Matty Ice: My Favorite Las Vegas Craft Beers

Matty ICE Shares his favorite Las Vegas craft beers…

I love beer, specifically craft beer. More specifically, I love finding great craft brews when I’m traveling, and I’ve found that Las Vegas has a great beer scene that you should try.

Since we all know that our time in Las Vegas is valuable, I’m only going to go over what I’ve found to be the best brews on the strip as well as downtown since we’re generally spending most of our time in those places when we visit anyway. If you think I’ve seriously missed out on your favorite spot and didn’t include it here, let me know in the comments and it will be on my list to check out next time I’m in town!

Downtown:

Banger Brewing Co: Fremont St. Experience.

This gem of a brewery is situated right next to Heart Attack Grill in the middle of the action on Fremont and is one of Vegas’ most popular hangouts for beer lovers. With nine of their own brews on tap, Banger Brewing has something for everybody.

What you’re drinking: El Heffe – A Jalapeño and Serrano pepper infused Hefeweizen that gives you a little kick, without melting your face off. This beer is one boss beer.

Hop Nuts Brewing: Arts District on the corner of Main & Charleston Blvd.

Situated in the arts district right off historic Charleston Blvd on Main St. Hop Nuts lives up to its name offering strong beers for hop lovers. They offer a full bar and craft cocktail menu as well for the non-beer lovers. Hop Nuts has some great seasonal beers rotating as well as guest taps to keep things exciting.

What you’re drinking: Green Mamba Double IPA – 8.5% and 100+ IBUs, this west coast inspired DIPA lives up to its name with some serious bite.

Chicago Brewing Co: Inside Four Queens, Fremont St.

Tucked inside Four Queens, Chicago Brewing has made a name for itself over the years as a great place to get a cold beer and a hot deep-dish pizza. The sampler flight you get is a double decker shelf of beer that will keep from being thirsty while trying out all of their house brews.

What you’re drinking: Old Town Brown – An award winning beer with hints of chocolate whose name gives a nod to the historic area it’s brewed in.

Triple 7 Brewery: Inside Main Street Station.

Triple 7 Brewery serves up local brews just off of Fremont in Main Street Station. A great place to watch sports, and it boasts its own sushi bar, Triple 7 is more than just a great place to grab a pint.

What you’re drinking: Mango Hefeweizen – A crowd favorite, but not a mainstay on the tap list. If you can’t catch that, go for the High Roller Gold, which is their take on a light crisp beer that will help, cool you down in the Vegas heat.

The Strip

While the strip doesn’t offer as many different breweries as downtown, there are still some great local beers steps away from the mega resorts.

Ellis Island: Corner of Koval & Flamingo

Situated just off the strip behind Bally’s, Ellis Island is walking distance from the middle of the strip and has been a popular hangout for low table mins, and cheap steak dinners. They also have a decent sized brewery on property that puts out quality beers for a fraction the price of most bars on the strip. At the time of writing house beers were still $2.25 a pop.

What you’re drinking: Stout- A smooth, easy drinking stout that is seasonally infused with chocolate. Pro tip: order from the center bar if you’re in the casino to enjoy this in a glass rather than a plastic to-go cup.

Sin City Brewing: 3 Strip Locations

Sin City Brewing has 3 locations lining the Strip at Harmon Corner across from the Cosmo, Miracle Mile shops next to PH, & Grand Canal shops at the Venetian. With 5 of their brews on tap, this microbrewery proves that quality over quantity is always a smart move. Joe the bartender at Harmon Corner is also a riot, I recommend dropping in and knocking a couple back while he’s there.

What you’re drinking: Say Hello to Amber – This full-bodied lager will take you to Oktoberfest no matter what time of year you drink it. With subtle flavors and a smooth finish, this beer gets my vote for best that Sin City Brewing has to offer.

Bonus: Beerhaus at The Park (Monte Carlo/NYNY)

I know. Beerhaus isn’t a brewery, but I deemed it worthy to make the list. The reasoning behind that is that they carry some great Las Vegas brews that are not very accessible from Fremont or the strip. In the shadow of T-Mobile Arena, Beerhaus is new to the strip but carries local favorites from Joseph James, Tenaya Creek, Big Dog’s, & Bad Beat Brewing. While Beerhaus doesn’t have as many taps as other locations on the strip (looking at you Todd English, & Michael Mina 1842) it’s the best place I’ve found for an expanded local selection that you’ll have a tough time finding anywhere else on the strip.

Cheers!

[Images: Banger Brewing, Chicago Brewing Co, Sin City Brewing]

Matty Ice

Craft beer lover, poker player, Vegas junkie, and occasional writer. Matt lives in Arizona & has been to Vegas 13 times (and counting) since 2012 and loves exploring all the history and one of a kind spots Vegas has to offer. When in Vegas you can find him at the tables, bars, or checking out the ever-expanding restaurant scene.