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The Happy Hour Guys and the video crew return to the Tenaya Creek Brewery and Restaurant (3101 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas) for their first HOW TO episode! Special thanks to all the folks at Tenaya (especially Head Brewer Anthony Gibson), camera operator Christopher Ryan, and of course, John “Citrus Expert” O’Hurley.

Cheers!

Tenaya Creek Brewery:

Our Desert Drinking Tour takes a northward turn here in Las Vegas this week. While the craft brewing mindset (and audience) is somewhat less entrenched in Vegas than it is in other communities, The Happy Hour Guys (never at a loss for research) have still been turning up some nice spots to sample a lovely, well made brew. Our latest spot is a little gem on the north side of town called Tenaya Creek.

Serving the needs of the North Las Vegas craft brew fiends since 1999, the Tenaya Creek Restaurant & Brewery sits on 3101 N. Tenaya Way just off Cheyenne in Las Vegas. The Happy Hour Guys were treated like family here, and enjoyed a lovely shady afternoon spot in the outdoor seating area while sampling everything that was available, fresh, and on tap: 8 beers total.

Tenaya carries a year round cadre of 4 ‘Core Beers’ consisting of a smooth Nut Brown Ale, a Pilsner with some character, an easygoing, medium hoppy Pale Ale and a nicely citrus-y Hefewiezen. In addition to the core brews, Head Brewer Anthony Gibson rotates in his seasonal concoctions, in our lucky case the very last keg of a FANTASTIC brown ale spiced with ginger, star anise, nutmeg and cinnamon, a Nitro tapped robust porter, a black lager known as Black Widow, and just in time for the coming hot weather, a Belgian Wit, (or unfiltered white ale) that matched up beautifully with the slice of orange it was served with.

Anthony also brews a barleywine at certain times of the year that we were sorry to miss; according to our server it has generated somewhat of a cult following.

Overall, Tenaya Creek made us think we were in a microbrew community far away from the giltz and glop of the Vegas Strip (except for the video poker machines built into every seat on the bar of course); There’s a high-ceilinged bar area, and a pool room with three tables separating that from the restaurant itself, beyond which lies the brewing floor, which was so clean that we mistook the equipment for brand new. They are actively selling their beers both in growlers out the door at the restaurant and on taplines around town, and according to Karl Herrera, (Director of Operations and Brand Ambassador) they hope to add a bottling operation, and another location, in the coming year.

Every craft beer, well made bottle of wine, or spirit is a gentle or bold variation on a well-established theme. Each brewer, distiller, or winemaker takes this theme, and with his or her own touches, tells a different story. At Tenaya Creek, the stories have a gentle touch of the desert and a steady hand in charge of the brewing. Check them out, folks. You’ll be glad you did.

Cheers!