Las Vegas Beer News (August 2026)

Bartho’s Bierbar bringing European vibe and beers to Downtown’s Art District

After more than a year of planning and construction, Bartho’s Bierbar is now open in the Arts District. Located within the new area known as The Distrikt and situated at 1563 South Commerce Street between West Wyoming and West Utah Avenues, there are about a dozen food and beverage concepts in small buildings fashioned to resemble storage containers. 

The new craft beer bar with an international flair is named for its owner, Bartholomaeus Katzmarzyk, a native of Germany who loves Las Vegas and visits often. He envisions Bartho’s Bierbar to be a unique spot for patrons to learn about German beer while also supporting the local market.

“I want to create a one stop shop for local and international brews to create even more variety and something totally different for locals,” says Katzmarzyk. “I discovered The Distrikt and was immediately drawn to its location. We will engage actively in community events and feature local artists inside our small space.”

The 550-square-foot space is outfitted with seats at a bar and four tables and an outdoor patio offering additional seating. The walls are an enticing olive green hue, while the tables are graced with fun lamps fashioned from German beer bottles and large windows provide natural light. 

There is no draft system, but a curated beer list includes more than 40 international bottled beers (with more to come). The beer menu currently has several German beers, many of which you may not have yet experienced before, such as the Schonramer Pils, Reissdorf Kolsch and Bittanauer Burgerbgrau Lager, all of which I was able to taste for the first time in my life. There’s also a rotating list of American beers being offered, which for the most part will be ones brewed just blocks away, with Able Baker’s Atomic Duck and El Pato Mexican Lager being the first to be featured.

With the idea to have something for everyone, there’s also a selection of seltzers, non-alcoholic beers, iced tea, sparkling water and sodas. No food is prepared onsite, but a small selection of prepackaged snacks is sold (pretzels, nuts and German sausages), and patrons are allowed to bring in outside food.  

As the complex is situated within the Downtown 18b Arts District, it’s fitting that Bartho’s is bringing an art vibe by devoting the venue’s walls to artwork from local artists. The bar will provide rotating residencies where local artists can sell their creations, with the initial artist being Pao Saenz, a Las Vegas-based artist who is originally from Argentina and known for her vibrant, colorful and emotionally resonant artwork. A cool twist is the artwork comes to life when viewed through 3D glasses (some of which are available at Bartho’s).  

The new bar is under the capable management of Katrina Fernandez, who is working on marketing and social media to get the word out about the new space. Special happenings will include a weekly board game night and periodic beer tastings. Kat is in the music industry and is a singer who works with bands, so we can expect a lineup of live music in the near future. 

Bartho’s is currently in soft-opening mode. Its current hours of operation are Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight. Click here for more info.

Beer Events

Beer vs. Wine Dinner, August 9: Zio’s Italian Restaurant at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel will host a friendly competition between craft beer and fine wine. The five-course dinner will have each course paired with a beer from local brewery Able Baker Brewing along with a wine from JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery. Guests will vote for the beer or wine after tasting each pairing. The pairings will be:

• Hamachi crudo with blackberry, jalapeño, radish, lime and bergamot vinaigrette paired with Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA and JUSTIN Sauvignon Blanc
• Grilled stone fruit salad with hazelnut crunch, crispy prosciutto, whipped burrata and maple lime vinaigrette matched with Able Baker Belgian Witbier and JUSTIN Rosé
• Barramundi with sweet corn pudding, roasted jalapeño corn relish and chili oil paired with Able Baker Charleston Peak Pale Ale and JUSTIN Chardonnay
• Grilled skirt steak with fresno chimichurri, caramelized garlic confit purée and charred broccolini matched with Able Baker Imperial Stout and JUSTIN Cabernet Sauvignon
• Sea salt & orange blossom ice cream bar with edible spiced sand paired with Able Baker Honey Dip Stout and JUSTIN Late Harvest Muscat

The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the cost is $140 per person (plus fees and tax). Click here to purchase tickets.

HausFest Anniversary Celebration, September 10-12: As it does every year, CraftHaus Brewery will celebrate its anniversary with a themed dayslong party. This year marks its 12th anniversary, and the HausFest Anniversary Celebration will invite guests to raise a stein and revel in Oktoberfest-inspired décor, festive games, great food and new beer releases at both the Henderson brewery and Arts District taproom on all three days. The grand finale on Saturday, September 12 at the Henderson location will have live music and an Oktoberfest atmosphere. Details are still being finalized, and I promise to provide more info in this column next month.

Paws & Pints, September 19: The Silverton Casino Lodge will host Paws & Pints, a fundraiser for the Nevada SPCA, in its Veil Pavilion from 4-7 p.m., with entry at 3 p.m. for early entry and VIP ticket holders. Guests will sample unlimited pours from a lineup of participating breweries including more than 20 locals. VIP ticket holders will have exclusive access to the Puppy Lounge, where they can meet adoptable dogs from Nevada SPCA and enjoy paired bites. There will also be live music, a silent auction and charity raffle. Here’s to drinking for a good cause. Proceeds from the event directly support the Nevada SPCA’s ongoing efforts to find loving homes for pets across the Las Vegas Valley. Tickets are $55 for general admission, $70 for early entry, $125 for VIP and $15 for designated driver. Click here to purchase tickets.

Dogtoberfest, October 24: Big Dog’s Brewing is a Wisconsin- and dog-themed brewpub, and has several beers with canine names like Tail Wagger Wheat and Black Lab Stout, but its annual Dogtoberfest takes it a step further. Held at the Draft House outdoor area (at Rancho and Craig Rd) from 4 to 9 p.m., the free-admission, pay-as-you-go beerfest will offer more than 50 beers from independent craft breweries, including 25 from Nevada breweries. There will also be a human and dog Halloween costume contest, live classic rock and island reggae music, Wisconsin-style grilled brats and other tasty choices, plus raffles and giveaways. The first Big Dog’s Dogtoberfest was held in 2010 and the brewpub/craft beer bar has hosted more beer fests than any other venue in Southern Nevada, with this year’s Dogtoberfest marking the brewpub’s 55th beer and music festival. For more info and to purchase ticket packages (with lower prices until the day of the event), click here.

Local Brewer Spotlight

In this recurring feature we spotlight establishments that appreciate our local breweries enough to devote a large portion of their beer selection to beer made in Nevada.

Having moved here from Simi Valley, California with his family when he was less than a year old, 34-year-old Armando Donis is almost a Las Vegas native. A few years after graduating from Silverado High, he wanted to switch things up and get out of the heat, so he moved to Portland, Oregon. While there, a buddy told him to check out a good bar, which happened to be a brewery named Great Notion. He ordered a Blue Moon and the beertender laughed at him, instead serving him a hazy IPA. When Armando asked what kind of fruit was in it, he was told it had no fruit, and that the flavors came from the hops. It was at this moment he had his a-ha moment and fell in love with craft beer. He proceeded to fully jump in, studying beer and reading anything he could find. After moving back to Las Vegas with the intent to find work in the brewing industry he began homebrewing. He started out small, brewing one-gallon batches, before quickly ramping up to five gallons per brew.

Armando’s first entry into the brewing industry was at CraftHaus Brewery, where he landed a beertender job and let co-owner Wyndee Forrest know when she hired him that his goal was to become one of their brewers. In 2021, after an assistant brewer left, Armando slid into the position. He was mentored by the head brewer at the time, Cameron Fisher, and continued studying beer and listening to podcasts. In October 2025, Cameron left, and while Armando felt he had a good handle on how to brew, he didn’t feel ready to run the operations. But after the two head brewers that followed didn’t work out, he realized he had already been doing the job, and was officially made head brewer this January. 

When asked what beer styles he likes to drink and brew he says, “It depends on the time of year, but year-round I like West Coast IPAs and Munich dunkels. To brew, I like Czech Pilsner because of the large amount of hops and the particular hop schedule. I enjoy weighing it out and the aroma from the bag.”

Beers he’ll be brewing in the coming weeks and months include a Mexican lager with a slightly higher 6% alcohol-by-volume, a repeat of the Hausfest Märzen aged on Spanish cedar, possibly a hazy IPA and a double West Coast IPA for the brewery’s anniversary, and potentially a really light 3% lager.

Local Brewery Champion of the Month

In this recurring feature we spotlight establishments that appreciate our local breweries enough to devote a large portion of their beer selection to beer made in Nevada.

Yard House, a national chain known for its vast draft beer selection numbering close to or over 100 taps per location, in recent years has been supporting local breweries. Currently at its Red Rock Casino location it has a dozen locals pouring: Able Baker Atomic Duck IPA and Honey Dip Imperial Stout; Bad Beat Bluffing Isn’t Weisse Hefeweizen and Cloudy Daze Hazy IPA; Beer Zombies Zombie Duck Hunter IPA; Big Dog’s Dirty Dog IPA, Las Vegas Lager and Tailwagger Wheat; Mojave Punk Lemonade Cider and To Be Pear Cider; and Tenaya Creek Hefeweizen and Big Dam Brown Ale. All locations are open daily for lunch, dinner and late-night dining, and the food menu offers more than 100 items such as poke nachos, steaks, tacos and pizzas. There are four Yard House locations in Southern Nevada: at Town Square, in The LINQ Promenade and inside Red Rock Resort and Sunset Station. 

As always, great beer happens in Vegas!