BEER EVENTS
Zio’s Italian Restaurant Beer vs Wine Dinner — August 9
Zio’s Italian Restaurant at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel will host a friendly competition between craft beer and fine wine.
The five-course dinner will have each course paired with a beer from local brewery Able Baker along with a wine from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. Guests will vote for the beer or wine after tasting each pairing.
The pairings are:
- Hamachi Crudo with blackberry, jalapeno, radish, lime and Bergomut vinaigrette paired with Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA and JUSTIN Sauvignon Blanc
- Grilled Stone Fruit Salad with hazelnut crunch, crispy prosciutto, whipped burrata and maple lime vinaigrette matched with Able Baker Belgian Witbier and JUSTIN Rose
- Barramundi with sweet corn pudding, roasted jalapeno corn relish and chili oil paired with Able Baker Charleston Peak Pale Ale and JUSTIN Chardonnay
- Grilled Skirt Steak with Fresno chimichurri, caramelized garlic confit puree and charred broccolini matched with Able Baker Imperial Stout and JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon
- Sea Salt & Orange Blossom Ice Cream Bar with edible spiced sand paired with Able Baker Honey Dip Stout and JUSTIN Late Harvest Muscat
The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $140 per person (plus fees and tax). To purchase tickets, click here.
CraftHaus HausFest Anniversary Celebration — September 10-12
As it does every year, CraftHaus Brewery will celebrate its anniversary with a themed dayslong party.
This year marks its 12th anniversary, and the HausFest Anniversary Celebration will invite guests to raise a stein and revel in Oktoberfest-inspired décor, festive games, great food and new beer releases at both the Henderson brewery and Arts District taproom on all three days. The grand finale on Saturday, September 12 at the Henderson location will have live music and an Oktoberfest atmosphere.
Details are still being finalized, and I promise to provide more info in this column next month.
Silverton Casino Lodge Paws & Pints — September 19
The Silverton Casino Lodge will host Paws & Pints, a fundraiser for the Nevada SPCA, in its Veil Pavilion from 4-7 p.m. with early entry at 3 p.m. for Early Entry and VIP ticket holders.
Guests will sample unlimited pours from a lineup of participating breweries including more than 20 locals. VIP ticket holders will have exclusive access to the Puppy Lounge, where they can meet adoptable dogs from Nevada SPCA and enjoy paired bites. There will also be live music and a Silent Auction + Charity Raffle.
Here’s to drinking for a good cause: Proceeds from the event directly support the Nevada SPCA’s ongoing efforts to find loving homes for pets across the Las Vegas Valley. Tickets are $55 for General Admission, $70 for Early Entry, $125 for VIP and $15 for Designated Driver. To purchase tickets, click here.
Big Dog’s Brewing Dogtoberfest — October 24
Big Dog’s Brewing is a Wisconsin- and dog-themed brewpub and has several beers with canine names like Tail Wagger Wheat and Black Lab Stout, but its annual Dogtoberfest takes it a step further.
Held at the Draft House outdoor area (at Rancho and Craig Rd) from 4-9 p.m., the free admission pay-as-you-go beerfest will offer more than 50 beers from independent craft breweries including 25 from Nevada breweries. There will also be a human and dog Halloween costume contest; live Classic Rock and Island Reggae Music; Wisconsin-style grilled brats and other tasty choices; and raffles and giveaways.
The first Big Dog’s Dogtoberfest was held in 2010 and the brewpub/craft beer bar has hosted more beer fests than any other venue in Southern Nevada, with this year’s Dogtoberfest marking the brewpub’s 55th beer & music festival.
For more info and to purchase ticket packages (with lower prices until the day of the event), visit bigdogsbrews.com/brewery-events.
Local Brewer Spotlight: Armando Donis
In this monthly feature, we spotlight our local head brewers. This month we learn all about CraftHaus Head Brewer Armando Donis.
34-year-old Armando Donis is almost a Las Vegas native, having moved here from Simi Valley, CA with his family when he was less than a year old. A few years after high school, the Silverado High grad wanted to switch things up and get out of the heat, so he moved to Portland, OR. While there a buddy told him to check out a good bar which happened to be a brewery named Great Notion. He ordered a Blue Moon and the beertender laughed at him and instead gave him a hazy IPA. When Armando asked what kind of fruit was in it, he was told it had no fruit, but the flavors came from the hops. It was at this moment he had his craft brewing aha moment and fell in love with craft beer. He proceeded to jump full in, studying beer and reading anything he could find. After moving back to Las Vegas with the intent to find work in the brewing industry he began homebrewing. He started out small, brewing one-gallon batches and quickly ramped up to five-gallons.
Armando’s first entry into the brewing industry was at CraftHaus Brewery, where he landed a beertender job and let Co-Owner Wyndee Forrest know when she hired him that his goal was to become one of their brewers. In 2021, after an assistant brewer left, Armando slid into the position. He was mentored by the head brewer at the time, Cameron Fisher, and continued studying beer and listening to podcasts. In October of 2025, Cameron left, and while Armando felt he had a good handle on how to brew, he didn’t feel ready to run the operations. But after two head brewers that followed didn’t work out, he realized he had already been doing the job, so was officially made Head Brewer in January of this year.
When asked what beer styles he likes to drink and brew he said, “It depends on the time of year and I drink everything, but year-round I like West Coast IPA and Munich Dunkel. To brew I like Czech Pilsner because of the large amount of hops and the particular hop schedule. I enjoy weighing it out and the aroma from the bag.”
Beers he’ll be brewing in the coming weeks and months include a Mexican Lager with a slightly higher 6% ABV, a repeat of the Hausfest Marzen aged on Spanish cedar, possibly a Hazy IPA and a Double West Coast IPA for the brewery’s anniversary and potentially a really light 3% lager.
Bartho’s Bierbar Bringing European Vibe and Beers to the Downtown Arts District
After more than a year of planning and construction, Bartho’s Bierbar is now open in the Arts District.
Located within the new area known as The Distrikt situated at 1563 S Commerce between W Wyoming and W Utah, there are about a dozen Food and Beverage concepts in small buildings fashioned to resemble storage containers.
The new craft beer bar with an international flair is named for its owner, Bartholomaeus Katzmarzyk, a native of Germany who loves Las Vegas and visits often. He envisions Bartho’s Bierbar to be a unique spot for patrons to learn about German beer while also supporting the local market. “I want to create a one stop shop for local and international brews to create even more variety and something totally different for locals,” says Katzmarzyk. “I discovered The Distrikt and was immediately drawn to its location. We will engage actively in community events and feature local artists inside our small space.”
The 550 square-foot space is outfitted with seats at a bar and four tables and an outdoor patio offering additional seating. The walls are an enticing olive green hue, the tables are graced with fun lamps fashioned from German beer bottles and large windows provide natural light.
There is no draft system, but a curated beer list includes more than 40 international bottled beers (with more to come). The beer menu currently has several German beers, many of which you may not have yet experienced before, such as the Schonramer Pils, Reissdorf Kolsch and Bittanauer Burgerbgrau Lager, all of which I was able to taste for the first time in my life. There’s also a rotating list of American beers being offered, which for the most part will be ones brewed just blocks away, with Able Baker’s Atomic Duck and El Pato Mexican Lager being the first to be featured. With the idea to have something for everyone, there’s also a selection of seltzers, non-alcoholic beers, iced tea, sparkling water and sodas. No food is prepared onsite, but a small selection of prepackaged snacks is sold (pretzels, nuts and German sausages), and patrons are allowed to bring in outside food.
As the complex is situated within the Downtown 18b Arts District, it’s fitting that Bartho’s is bringing an art vibe by devoting its walls to displaying artwork by local artists. The craft beer bar will provide rotating residencies to local artists where they can sell their creations, with the initial artist being Pao Saenz, a Las Vegas-based artist originally from Argentina known for her vibrant, colorful and emotionally resonant artwork. A cool twist is the artwork comes to life when viewed through 3D glasses (some of which are available at Bartho’s).
The new beer bar is under the capable management of Katrina Fernandez who is working on marketing and social media to get the word out. Special happenings will include a weekly board game night and periodic beer tastings. Kat is in the music industry and is a singer who works with bands, so we can expect a lineup of live music in the near future.
Bartho’s is currently in soft opening mode with current hours Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight. For more info, visit bartho-s.com.
Local Brewery Champion of the Month: Yard House
In this recurring feature we spotlight establishments that appreciate our local breweries enough to devote a large portion of their beer selection to beer made in Nevada.
Yard House, a national chain known for its vast draft beer selection numbering close to or over 100 taps, in recent years has been supporting local breweries. Currently at its Red Rock Casino location it has a dozen locals pouring: Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA and Honey Dip Imperial Stout; Bad Beat Bluffing Isn’t Weisse Hefeweizen and Cloudy Daze Hazy IPA; Beer Zombies Zombie Duck Hunter IPA; Big Dog’s Dirty Dog IPA, Las Vegas Lager and Tailwagger Wheat; Mojave Punk Lemonade Cider and To Be Pear Cider; and Tenaya Creek Hefeweizen and Big Dam Brown Ale.
All locations are open daily for lunch, dinner and late-night dining, and the food menu offers more than 100 items such as poke nachos, steaks, tacos and pizzas.
There are four Yard House locations in Southern Nevada: at Town Square, in The LINQ Promenade and inside Red Rock Resort and Sunset Station.
As always, great beer happens in Vegas!
- Hero image © Adobe Stock AI – licensed for editorial and edited by A.D. Cook
- Barthos decor pic by David Canela
- Barthos GM Kat and Owner Bart pic by David Canela
- All other images are copyright © of their respective owners
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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 now writes the weekly Las Vegas Dining and Entertainment News column for FoodAndLoathing.Vegas, a monthly dining news column for The Vegas Voice, continues to contribute to Gayot, writing the Gayot Las Vegas Restaurant News and beer and spirit reviews. In addition to posting on ADCook.com, the Las Vegas Brewing News also posts on San Diego Beer News (sandiegobeer.news) and porchdrinking.com.
