Two breweries recently opened locations in downtown Las Vegas and I was stoked to check them out. My original downtown Las Vegas Breweries plan was to stop by both Able Baker Brewing and the new CraftHaus taproom.

A funny thing happened on the way to a mini beer tour. I started the night at Able Baker and tried almost every beer on the menu. A friend and I drank beer for about six hours. Needless to say, I never made it to CraftHaus. Next time! 

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Downtown Las Vegas Breweries

Downtown Las Vegas is becoming a hotspot for beer drinkers. Able Baker and Crafthaus joined Banger Brewing, Hop Nuts, Tenaya Creek, Triple Seven, and Chicago Brewing Company. The D website actually has a good list of local brewers. 

Eater Vegas reports that there are even more booze spots coming to downtown Las Vegas. Beer District Brewing and HUDL Brewing will also open on Main Street near Able Baker Brewing.

All of these new beer venues are downtown but not in “Old Vegas” or the Fremont Street Experience area that many tourists consider the only parts of downtown Las Vegas. Able Baker is pushing the limits of where downtown Las Vegas begins.

Able Baker is considered to be in the Arts District of downtown Las Vegas. It’s on the fringe of this part of town that’s also considered the Gateway District thanks to the new downtown Las Vegas signage in the area.

The brewery is walking distance from The Strat which is ofter considered the Vegas Strip. Some call this part of town Naked City. This is not the nicest part of downtown Las Vegas. It’s still a “transitioning” or “up and coming” part of downtown Las Vegas. 

Drinking Able Baker Beer

Able Baker features more than 30 beers on tap. The majority are their own beers. There are also other local brewers and even some collaborations with those local brewers.

The beer menu is solid. As you’d imagine some better than others. I kicked off the night with a flight of beer based on my favorite local beer – and Able Baker’s signature beer – Atomic Duck.

The flight started with Atomic Duck and Waddle. The next beer was the Split Bill which is a combination of the other two beers. The Test Site Saison rounded out the flight since I needed a fourth. All flights come with a free rubber ducky. My dude has crazy eyes and I will cherish him forever.

The flight wasn’t too boozy (they have some high ABV beers) and it was a nice way to start off the evening. Most of the Able Baker beers are easy to drink which can be delicious and dangerous. Even the darker Chris Kael Impaled Ale goes down easy.

I’m not a fan of darker beers but I added the first of many tasters to the flight just to see if I liked it.

What’s In A Name?

While I was drinking and sharing pictures online, multiple people asked me about the name of the company. Well, that story is on the wall when you walk in.

The Able Baker name comes from the names of the first two atomic bombs detonated at the Nevada Test Site – Able and Baker. Their signature beer – Atomic Duck – also comes from the Nevada Test Site.

The tale Able Baker shares is that a duck was the only animal to survive the atomic testing at the site. Its nickname was the Atomic Duck. It’s a fairly simple story.

There’s plenty of beer and atomic nostalgia inside Able Baker if you’re into fun pictures to share on the line.

Dining at Able Baker

Able Baker has a full kitchen courtesy of Arts District Craft & Kitchen. The menu is similar to 595 Craft & Kitchen which you may have heard me mention before. It’s one of the best beer bars around town.

The food is as delicious in the new location as it is in Spring Valley. I ordered the pork belly banh mi. It’s one of my favorite things on the menu. I almost teared up after the first bite since I went a few weeks without bread. The somewhat salty pork belly is a perfect complement to all the beer.

My friend enjoyed the massive chicken sandwich. The burgers are thick and delicious and the hoisin wings are one of my other favorite menu items from the Craft Kitch team.

I’ve tried a lot of the menu items at the 595 location and have enjoyed a lot of items they offer. I almost always opt for the banh mi since that’s not a sandwich offered at the bars I tend to visit.

The Night Started Getting Silly After Dinner

The night got away from me and we never made it to the Crafthaus taproom. We ended up drinking beer for more than six hours. Besides Atomic Duck, I don’t think I had the same beer twice.

Able Baker continues to be my favorite local beer maker. The new brewery and taproom has plenty of seating inside and a large patio outside. There are multiple TV’s if you want to catch a game. However, the TV’s are spread out enough that they don’t get in the way if you don’t care.

The beer and food are excellent. The staff is nice, knowledgable, and fast. I had a great time and expect to have more great times here in the future. At the same time, I can’t wait to visit all of the new beer joints opening in the area.