Las Vegas' Original Brewery
Our first batches of beer started in a modest brewhouse located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. Dubbed the name “Holy Cow!” in 1993, it wasn’t until 2003 that we relocated the brewery to its current location just 8 miles northwest of downtown Las Vegas. We also renamed to Big Dog’s Brewing Company in honor of our late founder, Tom “Big Dog” Wiesner and haven’t slowed down since.. Today our brewery team works in unison to develop some of the most unique and flavorful beers in Las Vegas. With an emphasis on consistent core brews and exciting seasonal/reserve beers, our brewers continue to put our spin on original, local beer flavor.
It’s amazing to think about the journey we’ve been with craft beer over the past 30 years. What we didn’t fully realize at the time was that we were truly at the forefront of a MOVEMENT that was starting to take place in the early 1990’s. We were the 114th brewpub to open in this modern era that now sports over 8000 breweries in the United States of America. Craft beer is no longer a novelty; it is engrained into communities across the land – including right here in Nevada. What started out with Great Basin Brewing in the North and us down in the southern end, now includes over 50 breweries in the Silver State. From Lake Tahoe to Ruby Mountain to North Las Vegas to the Arts District, Booze District, Reno Brewery district and more, the #BattleBorn Nevadan entrepreneurs behind this movement are making things happen!
Please join us as celebrate this milestone all year long with special events, tastings, tappings, dinners and other fun things!
“Magnum” is our official 30th Anniversary beer. It is big and beautiful, just like the dog that inspired us for over 17 years. Magnum (the beer) is a classic Strong Ale that will have been aging in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels for the better part of a year upon its release in September 2023. Magnum (the dog) epitomized so many of the great things people love about Man’s Best Friends – loyal, caring, mischievous, with unconditional love. We miss our Magnum greatly but he lives on in spirit and in everything we do. Cheers to Magnum!
To kick off the “Cheers to 30” celebration, we’re hosting a Special tapping & Commemorative Bottle release event on Wednesday, September 13th in the Tap Room at Big Dog’s Draft House. Featuring Vegas Golden Knight television personalities Dave Goucher and Shane Hnidy, we’ll be tasting delicious beers paired with tasty appetizers, raising money for the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation and Michael’s Angel Paws, and talking about our 30th anniversary celebration and the upcoming VGK season.
$45 /Tasting Package Includes:
*10oz of our Magnum Anniversary Strong Ale
with special edition tasting glass to keep
*Paired Appetizer
Grilled Korean Pork Skewers
*One additional bonus Taproom Brew of your choice
*one $5 Raffle Ticket into our “pretty done” cooler drawing
RAFFLE PROCEEDS BENEFIT VGK FOUNDATION & MICHAEL’S ANGEL PAWS
*30% off Coupon good for food, packaged brews, & swag
*First Chance to purchase our
Limited Edition “Magnum” Anniversary Bottle and
“old-e but a good-e” world beer cup medalist
panel discussion about 30th anniversary celebration,
VGK SEASON PREVIEW, life is beautiful, upcoming “comic book” BREW series .
RAFFLE SALES BENEFIT MICHAEL’S ANGEL PAWS, AN INCREDIBLE CHARITY THAT STRIVES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS AND THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE HOPE AND MAGIC THAT DOGS CAN BRING. ADDITIONAL RAFFLE TICKETS ARE $5 EACH WITH ALL PROCEEDS GOING DIRECTLY TO THE CHARITY.
GRAND PRIZE IS AN AWESOME ONE-OF-A-KIND YETI COOLER DECORATED BY LOCAL ARTIST @PRETTYDONE, STUFFED WITH BIG DOG’S SWAG, BEERS, AND GIFT CARDS (VAUED AT OVER $1000!)
Part of the Big Dog’s Anniversary Week celebration includes special tappings of 45+ Big Dog’s Brews at our home base @ Big Dog’s Draft House. We kick off the week-long celebration with the Magnum tapping (see above) and continue with it the next day when all of our taps will be pouring a special list of Big Dog’s Brews. We will be featuring some of your favorites, some classics from the cellar, and a whole bunch of one-off keg selections. When we kick a beer, we’ll clean the lines and throw on another! This non-stop tap party will continue through Sunday, September 17th.
Check back that week for a link to the final beer list.
The brewpub restaurant will also be celebrating the anniversary with its annual “Walleye Weekend” specials, featuring beer battered Walleye fish and chips made with our award-winning Las Vegas Craft lager. Walleye Weekend is always a special time because it is the only weekend each year where we offer the Walleye fish and Chips basket. Each basket includes beer battered fresh water Walleye, served with fries, fresh slaw and homemade tartar sauce. Delicious! Just $19.95,
Finally, we will be highlighting local musician artists all weekend as well with a special performance calendar.
9/14: Jonny Hazzard 7pm
9/15: Island Magic 7pm
9/16: Kelly & The Strays 7pm
9/17: Leo B 6pm
In addition to our special happenings at the brewery, we will be celebrating our anniversary at satellite events at some of your favorite craft beer locations in Southern Nevada
9/14 Tap Take Over Event– @ Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits in Henderson
9/18 Cask Event – @ The Silver Stamp in the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas
9/19 Special Event – @ SER-VEH-ZAH in the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas
We love our brewery team. They are truly a fun group of guys, with bold, strong personalities that somehow are very different from each other while being very cohesive together at the same time, Their sense of detail comes through in the excellent beers they turn out. Their sense of humor comes through in how they name their beers. Frankly, most of the ideas and beer names for our seasonal brews come from the brewhouse team.
To wrap up our 30th Anniversary celebration, we thought we’d unleash a new series of cans that lets a slice of each brewer’s personality shine through. Not only did they decide on and design their own brew, but they also collaborated with local artist David Yett on some unique can and logo designs inspired by classic comic books that shine a spotlight on each of our brew team. Cans will be released on Black Friday at the brewery.
Jamie Roberts Beer: “Dogzilla” Japanese-style Lager
Sam McKinney Beer: “Sun Hound” Czech Pilsner
Marshall Lyttle Beer: “Apocalypse Meow” English-style Bitter
Stay tuned for more details!
We are teaming up with four special businesses in 2023 to collaborate on some specially made brews. These beers will each be featured – in conjunction with some of our most treasured community partners that have supported us throughout the years – at our four on-site beer festival events. Each of these beers will be available on draft at the collaborators. Package will be available at the brewery.
Winterfest – Collaboration with The Silver Stamp.
Beer: “Lady & The Stamp” Czech-style Lager.
Peace, Love & Hoppiness Fest – Collaboration with 595 Craft Kitchen.
Beer: “My Neck and Maibock”
Summer Fest & Reggae Party – Collaboration with SER-VEH-ZAH
Beer: “La Guerita” Pale Ale
DOGtoberfest – Collaboration with Khoury’s Fine Wine & Spirits.
Beer: TBA
One very tangible way we are celebrating our 30th year of making award-winning craft beer is the opening of our new on-site tap room bar. We’ve carved out a niche of our original dining room and have turned it into a more traditional, smoke-free tap room featuring its own 20 tap bar. Here on these taps you will find some extremely limited, exclusive beers that have rarely left the brewery. Enjoy it all on our beautiful new polished red oak live edge bar, one of our tap room tables, or at one of our lounge couches and chairs, This is a place to come and enjoy your time with a delicious craft beer. As a bonus, a limited amount of premium bourbon, Scotch, and tequila are available for sipping. Perfectly paired food choices are available as well.
Anniversary celebration plans are subject to change.
