November brew updates and beer news features openings and closings across Las Vegas, along with delightful fall pours.
Las Vegas Beer News is a monthly column brought to Off The Strip by local dining expert Bob Barnes.
Las Vegas Brewing Opening Second Location
Las Vegas Brewing Company took over the brewing facilities that formerly housed PT’s Brewing and was the original Tenaya Creek brewhouse at 3101 N. Tenaya in March 2022. Now the brewery will be branching out with a second taproom/restaurant location at 1226 S. Third St. in the Arts District. Co-owner Kyle Dolder tells me it’s at Third St. and Colorado Ave. a block north of The Silver Stamp and two blocks east of Main.
As to why the location was chosen, he says, “The Arts District is where craft beer energy is, and the City of Las Vegas supports local breweries.” Kyle also shared with me that the taproom will have 24 taps (19 to 20 LV Brewing beers and the rest guest taps) and a restaurant with a truncated menu with some of the same items as the brewery, but mostly different. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to late night and expected opening is in January.
The second taproom will allow for more exposure and sales of the brewery’s beers, and currently the company is releasing some of its core beers in cans that were previously only available in bottles or on draft, including West Coast Junkie (IPA), Retro Glow Hazy (New England/Hazy IPA), Vegas Light (Lager-American Light) and Chantilly Vanilla Cream Ale.
It’s noteworthy that Kyle is the sole male on Las Vegas Brewing Company’s management team, which is comprised of Co-owner Jamie Dolder, Brewers Amanda Koeller and Becca Halpin, Executive Chef Hollin Rothmann, Sous Chef Carley Prochaska and Bar Manager Michelle Gervais. LV Brewing also has the only all-female brewing team in Southern Nevada.
Tenaya Creek Sold
A well-founded rumor is that Tenaya Creek has sold its brewery. I am not at liberty at this time to divulge further info on the new owners, but promise to have plenty of details once everything is completely finalized.
If you’re a fan of Tenaya Creek, you’ll want to make it out to their 24th anniversary event, which despite the impending sale is still taking place at the brewery on Nov. 4 from 5 to 10 p.m. There will be unlimited pours of 30+ craft beers (including several Tenaya brews), food for purchase from food trucks and live music. General admission tickets are $45 and VIP (which includes early entry at 4 p.m., a 16 oz engraved stainless-steel vessel and exclusive event beers) are $75. Tickets are only available online at Eventbrite.
PKWY Tavern Opens Its 7th Location
PKWY Tavern has opened its largest location yet, at 5990 Centennial Center Blvd. in the far northwest near the 215 Freeway. As this is the local chain’s 7th location, it means you are not very far from a PKWY Tavern no matter where you happen to be in the Vegas Valley.
The beer list is quite solid with pretty much every major beer style represented, which in addition to the popular IPAs and American Lagers, includes Belgian-style Tripel, Doppelbock and Imperial Stouts. Also, nice to see plenty of local representation with brews from Bad Beat, Big Dog’s, CraftHaus, Las Vegas Brewing, Lovelady and Tenaya Creek gracing the initial beer menu. You can also order a beer flight with four local brews or devise your own flight of any four beers on the entire draft menu.
Speaking of menus, the food menu is pretty much the same as the other PKWYs, with a bevy of comfort food favorites like nachos, wings, chicken fingers, fish and chips, burgers, tacos and quesadilla; and also more upscale offerings like Chile-rubbed Pork Chop, Herb-crusted Salmon, Chicken Pesto Linguini and the crème de la crème: the generously portioned 14 oz NY Strip served with mashed Yukon gold potatoes, asparagus and garlic herb butter that is of superb quality, priced at a very reasonable $30, and happens to be the very same dish served at the classy BLVD Grille that I recently reported on.
To keep you entertained while drinking one of the 60 draft beers and more than 100 in bottles and cans, there is a spacious patio with games such as Jenga, Connect 5, Cornhole and a Beer Pong table. Inside there are pool tables, a hockey game, basketball game, two bowling lanes and so many large screen TVs you are pretty much guaranteed a decent view no matter where you are seated. I really like the vintage beer poster wallpaper, wood grain floor, and the high ceiling and large windows which lend an open feel to the space.
The Tavern is open 24/7 and there is live entertainment on Thursdays through Saturdays.
What’s Pouring
Over at the duck-themed Able Baker they’re having a ducking good time with several special releases swimming in during November and December.
In November they’ll have the 5.2% Cran Apple CLINK! CLINK!, a holiday sour with cranberry, apples and spices; Stratafied Duck, an 8.5% Hazy DIPA with Heavy Strata and a touch of El Dorado hops; and Radioactive Duck, a draft-only 6.9% IPA with grapefruit peel and Serrano peppers. Flying in in December will be Deep SeaDUCKtion, an 8% West Coast Double IPA with grapefruit.
Last month I made my way to BrewDog Las Vegas on the Vegas Strip and met up with the brewery’s first Las Vegas brewer, Weston Barkley. Naturally I took the opportunity to try some of his beers and they are all excellent, so I can attest that Weston still has his first-rate brewing abilities that he has demonstrated and refined when he was brewing locally at Joseph James and Bad Beat and more recently at Great Notion in Portland, OR.
The beers, which should still be pouring in November, include Crimson, a hoppy 5.6% amber ale; Scrummy, a bready and smooth 4.3% English Porter; Kicker, a crisp, sessionable 5.7% Kolsch; Hops with a View, a 7.1% Hazy IPA brewed with Mosaic and Cashmere hops; and BrewDuck, a 6.9% West Coast IPA collaboration with the local Able Baker Brewing using a Trident hop blend and Centennial and Citra hops.
If you have a local ID, now might be a good time to check out BrewDog Las Vegas, as they’ve just launched the Vegas Locals Club. It’s free to join and gets you 25% off food and beverages every day, $15 off parking (with minimum $50 purchase) and a beer for $1 when you pick up your card. For more details and to sign up click here.
