the food and drink menu, visit nevadabrewworks.com
Another New Brewery in SW Las Vegas
Nevadan Brewing is Southwest Las Vegas’ newest brewery. Situated within Sagos Tavern at 4790 S Fort Apache just north of Tropicana and the 215 Beltway, the small 3.5-barrel system with two 7 bbl fermenters (which double as a brite tank) in full view inside the restaurant and bar was installed earlier this year. After enduring long delays due to government red tape, fortunately, they have cleared all the hurdles and are now pouring their beer.
The brewery, which had been in planning since 2015, is co-branded Sagos Brewing/Nevadan Brewing, and is a partnership with Brewer Adam Cegavske and Sagos Tavern Owner Jason Godfrey. The longtime friends were both born and raised in Las Vegas, have homebrewing experience, and are well-prepared to operate a brewery. Adam apprenticed at Explorer Brewing outside of Portland, Oregon, and locally at Big Dog’s Brewing, and received training in brewing and the brewing business at Oregon State and UC Davis. Jason earned craft brewing certifications through Cornell University.
Adam’s first beer to be poured last month was his NZNV, a 4.8% SMASH (single hop and single malt) New Zealand–style Hazy IPA brewed with New Zealand Nectaron hops and Gambrinus IPA malt. He followed it up with the 5% HAZY NV, which Adam describes as a chromatic kaleidoscope Hazy IPA that is a journey through the entire spectrum of hop expression with a collection of 10 hop varieties: Nectaron, Mosaic, Citra, Azacca, Superdelic, Adeena, El Dorado, Cashmere, Columbus and Centennial. He further explains that the Nectaron, Mosaic and El Dorado unleash powerful notes of passion fruit, ripe peach, pineapple and sweet mango; the Citra and Centennial layer in bright citrus of grapefruit zest and sweet lime; Superdelic emerges with a character of sweet red berries and candy; Azacca and Cashmere contribute layers of papaya, pear and melon; subtle, grounding dankness from Columbus; and a gentle, herbal-floral touch from Adeena provides structure and prevents it from becoming cloying.
Look in the near future for his Flippy Floppy, a 4.3% Mexican Lager so named because his preferred footwear is flip flops; and a bourbon barrel aged Porter which should be ready sometime in the winter.
The Tavern has excellent food, with an extensive menu of tacos, burritos, wraps, sliders, sandwiches, breakfast, appetizers (like Ahi Poke), fish n chips, salmon, ribeye, and fajitas. The whole family is welcome in the spacious dining room, which is separated from the bar area and is located on the other side of the brewing equipment. You can show up anytime, as Sagos is open 24/7. For more info, visit sagostavern.com/contact/forty-apache.
Local Brewer Spotlight: Anthony Gibson
In this monthly feature, we spotlight one of our local head brewers. This month, we learn all about Anthony Gibson, Head Brewer at CraftHaus Brewery. One of our city’s most accomplished and skilled brewers, he has been brewing longer than possibly anyone else in Southern Nevada, with nearly three decades of experience dating back to the 1990s.
Anthony was born and raised in Las Vegas and comes from a family of firefighters. After realizing much of the work didn’t involve putting out fires, but rather oftentimes included car wrecks and horrible injuries, he decided it wasn’t for him.
He was schoolmates with Tim Etter and Danny Etter and visited them in Utah, where Danny’s brother Tim was working as a brewer at Uintah Brewing. Anthony liked chemistry, cooking, and biology, and it clicked that brewing beer was a combination of all three. He decided to wear boots as a brewer instead of as a firefighter.
When the Etter family opened Tenaya Creek in the late 1990s, they brought Anthony on as an assistant brewer. He went on to land the head brewer job at Monte Carlo Brewpub (now closed) and later returned to Tenaya Creek, where he would direct the brewing operations for more than a decade, including during the brewery’s transition to Beer Zombies. He recently moved over to Able Baker, where he was Packaging Manager for four months and now has taken the reins as the new Head Brewer at CraftHaus Brewery.
Anthony lists his favorite beer styles to drink as traditional styles such as pale ales and imperial stouts, with his favorite being the ones he designed while at Tenaya Creek. To brew, he prefers lagers such as pilsners, as they are the hardest to brew because you can’t hide flaws.
Local Brewery Champion of the Month: Marriott Las Vegas on Convention Center Dr.
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.
This boutique hotel with 274 rooms is located just steps from the Las Vegas Convention Center, and its Sagebrush restaurant, situated near the front entrance, offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus with dishes covering a variety of global cuisines. There are several Nevada connections to the restaurant, such as the restaurant being named for Nevada’s state flower, the use of locally grown Desert Moon Mushrooms in some of the menu items and the bar pouring 100% local from its six taps. During my recent visit the lineup included Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA, Big Dog’s Tailwagger Wheat, CraftHaus Czech Plz Pilsner and Tropical Forrest IPA, Lovelady Golden Nites Mexican Lager, and Revision Blonde Ale. There were also cans of HUDL Pineapple Hefeweizen, Sin City Amber, Tenaya Creek Big Dam Brown Ale; and in the gift shop you can choose from a rotating selection of several six-packs such as Tenaya Creek Hop Charleston and Beer Zombies Duck Hunter IPA.
Sagebrush Food and Beverage Operations Manager Ayalah Raphiel says, “I like to support local small businesses and what they have to offer and introducing guests to our local breweries. People enjoy the local beers, especially the CraftHaus Tropical Forrest Hazy IPA, which is one of the best sellers. I also often send them to some of the local breweries nearby in the Arts District.”
As finding free parking in the area can be challenging, it’s worth noting that complimentary parking is offered if your restaurant tab comes to $50 or more (except during really big conventions when parking is at a premium).
BEER EVENTS
Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House HUDL Beer Dinner — November 20
Crab Corner Maryland Seafood House will host a four-course seafood beer dinner paired with beers from local HUDL Brewing.
Courses are: Famous Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp served with special pineapple-infused apricot chutney; Maryland Cream of Crab Soup with Red Crab; House Special Jumbo Lump Crab Cake served with garlic green beans; and Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae with special-infused drizzle.
HUDL Beers being poured include Super Mini Craft Lager, High Hatter Hefe on Pineapple, Big Wheel Blonde, Peewee Fifty PW50 IPA, and Vanilla Oak Cream Ale.
The dinner will begin at 6 p.m., and the cost is $55 with a two-for-one admission deal for $65. For more info and to purchase tickets, click here.
Mission Control — November 28
The craft beer haven and craft cocktail lounge Mission Control will help you start Black Friday strong with its Black Friday Stout Event. Beginning at 11 a.m., there will be a special brunch and a massive selection of bourbon barrel-aged beers. Mission Control is in Northwest Las Vegas, in a center at the NE corner of Tenaya and Craig Rd.
Brew Festivus Beer Fest — December 6
The Nevada Craft Brewers Association (NCBA) will provide an opportunity to taste more than 30 beers from more than 20 Nevada breweries at its annual Brew Festivus Beer Fest. Held from noon to 4 p.m. at BigDog’s Brewing at Rancho and Craig, the unlimited sampling will include rare, collaborations, specialties, one-offs, and holiday-inspired beers and hard cider. Bring your four-legged beer buddy in festive gear to enjoy the fun photo opportunity provided by Michael’s Angel Paws.
The pet- and family-friendly event will also include a live DJ and several vendors selling crafts such as custom metal signs, craft beer candles, custom animal treats, and animal apparel.
General admission tickets are $43.27 (includes fee) for admission at 1 p.m. and unlimited beer sampling; VIP tickets are $64 (includes fee) for early admission at noon, a custom logo tasting glass, a food ticket, and exclusive seating on BigDog’s patio.
Proceeds benefit the Nevada Craft Brewers Association and Michael’s Angel Paws, a local non-profit that provides dog training programs for service and therapy dogs.
For a list of breweries pouring beer and to purchase tickets, click here.
What’s Pouring
Big Dog’s Brewing has the return of its 8.5% War Dog Double IPA in both cans and on draft, releasing on Nov. 13. This West Coast Imperial IPA hopped with Simcoe, Warrior, Citra, Mosaic, and Amarillo has an assertive hop profile, a quenching drinkability, and a dry and balanced hop profile. The label artwork depicts a US flag behind a dog, with the text “This brew is dedicated to the War Dogs that serve alongside our brave troops.”
Beer Zombies has a handful of new and returning beers. There’s the Zombie hWhip: Dole Whip Lemonade, a 4.3% sour that is a tropical twist on their fan-favorite hWhip series, conditioned on juicy pineapple, creamy vanilla gelato, and zesty lemonade for a refreshingly smooth yet tangy experience. Hazes of Death II–DDH Hazy DIPA is an 8% double dry-hopped Hazy IPA with an unrelenting storm of tropical fruit, citrus, and resinous hop intensity wrapped in a pillowy body. 16 oz Love Letter is an unapologetic 11% Triple West Coast IPA drenched in Nelson Hyperboost, Idaho 7 Hyperboost, Citra Cryo, and Simcoe hops with explosive notes of white grape, ripe stone fruit, citrus peel, and dank pine. Zombie Slaycation, Beer Zombies Brewing’s holiday classic, has returned with a facelift as this 5.6% rendition is a cobbler-inspired fruited sour with blackberries, pie crust, vanilla, and a dusting of cinnamon.
Also, its Tenaya Creek release is a longtime fan favorite, the 9% God of Thunder Baltic Porter with waves of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and subtle caramel.
Bad Beat Brewing Owner Nathan Hall reminds me that every Friday is New Beer Friday, when they release new beers. Recent and upcoming releases include two fruited sours: Life’s a Beach with passion fruit, tangerine, and pink guava, and Adult Lemonade with blueberry and lemon; Cloudy Daze, their first Hazy IPA; and Dreamy Life Japanese Lager.
Over in Henderson at Mojave Brewing, this month, Owner/Brewer John “Griff” Griffith and Head Brewer Andy Kohon are serving their Black Cat Walking, a 5% Pumpkin Stout, Andy describes as pumpkin pie in a glass, with the malty stout making for a great foundation for the pumpkin and pie spices. They’ll also have Holiday Havoc, a 5% Pastry Stout with cookie and eggnog spices, just in time for Thanksgiving visits from relatives. Griff prescribes at least three pints before dinner. And, as this is the brewery is also a cidery, their cider for the season is the 5.5% Rainier Cherry made with arguably the best tasting cherries in the world, mixed with Washington apple cider for a slightly tart/sour cherry flavor with a dry finish.
To help us get through the holidays, Silver Reef has our Annual Christmas Gift —a 7.5% strong German Doppelbock with a smooth, malty taste and a holiday twist of cinnamon and other winter spices.
As always, Great Beer Happens in Vegas!
- Hero image © Adobe Stock – licensed for editorial and edited by A.D. Cook
- Sagebrush Tap Handles pic by David Canela
- Nevadan Brewing Brewing System pic by David Canela
- Nevadan Brewing Brewer Adam Cegavske pic by David Canela
- Nevada Brew Works from mezzanine pic by David Canela
- Nevada Brew Works dining room pic by David Canela
- Nevada Brew Works Co-Owner Jason Taylor pic by David Canela
- All images are the copyright of their respective owners. Used by permission for editorial. All rights reserved
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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 to 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.
