Skip to main content

Your Sneak Peek at Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival 2018

Las Vegas is a favorite haunt for people who like to take risks. When visiting the world-famous casinos, each roll of the dice, pull of the lever, or spin of the roulette wheel can bring the joys of winning or the despairs of losing. Whether the bet is $10 or thousands, you must have a high tolerance for risk to walk onto the gambling room floor.

Sure, things in Vegas aren’t usually guaranteed, but beer lovers can experience the closest thing to an assured win by attending the Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival. The location is away from the glitz of the fabled Las Vegas Strip in the place where Vegas started, the city’s resurgent downtown. The 2018 iteration of the 1-day beer tasting event is the 7th annual celebration and will be held on October 20 this year.

Recommended Videos

The Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival promises 200-plus craft beers representing more than 60 breweries, a live music stage, food vendors, and VIP upgrade experiences. While the relatively short 5 p.m to 9 p.m. window doesn’t leave as much room for tasting as many all-day festivals, there are early access packages that can grant an extra hour of drinking time (and who wouldn’t want an extra hour of drinking time?). VIP tickets include the bonuses of early entry, indoor restrooms, and covered seating.

Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival 1
Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival/Facebook

Local breweries pouring at the festival include Lovelady Brewing Co., Ellis Island Casino & Brewery, CraftHaus Brewery, and PT’s Brewing Company.  The larger roster features regional breweries like California’s Bootlegger’s Brewery and Utah’s Hop Valley Brewing Co. National brands like Samuel Adams will also be represented.

Pricing for the Downtown Brew Festival starts at a very reasonable $35 for general admission. For $10 more, you can purchase early entry; VIP is available at $80 per ticket.

While planning your downtown stay for the Brew Festival, make time to experience the rest of what downtown Las Vegas has to offer. There are amazing restaurants —from the whimsical novelties of Donut Bar to the hearty sophistication of Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse, there’s an interesting meal designed for every palate. Vegas history buffs can spend time at museums dedicated to the Mafia and the iconic local art form of neon signs. And if you need another drink, there are several good beer bars in Vegas.

The 7th annual Las Vegas Downtown Brew Festival will be held on October 20, 2018, from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. PST. Learn more and buy tickets at the official festival website.

Lee Heidel
Lee Heidel is the managing editor of Brew/Drink/Run, a website and podcast that promotes brewing your own beer, consuming the…
A chef says this is the one kitchen tool you need this grilling season
Two must-try grill press recipes
grilling frozen burgers spicy burger 7323694 1280

Chef Ashley Lonsdale, ButcherBox chef-in-residence, says just the grill press is the kitchen tool every grill needs this season -- with so many more uses for this nifty tool than you'd think possible. Lonsdale just developed two new savory recipes using the grill press: Smashed pork tacos with cilantro mayonnaise and smashed burgers with shallot jam. Below, Chef Lonsdale shares how to use a grill press to make these recipes in time for your BBQ, as well as other ways to elevate your cooking game with a grill press.

Smashed pork tacos with cilantro mayonnaise

Read more
The newest addition to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is E. H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
E. H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon is set to join a series of highly covet whiskeys
Buffalo Trace

Avid whiskey drinkers (especially bourbon fans) eagerly await the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Released every fall by the iconic Kentucky-based distillery, Antique Collection is a set of highly coveted, rare whiskeys. Recently, the brand announced that the newest addition would be E. H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon.
2025 BTAC Collection

E. H. Taylor Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon will join Eagle Rare17-Year-Old Bourbon, George T. Stagg Bourbon, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, and William Larue Weller Bourbon in the 2025 BTAC Collection. It’s the first new addition to the set since Thomas H. Handy was added in 2006.

Read more
This new ube espresso martini could be Starbucks’ next big trendsetter
Starbucks Ube Espresso Martini

With summer just around the corner, Starbucks Reserve Roasteries have announced an exciting new summer menu, starting May 6th in Seattle, Chicago, and New York City locations. As I perused the new summer menu, I was instantly drawn to the image of a bright purple Ube Espresso Martini. The new Ube Espresso Martini is a new take on the Starbucks Reserve Signature Espresso Martini, with a bright purple ube twist. It's made with Starbucks Reserve Espresso, Kalak Vodka, Cream, and White Mocha sauce, topped with Ube Coconut Cold Foam. This drink seems like "Starbucks" to me.

I've seen the trending ube latte recently, but I am intrigued by this interesting take on an espresso martini. I've seen a lot of dessert espresso martini variations, from the tiramisu version to the s'mores espresso martini. But an espresso martini with a purple yam? That's something people (including me) are curious to taste. If you haven't already hopped aboard the ube trend and live near a Starbucks Reserve location, this seems like a great time to get your feet wet. If I were local to a Starbucks Reserve location, trying this espresso martini would top my to-do list. Luckily, something tells me the Ube Espresso Martini will make its way to other coffee shops and bars soon.

Read more