Las Vegas Weekly

Buckbean Beer

$8 for a four-pack, Lee’s Discount Liquors, Khoury’s Fine Wine, Whole Foods

As the song goes, “I like cold beverages.” Beer being one of these, I was beyond stoked to venture out to Lake Las Vegas on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon for Buckbean Brewing Company’s Beer Fest at Monte Lago Village and for a game of Pong Toss on the Wii (I won!). While the lines stretched on into infinity for samples from Boulder Dam, Gordon Biersch, and Tanaya Creek brewing companies, not more than a smattering of bodies were lined up to sample Buckbean’s own Orange Blossom Ale and Black Noddy Lager, perhaps because the packaging is reminiscent of a Full Throttle energy drink, making them the sleeper-hit of their own event. That’s ok—more for me! Bright and refreshing, with a dry finish, the Orange Blossom Ale received (according to the little sign) 3.5 out of a possible 4 Bunnies from Playboy Magazinee. The Black Noddy, a traditional Bavarian Schwarzbier, has a definite coffee-like finish, coffee being the very next thing I needed after Beer Fest.