Trustworthy Brewing Co. & BBQ Now Open at The Palazzo

At long last, the Vegas Strip once again has a brewery, for the first time since Monte Carlo (now Park MGM) closed its brewpub in 2007. The new brewery is Trustworthy Brewing Co. & BBQ, with this Vegas outpost adding to its original location in Burbank, CA, which opened in Jan., 2017. Located on the 2nd level in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Palazzo, the new 10-barrel brewhouse with five fermenters and five brite tanks will focus on artisanal small batch craft beers. Head brewer Matt Crewe was just brought in to oversee operations at both the Burbank and Vegas breweries. Matt has some pretty impressive credentials, having come from Stone Brewing, where he was the #2 brewer for the past five years. Matt replaces Trustworthy’s original brewer Chris Walowski, who left to go back to the lab he previously worked at, where he will put his master’s degree in biochemistry to good use as the lab’s director of operations. Taking on the position of general manager is Robert Parekh, a Certified Cicerone who definitely has a vast knowledge of beer and hospitality after formerly managing TAP at MGM Grand and The Pub at Monte Carlo.

At press time the brewery had not yet been given final approval to brew so the beers are being brought in from the Burbank brewery. A month before the opening I sat down with Owner Chipper Pastron and GM Robert Parekh at Morels (which is owned by the same company as Trustworthy, MCC Hospitality Group) and was treated to a tasting of Trustworthy’s brews. After sampling the Trustworthy IPA, Gigil Pilsner, What Plane? Oatmeal Stout and Brass Jar Hoppy Amber Ale, my rundown is all were quite tasty and balanced, with my favorite being Gigil, a 4.7% ABV pilsner made with puffed jasmine rice that I proclaim perfect for our summer Las Vegas climate.

A month after our meeting, in mid-July Trustworthy quietly opened, and after making my way back to the brewery found in addition to the aforementioned core beers, also pouring during the soft opening were T-Shirt Weather, a hoppy continental pilsner; Turning Two, a barrel-aged golden blended sour in celebration of the brewery’s second anniversary; and Bear Temper, a barrel-aged American barley wine.

The finished product’s décor features an elevated 60-seat bar with an old school lighted movie sign marquee displaying the beer on tap, a wall-to-wall graffiti mural paying homage to the iconic Bill Murray, banquette seating and oversized booths, bright primary colors, a beer garden at the front and a game room with skeeball outfitted with couches. Arriving soon, to be situated near the beer garden in the front, will be shuffleboard, making this a family-friendly and fun place to gather with friends. 

Upon opening, BBQ was added to the restaurant’s name, which is indicative of Executive Chef Lloyd Bansil's menu of smoked meats (yes, they have a pellet-burning smoker!) and barbecue dishes such as grass-fed, hand-rubbed smoked beef brisket; beef ribs with Trustworthy's garlic and herb rub; and 16 oz. thick cut hickory-smoked prime rib. 

Chipper and Robert related there will eventually be 16 handles all pouring local beer and future plans include special events such as beer dinners and eventually some barrel aging. This new brewery will be a (trust) worthy addition to our local brewing scene and it’s cool that the Strip once again has a venue in the beer making biz.

https://trustworthybrewingco.com/las-vegas

https://www.facebook.com/trustworthybrewingvegas/?ref=br_rs 

Upcoming Beer Events

Aces & Ales will host its 10th annual Strong Beer Festival on August 10 beginning at 3 p.m. at its Tenaya location. The event will offer an opportunity to indulge in more than 50 different specialty or extremely rare beers that range from 7-21% ABV. Participating breweries include Beachwood Brewing, Pizza Port, Modern Times, Smog City and Wild Barrel; and local breweries Big Dog’s, Joseph James, Tenaya Creek and Triple 7. There will also be an all-you-can-eat pre-party brunch from 10-2 with all-you-can-drink beer (with a two-hour limit). For more info, visit acesandales.com.

CraftHaus Brewery will celebrate its 5th anniversary with its Haus Party, held in and in front of the brewery in the Booze District in Henderson on Sept. 14 from 7-11 p.m. The block party-style event will include more than 30 new beers, local beers, out of market guest beers and the return of a few fan favorite beers they have been hiding. There will also be live music from local bands, a DJ and food from Mike Minor’s BBQ Mexicana and Chef Vincent Rotolo’s Good Pie Pizza. Ticket includes keeper glass and unlimited pours and VIP also includes early entry at 6, admittance to the brewery lounge and small bites. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit www.crafthausbrewery.com 

Time to mark your calendar for the Motley Brews 7th Annual Downtown Brew Festival, set for Oct. 19 from 5-9 p.m. (early entry at 4). The fest will again be held at the Clark County Amphitheater at 500 S Grand Central Pkwy in Downtown Las Vegas, and you can expect a wide range of beer styles with more than 200 beer choices from 60+ breweries, including several from Nevada. I know it’s months away, but Motley Brews fests typically sell out, and purchasing in advance gets you a reduced rate, as well as availability of VIP and early admission tickets. You can purchase tickets at www.downtownbrewfestival.com, where you’ll also find the line-up of breweries that will be pouring.

Poll Shows More Americans Appreciating Craft Beer Than Ever Before

I’ve been predicting for years that it is just a matter of time until craft beer becomes equal in popularity to macro beer, as more and more young people who grew up seeing their parents appreciating craft beer come of drinking age. And, the growth of craft brewery openings continues to flourish, as according to the Brewers Association, the number of craft breweries has grown from 1,511 in 2007 to more than 7,000 as of 2018 with 1,000 more expected to open during 2019. 

Now the results of a study done by C+R Research may indicate that craft beer has now arrived. The poll, conducted in March of Americans between the ages of 21 to 70 who drink alcohol, showed that 49% drink craft beer at least once a week, 91% prefer craft beer over big brand beer and the most preferred style of craft beer is IPA. Furthermore, respondents said taste and quality were the biggest factors separating craft beer from big beer brands and 86% said they would pay more for the craft beer of their preference. One caveat is that the polling was on a small number of responders (2,000), but based on these results it appears to suggest that it may be only a matter of time before craft brew sales equal or surpass big brand beer sales. For more on this study visit www.crresearch.com/blog/survey-reveals-factors-driving-craft-beer-growth.