Nevada
The Silver State
The states very first brewery was Carson Brewing in Carson City, and opened 4 years before Nevada even became a state. In operation for 88 years, Carson Brewing lasted longer than any other brewery, with its only competition being Reno Brewing.
In 1957, statewide beer production came to a standstill due largely the success of big name brewing companies and the national success of their mass-produced and distributed Lagers.
In the early 1990s, Tom Young decided to open Great Basin Brewing in Reno, becoming the first brewpub in the state, as well as the largest, oldest, and one of the best breweries in Nevada still in operation.
Nevada being home to the city, Las Vegas means there aren’t too many restrictions or Nevada beer laws in place. Nevada beer can be purchased and sold all seven days, Monday through Sunday, 24 hours a day. One requirement for Nevada breweries is that all beer manufacturers must pay $0.16 per gallon in taxes to their home state of Nevada.
There are a handful of Nevada beer festivals that draw a lot of attention. There is the Great Vegas Festival of Beer by Motley Brews, which features more than 400 craft beers from over 100 breweries, and is typically held in April. There is also the Boulder City Beerfest with over 30 breweries pouring about 100 beers; the Big Dog’s Brewing Peace Love Hoppy-ness beer festival; the Stone Denomination at Aces & Ales; the Strange Brew Festival at the Brewer’s Cabinet in Reno; and finally, the Biggest Little Invitational in Bartley Ranch, which showcases the best of the best beers in the brewing world.
Some of the best craft breweries in Nevada are:
• Big Dog’s Brewing in Las Vegas
• Brasserie Saint James in Reno
• Chicago Brewing Company in Las Vegas
• Tenaya Creek Brewery in Las Vegas
Sadly for all the Nevada craft beer lovers, we have yet to feature any Nevada craft beer in our beer of the month club, but we always have our eyes open looking for ones to feature!
