Beer! A guide to 15 local breweries
It’s a question for the ages, one of those classic brain-benders that has bedeviled great minds for centuries, from Plato to Confucius, Aristotle to Norm from “Cheers”: How can one possibly make beer any better?
And now, at long last, the answer: You make it in Vegas.
That’s right, this city has gone through a craft brew renaissance in recent years and currently boasts so many exceptional breweries that it’s hard to keep track of them all.
At least it was hard, before the RJ painstakingly, beer-drinking-ly compiled this guide to 15 area breweries perfect for slaking thirsts.
Grab a growler, and let’s go….
downtown
Nevada Brew Works, 1327 S. Main St.
Let the large silver silo out front serve as a beacon, a lighthouse if you will, helping any lost souls navigate through the perilous seas of beer-lessness to safety — and by “safety,” we mean the palm-cooling sanctuary of a freshly poured brew.
The patio here is large, and the craft beer list larger still.
Recommended brew: Ariana Rye IPA: A portion of the sales from this lightly hopped rye are donated to local nonprofit the Ariana Rye Foundation, which helps children with disabilities get medical equipment. Be a good Samaritan and order three.
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HUDL Brewing Company 1327 S. Main St.
You know what goes great with beer? More beer. Also: People-watching on Main Street.
Like Nevada Brew Works, a mere two doors down from here, HUDL boasts a sweet patio out front that’s great for taking in all the Arts District foot traffic — in addition to mouth-watering beers and smoked meats from the adjacent Soulbelly BBQ, which is sandwiched between both breweries.
Recommended brew: Scorched Meadows Vegas Style IPA: Get all the taste of a superbly crafted IPA at 6.8 percent ABV (alcohol by volume) with half the calories (159) and carbs (5.36).
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Beer Zombies Brewery 831 W. Bonanza Road
It was a match made in craft brew/brain-eater heaven when Beer Zombies took over Tenaya Creek Brewery in 2023, unifying the two beloved local brands.
Brews from both are served here, where the exterior is adorned with murals of Nevada wildlife and the interior features a different kind of Nevada wildlife — namely: us — come happy hour when we hit the bar for the greatest beer ever named after an “Army of Darkness” reference. (How’s the Boomstick Blonde? In a word: groovy.)
Recommended brew: Tenaya Creek 702 Pale: Beer Zombies may now run the place, but this classic Vegas pale ale remains on tap — just as the beer gods intended.
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Able Baker 1510 S. Main St.
According to legend — i.e., Able Baker’s website — a duck was the only animal to survive the nuclear test blasts in the Nevada desert back in the day.
In honor of said waterfowl’s remarkable resilience comes the Atomic Duck, Able Baker’s mascot, brand ambassador and signature IPA, one of the many aquatic-bird-themed delights here, including the Zero Flocks Given imperial IPA, the Liquid Quacksand New England IPA and the Duck Norris American IPA.
Beer flights are served on wooden, duck foot-shaped trays complete with a little rubber ducky. The Arts District Kitchen, located inside the brewery, serves up gourmet pub fare. Their menu is about the only thing here that doesn’t feature duck.
Recommended brew: Atomic Duck. Look, if you were prone to overthinking things, you wouldn’t still be reading this, so just go with the obvious.
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Bad Beat Brewing 1421 S. Main St.
What’s changed: This former staple of the Henderson Booze District recently reopened in the Arts District after shuttering its original location in February 2024.
What hasn’t: Bad Beat’s impeccable selection of brews, ranging from unique specialties (the key lime-, lemon- and blood orange-infused Citrus Got Real Gose) to more traditional favorites (The Ringer German pilsner).
Its spacious new digs embody the artisanal offerings here, with a floral decor and muraled walls almost as inviting as one of their brews.
Recommended brew: I Love NV Amber Lager. The only thing we love more than Nevada is knocking back flavorful yet nicely balanced amber beers named after a love of Nevada.
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Cin-Cin Brewhouse & Seafood Bar 914 S. Main St.
The mechanical octopus knows what’s up.
A mural of said creature, alongside a metallic crab, brightens the wall above the bar at this brewery/seafood restaurant with an international flavor via a variety of globe-spanning beers: the Cin-Cin Italian pilsner; the Prost German dry-hopped Pilser; the Na Zdrowie Polish grodziskie.
Recommended brew: Kiwi Kingdom New Zealand hazy IPA. Get a taste of the island nation with more sheep than people.
north
Big Dog’s Draft House 4543 N. Rancho Drive
This is the one that started it all, the OG Vegas brewery dating to 1993, when it was called Holy Cow! and operated on the Strip before moving to its current barn-shaped, Midwestern-style brewhouse a decade later.
Its founders hail from Wisconsin, and you see it on both the menu — the white cheddar cheese curds are worth the trip alone — and its abundance of Green Bay Packers paraphernalia.
Recommended brew: Las Vegas Craft Lager. This lightly hopped American-style lager won a bronze medal at the 2022 Great American Beer Festival.
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Las Vegas Brewing Company 3101 N. Tenaya Way
The entryway here pops with the distinctive, black-and-white freestyle art from downtown creative studio Pretty Done, setting a local tone right from the start.
And it continues once inside: Vegas native Amanda Koeller became Nevada’s first female brewmaster here in 2023, and she leads an all-woman squad of beer makers whose offerings range from the cheeky (the Annulment Ale imperial IPA) to the uniquely flavorful (the Tang & Tingle chile lime corn lager).
Recommended brew: Vegas Light. This easy-drinking yet subtly robust lager is the lone local craft beer available in T-Mobile Arena’s general seating area.
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North Fifth Brewing Co. 60 W. Mayflower Ave.
North Las Vegas’ first brewery is grandma approved — see: Abuela’s Cerveza Mexican lager, crafted with fresh jalapeño, cucumber and lime — meaning you should definitely bring Meemaw here to tip a few among fellow family members: North Fifth Brewing is owned by siblings Amanda and Matt Payan who employ a pair of brewing brothers to create a variety of beers that nod to their Southwestern origins. (the Desert Dust juicy IPA; Tumblewheat fruited wheat ale).
Recommended brew: Northtown Neighbors. The clean-finishing amber was created in collaboration with downtown’s Servehzah Bottle Shop and Tap Room.
henderson/boulder city
Mojave Brewing Company 107 S. Water St.
Maybe the coolest location of them all, Mojave Brewing Company is housed in an old Bank of America building, its vault turned into a game room — check out the sweet array of pinball machines.
The place is way, way better nowadays, with fewer loan officers and more beer (nearly two dozen homemade varieties on tap).
Recommended brew: Mojave Sunrise. This citrusy wheat beer is made with over 60 pounds of orange and blood orange fruit.
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Lovelady Brewing Company 20 S. Water St.
This family business began with twin brothers Richard and Robert Lovelady brewing beer in their backyard when they were still teenagers (older brothers Jerry and Jeffrey later joined the team).
And they’ve been properly lubricating Henderson ever since.
Dig the mural on the patio of Lovelady’s brewery on Water Street, which depicts a Southwestern landscape featuring a beer tap atop a mountain, creating a cascading waterfall of delicious suds, an apt visual encapsulation of this desert oasis of top-notch brews.
Recommended brew: 9th Island. This tart, yet sweet pineapple sour is a nod to Vegas’ large expat Hawaiian community.
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Neon Desert Brewing 7380 Eastgate Road, Suite 110
“It’s not love, it’s just the beer,” a neon blue sign reads here, though we remain starry-eyed nonetheless amid the two dozen local brews frequently on tap.
In addition to knocking back a tall boy or two, you can also design one, as the brewery will help you create customized cans ideal for commemorating special events, like a wedding, the birth of your first child or making it through another Monday.
Recommended brew: Vegas in a Barrel, So just what does Vegas taste like? Judging by this exemplary imperial stout, it’s tangy yet smooth with a 9 percent ABV capable of putting some hair on your chest.
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Boulder Dam Brewing Company 453 Nevada Way, Boulder City
You really don’t need any more reasons to make the drive out to scenic Boulder City. Still, we’ll give you two: 1) to hang with the beautiful bighorn sheep at Hemenway Park, and 2) to make a stop at the Boulder Dam Brewing Company, a local staple since 2007 whose 1930s-themed decor includes equipment used in the construction of Hoover Dam on its outdoor patio.
Recommended brew: Powder Monkey Pilsner. The crisp golden brew is made of Northern Brewer, Tettnanger and Styrian Goldings hops and named for the dam workers who handled the explosives.
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CraftHaus Brewery 7350 Eastgate Road, Suite 110
If it wasn’t for CraftHaus founders and beer power couple Wyndee and Dave Forrest, you might not even be reading this, as they helped usher in Vegas’ craft brew boom by successfully lobbying to change the city’s licensing laws to make them more brewery-friendly.
Cheers to them!
Let’s celebrate with a tall cold one at their family-friendly home base, where there are games to play and beers to drink.
Recommended brew: Rebel Spirit. The Forrests salute their alma mater with this UNLV-themed golden ale.
southwest
Evolve Brewing 8680 W. Sunset Road
Because you’re going to need a little liquid incentive before assembling all the furniture you just bought at nearby Ikea without hurling expletives and Allen wrenches in frustration, Evolve Brewing has you covered.
The large, cleanly designed room — from the folks behind the Aces & Ales pubs — boasts an upscale-sports-bar-meets-rock club vibe, with veggie burgers named after Judas Priest songs (Screamin’ for Vengeance) and a lengthy draft list.
Recommended brew: Bad Manners. Act up, make a scene and blame it on this full-bodied IPA. Worked for us.
Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @jasonbracelin76 on Instagram.
