LAS VEGAS | Las Vegas isn’t the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about American beers, and indeed there aren’t too many breweries in the city. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t good places to find craft beer in Las Vegas. Dotted amongst the bars full of boorish crowds, and liter plastic cups full of Budweiser are some real gems, where you can find some of the best craft beer going around, served by people who are passionate about what they’re serving. Our Las Vegas Craft Beer Guide will save you the trouble of having to search out where to find the best craft beer in the city, and guarantee you a great drop of the good stuff. If you know of any craft beer gems that we haven’t listed, do let us know in the comments section.
Public House
Public House, in the Venitian, offers over 200 beers, including 24 beers on tap and three seasonal cask beers from artisanal cask brewers. A wide range of mostly west coast sourced brews includes beers from the likes of Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada and The Bruery. The staff here are very well trained, and if you’re not sure what you feel like drinking, they’ll be able to point you in the right direction. If there are a few things you want to try, tasting paddles are offered.
The food menu features ‘fun spins on refined food’ and sees the kitchen and bar working together to make sure that all of the dishes pair well with beer.
Public House
The Venetian
3355 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
United States
Yard House
The Yard House chain of craft beer/American food bars have three locations in Vegas, but the most convenient on to get to is the newest at The Linq Hotel & Casino. It’s got a massive outdoor patio, and a choice of 160 taps of local and imported beers, many of which are craft and rotate regularly. beers from breweries like Avery, Belching Beaver, Dogfish Head, Petrus, Victory, Elysian, and Ballast Point, many of which are seasonal and one-offs means you can’t go wrong with a visit here.
Yard House
The Linq Hotel & Casino
3545 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
United States
Sin City Brewing
Sin City Brewing have a large presence on The Strip, with four locations from which they sell their beers. Different to a lot of the other breweries in the area, Sin City focus on traditional German style beers, and adhere to Reinheitsgebot, the 1516 German Beer Purity Law.
There are five core range beers on the taps, along with a rotating seasonal tap. All of the beers at Sin City Brewing are true to style – there’s a weiss, pale, pilsner, stout and IPA. Of the five, we think the stout, with its smooth texture and roasted malt undertones, and the weiss, with hints of clove aroma, citrus and banana zest, are the best.
Sin City Brewing
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
3663 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
United States
Triple 7 Restaurant and Microbrewery
Someone recommended this place to us once. We visited, a really disliked the beers that we tried. We normally don’t include places that you shouldn’t visit on this list, but the beers we tried were that disappointing that we’re warning you to set your expectations low should you pay Triple 7 a visit.
Triple 7 Restaurant and Microbrewery
200 N Main Street
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
The Griffin
The Griffin is a great bar hidden behind a black velvet curtain, with deep booths and brick arches are lit by central fireplaces no matter the temperature. It’s not atmosphere at the expense of quality drinks though, with quality cocktails and more importantly, beer on offer. There are bars with bigger and better selections elsewhere in town, but if you want a great beer with a unique atmosphere, and there are non-beer drinkers in your group, you could do a lot worse than come here.
The Griffin
511 Fremont Street
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
Ales & Aces
Aces & Ales two locations take craft beer very seriously. The venues are aimed at the true craft beer connoisseur, with a 150+ bottle list featuring rare and vintage beers you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Think things like Stone’s 2006 Vertical Epic Ale and Firestone Walker’s Parabola.
If you’re not into that sort of thing, and are just looking for a drop of something fresh and tasty on draft, there are 50 taps at Aces & Ales and they rotate weekly. From pilsners and imperial stouts to reds, hefeweizens, and IPAs, there’s something for everyone on tap, mostly from breweries on the west coast.
Food is comfort food designed to go well with beer, and is made using fresh, locally sourced, ingredients. Oh and it’s open 24/7.
Ales & Aces
3740 S Nellis Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89121
United States
Pizza Rock
You’ll be paying tourist prices here, as the location of Pizza Rock means it’s always popular with visitors, but the pizzas are tasty and the beer list fantastic. You’ll find 23 rotating draft beers from around the country, along with over 60 bottled and canned options. Along with core range and seasonal beers, Pizza Rock often sells limited release beers too, for example Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Stout.
When it’s time to eat, our advice is the skip the “American Originals” and other pizzas and go for one of the Neapolitan-style thin base pizzas which are cooked in a 900°F woodfired brick oven.
Pizza Rock
201 N 3rd Street
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
Banger Brewing Co
The philosophy of Banger Brewing Co is simple. To create beer that’s based on great taste, fresh ingredients and the owners’ love for Las Vegas. The space is small and cozy, with a rather industrial feel to it. To one side is the bar, and just to the side of the bar you can see the brewing equipment. There are several seats and tables around, and board games to play.
The tap list features a range of styles, and tasting paddles are offered for those who want to try a few things. We particularly like their Morning Joe, a light, malty, German style Kolsch infused with coffee beans. The Dark Angel, an Imperial Stout aged seven months in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, is also delicious.
Banger Brewing Co
450 Freemont Street, Suite 135
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
Artifice
Artifice is an unpretentious, causal spot that offers a small range of great beers and reasonable prices. Beer from breweries like Modern Times, Rogue, Deschutes, and Big Sky can be found here, boutique wines and some tasty cocktails. The venue has quite an eclectic music program, and three different rooms to enjoy your beer in featuring works by local and international artists and photographers.
Artifice
1025 S 1st Street
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
Big Dog’s Brewing Company
Big Dog’s is located away from the tourist drag, close to one of the Aces & Ales spots, and is a sports bar-like venue that offers a range of beers brewed on site along with several guest taps. Keep an eye out for the limited cask ales, barrel-aged, and dry-hopped variations of their beers. Just make sure you’re not cheering for anyone but the Packers when Green Bay games are being shown.
Big Dog’s Brewing Company
4543 N Rancho Drive
Las Vegas
Nevada 89101
United States
Halo Bar
Let’s open this one by saying that Halo Bar is not a place that you should specifically seek out for craft beer. It’s here because it’s a good example of how there’s craft beer to be found in even the more popular spots in Las Vegas. Sure you’re not going to find the biggest or best selection here, but when you’re on a part of your trip and beer isn’t your primary focus it’s good to know that there are options around. When we were at Planet Hollywood and my wife wanted to take a look in a few shops, we realised that there was a 20 minute window of opportunity to grab a drink, and Halo Bar was there to ensure we were able to get a quality brew. Always keep an eye out in unexpected places, as you never know what you might find.
Halo Bar
Miracle Mile Shops
3663 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
United States
Tenaya Creek Brewery
Tenaya Creek have been brewing beer in Las Vegas since 1999, and in their current location, which they’ve been in since 2015, they offer 17 taps of great beer. About half are dedicated to their own beers, while the rest feature guest breweries. Tenaya Creek’s most popular beer is their Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal-winning pilsner, but also keep an eye out for seasonal and special versions of their beers.
Tenaya Creek Brewery
831 W Bonanza Road
Las Vegas
Nevada 89106
United States
Beer Park
Yes it’s owned by Budweiser, and yes it’s on the strip and a tourist magnet, but we had to include Beer Park on this list. Why? Because apart from the fact that it’s in a super convenient location, the fact is that it’s a really nice place to chill out, with communal tables with live sports on TV and fantastic views of the strip. The beer list has a high percentage of junk on it, but there are a lot of gems also – beers from Dogfish Head, Victory, Sierra Nevada, Kona, and Goose Island for example. There are even limited releases like Goose Island’s Bourbon County Barrel Stout and Founders’ KBS.
Beer Park
3655 S Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
Nevada 89109
United States