What happens in Vegas... is craft beer

After first staying at the now-gone Imperial Palace and
then Planet Hollywood Resorts, my Vegas go-to has now
become the Excalibur Hotel and Casino with its medieval
King Arthur theme going on. Everyone needs a home away
from home and the Excalibur has become mine. Love it.

The story of my trip to Las Vegas to see my beloved Toronto Maple Leafs play their first-ever game in Sin City began on the tarmac of Toronto's Pearson Airport. I mention that only because I and the rest of the passengers on December 29 all became quite familiar with that tarmac.

You see, the flight was to leave at 8:55 pm and land in Vegas at 10:55. It's a five-hour flight but with the time change, you gain three hours, right? (If you don't understand how time travel works, just nod. Also go watch the Back to the Future trilogy. Geez.) And 10:55 pm is just the beginning of a night in Vegas. However, we got delayed on that tarmac for slightly more than three hours. Every time the pilot got on the intercom to explain another delay, the poor bastard was getting jeered. Takes a lot to make Canadians hiss at you but he was succeeding. I just shrugged. I mean, it's not like he can say, "Screw this! I'm not waiting anymore. Let's jump the queue."

So with wheels finally off the ground at 12:05 am, that meant landing in Vegas at 2:05 am and while that's still the shank of the evening in Sin City, it's somewhat less so when your body thinks it's after 5 am.

My first night representing in Vegas and I paid homage to
my crew at Nickel Brook. Now you don't want to know
about the ugly bastard in this pic, taken by my server,
Anthony, but rather what's in the glass. That would be
from Crafthaus, the brewery around the corner, and it's
their Resinate IPA. So Las Vegas was off to a great start.

Still, my first night in Vegas? I was gonna get out, at least a little. After quickly cabbing it to and checking into the Excalibur Hotel and Casino, my favourite haunt, I knew where I was going. There's a little bridge that goes directly over Tropicana Boulevard and leads into the side-door of the New York New York Hotel and Casino across the street. And about 50 yards past that door, just past the famous Coyote Ugly bar is an open-air craft beer bar called Pour 24. It's right at the top of the stairs that leads down to their casino.

As this was my second (of many to come) time at the Excalibur, I knew Pour 24 all too well from my last visit. You see, this is my seventh trip to Vegas in a decade and the first five times were with girlfriends. All lovely, beautiful ladies, all fun company but it was mostly shows, shopping and "Let's take another selfie... OMG, delete that one!" Stuff that's less fun to me. My last two solo adventures have been dedicated to a new love - American craft beer. Last time, it was about finding great American IPAs that I hadn't previously enjoyed. This time? I was zeroing in on great Nevada IPAs (and maybe a couple of other styles.) Why? Because wherever I am, I want to drink locally and man, was Nevada ready for me in that department.

Anthony at Pour 24 craft beer bar in New York New
York Hotel and Casino was the first friendly face not
long after I landed in Vegas. He always seemed to be
working when I was walking by and as such, I always
seemed to be stopping there to start my day on the
strip or on my way back. NYNY or Pour 24, give this
man a raise, based solely on the money I spent there.

So because I knew this would be a short night out, given the late hour, off I went to nearby Pour 24 where I encountered Anthony, my new serving bestie. And I asked about local IPAs. Soon, I had Las Vegas brew-house Crafthaus Resinate IPA in my hands, courtesy of the man. (The actual brewery is in Henderson, Nevada.) And because it was very late and it was just me and another couple there, I got to chat with Anthony. Told him I was from Toronto (I always say that - it's easier) and was there to see the Leafs play the Vegas Golden Knights on New Years Eve. His eyes lit up as he talked about what the expansion NHL team had brought to the city - apparently, a lot of Canadians - and it turns out they quite like us down there. The usual reasons - we're just plain nice. After asking about him - how he landed in Vegas, where he was from and the usual get-to-know-you inquiries - I asked where this Crafthaus brewhouse was because I was quite enjoying the 6.5%, 58 IBU (international bitterness units) Resinate IPA with its grapefruit and pine on the backs of Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. He just laughed: "You'll see it on your way into the T-Mobile Arena!" And by gawd, I sure did. Never made it in but I'll be back in the Summer. And maybe again in the Autumn. Possibly earlier in the Spring, too, as well. I dunno, I kinda like this bustling little city. Not a gambler at all so I must just dig neon and noise.

Because it was gifted to me by my favourite carpenter, Josh
Beaven, my Brock Street Brewing T-Shirt was my Day Two
shirt. Here we are at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville bar and
this photo comes with a story. I asked a dude, about 75, who
was really trashed if he could take my picture. He held the
camera pointed at himself (I knew - I just wanted to see) and
flashed himself in the face. After he got his sight back, I got
the camera in his hands correctly and he nailed Take Two...

But folks, here's my Favourite Anthony Story. It was Day Two of Four that I was coming back to the Excalibur after a day on the Vegas Strip. I saw him working and thought, "Time to stop in for a wobbly and say hey to Anthony because I'm almost home." I live in Oakville, Ontario but the Excalibur is my home, too. I love that place. They're solid - like that mystical sword of yore! Because I had enjoyed many Nevada beers that day (coming up), I opted for a Green Flash (San Diego) West Coast Imperial IPA, which is 8.1% and 95 IBUs of orange, grapefruit and pine glory. He greeted me happily as a familiar face ("Find some good beers out there?" Oh yes.) but I saw a group of 12, half men, half women, downing shots on the main stretch of the bar and asked what their deal was. "I think it's a wedding party," he said. "They started with a bunch of wine and beer but they are now up to shots." Hmm, a group of men and women downing shots together, I told him, that means there's gonna be some yelling and crying soon. "Oh yeah," he laughed, "And I can tell you exactly when, too. Just wait until they get their bill..."

But Day Two on the Vegas Strip when I woke up at about noon their time - the day before the Big Hockey Game - was my "Let's Explore What Craft Beer Treats Are Here" Day.

Tina at the Sin City Brewing satellite booth was an
absolute pro, answering every question I asked about
their beers and nailing the answers. She knew all the
styles and like me, she rocks the flannel overshirt.

And part of that meant Sin City Brewing, now over a decade old. Keep in mind, the first five times I went to Vegas, I was not a craft beer drinker and was perfectly happy with $1 and $2 Buds or Miller Genuine Drafts along the strip.

But during three stays at Planet Hollywood resort, I did see their initial brewery among the Miracle Mile Shops that circle that resort. While now there are four Sin City Brewing outlets along the strip, Owner-Brewmaster Richard Johnson has kept it a Vegas-only operation, only available in kegs. No bottles, no cans. So if you see someone, such as myself, wandering along the strip drinking their product, it's in their plastic cup with the brewery logo. Also because he keeps it small batch - 100 kegs each time - he has only created five styles - their Light, Amber, Stout, IPA and Weisse. I stuck my head into their Harmon Corner location but it was pretty jammed so I kept moving along. (I already had a Samuel Adams Rebel IPA in my hand.)

But I noticed something unusual in the outlet that I had to ask server Tina about when I came upon their satellite stand in the Grand Bazaar Shops in a shopping strip alley beside Bally's Las Vegas.

With over 145 taps - 130 of them craft beers - Yard
House is an absolute stop for craft lovers in Vegas.
The fact that 34 of the taps were craft IPAs made it
a necessary stop for me. I will be coming back here!

Chatting with her as she poured my Sin City IPA, I had to ask why there was Bud and Coors Light also on the counter at the Harmon Corner outlet whereas her little kiosk just carried Sin City alone? Harmon Corner was a sit-down location, she explained, so they carry a couple of big names "because you don't want to miss out on the sale." I suppose that makes sense. It's Vegas so not unwise to cater to the masses. It was weird to see those macros in a craft outlet, though.

Billed as a "classic British-style IPA", Sin City's was a great strip-walking brew. A light amber colour, at 6.5%, it's more of a hybrid as the nose was all west-coast pine with a caramel malt backbone. Deep rich taste. A few Ontario breweries - Walkerville in Windsor, as well as Longslice and Junction Craft, both in Toronto - do that hybrid-IPA style exceptionally well.

Further up the strip, I came upon another alley with businesses on both side beside LINQ Hotel, which replaced the former Imperial Palace. (The Imperial was so 1940s old-school that rooms still had balconies - something Vegas got rid of years ago for fear that some poor slob, who'd wagered his life savings away, would take a swan dive off one.)

At Yard House, my server Josh holds up my
Joseph James Brewing Hop Box Imperial IPA
which was both from Nevada and one helluva
beer. Two boxes checked at once with this one.

At first, I stopped into Off The Strip as their awning said "Craft Beer and Libations" but when I started talking to my server - great guy, won't name him, this is why - after he got me a Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, California) Union Jack IPA, he told me once I finished it, I should walk five minutes further down to Yard House. Without so much as a blink, he added, "To a real craft beer drinker, our selection is meh. Yard House has a ton of Nevada craft beers. But they have this chocolate peanut butter stout you have to try! I go there after work to drink it." Thank you very much, Awesome Man Whose Name Can Never Be Uttered!!!!

When I got into the Yard House, I told my server, Josh, that I was actually sent there by a guy at Off The Strip and he laughed, "Glad he knows where all the really good beers are." When he plunked the humongous craft beer menu in front of me, I had to ask. "How many taps do you have here?" Turns out it's 146 taps. That's a lot and something like 35 were pale ales, IPAs and Imperial IPAs. So when I asked Josh what a good high-ABV Nevada IPA was, he was soon back in front of me with a pint of Joseph James Brewing (Henderson, Nevada) Hop Box Imperial IPA.

The half yard glass has got to be about 30 ounces
(about a litre) of beer. In fact, Yard House won't
serve any big-ABV beers in these glasses. It looks
like the cut-off point is above 7%. Smart move!

At 8.2% and 90 IBUs, this thing was a Brain Cell Blaster! Tons of citrus on the nose, sticky resin, orange rind and pine on the tongue with that noticeable malt back end you get with most Imperial IPAs. But I ordered a cheeseburger and fries and when it was there within five minutes, the lady sitting a few chairs down from me, Craft Beer Carolyn, marveled at the speed it arrived and then asked me if I'd tried the Belching Beaver Brewing (San Diego) Peanut Butter Milk Stout, apparently the same beer that Name Withheld recommended. I told her I honestly wanted to but with all the IPAs on their menu, that wasn't gonna happen. Not a problem, she said, stop in at such-and-such store (about two blocks away) on my way back to the Excalibur because they always had it. "Seriously, you have to try it!" she exclaimed. "I will!" I exclaimed right back.

I did find it... and I did try it. So how was it? Well, that's gonna have to wait for next time as I continue my Vegas adventure with that Toronto Maple Leafs vs Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey game (Spoiler Alert: We lost 6-3) which was a frikkin' blast, as well as countless other Nevada beers and shenanigans on the Vegas strip as the New Years Eve clock struck midnight. But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here. Back in a few days with Vegas, Part Two but until then, I remain...