Neighborhood fixture Barley’s Casino & Brewing Co. has switched things up. Operated by Station Casinos as part of the smaller Wildfire Gaming family of venues, Barley’s recently partnered with Downtown Las Vegas-based Banger Brewing, allowing the Banger team to refresh the menu and take over brewing operations at one of Southern Nevada’s oldest breweries.
“We’ve kind of always been known as the casino with a brewery, and bringing them onboard helps us really push the brewery aspect,” says Barley’s general manager Jonathan Veltri. “We are refreshing recipes we’ve been using for 21 years and getting really creative and I’ve found myself getting back there and working with those [Banger] guys. They really have a passion for what they do and that’s one of the main reasons we chose to work with them.”
New offerings include the Blue Diamond golden blonde ale; the high-ABV Honey Blonde; the High Hops IPA with plenty of citrus; and the rich, malty Bombshell brown. The new Buzz! Buzz! coffee-infused stout may remind local enthusiasts of Banger’s popular Morning Joe coffee kolsch.
“We ask our customers for a lot of feedback, what you like and don’t like about the new beers, but it’s been great to go from having four or five to this really great portfolio of nine or 10 beers,” Veltri says.
Barley’s showed off its new stuff at the recent Great Vegas Festival of Beer. Expect to see a revamped food menu, too, and a renewed focus on its value-oriented growler and keg program.
Barley’s at 4500 E. Sunset Road, 702-458-2739; Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
