The Truckee Meadows’ newest brewery opened its doors on April 11th to an eager, thirsty crowd of local media and business owners before officially opening to the public the following morning.
Ty Whitaker pours a pint of Black Noddy Lager at Buckbean’s VIP pre-opening party, April 11. Photo by Charlie Johnston
True to the descriptions provided at buckbeanbeer.com, the brews on tap were nothing short of delicious. The Original Orange Blossom Ale, zesty and refreshing, is a great spring or summer brew; light enough for the average beer drinker, yet still complex enough for the seasoned beer conneissuer. The Black Noddy Lager betrays its intimidating dark color with a smooth, toasty taste that even my companion, a sworn opponent of dark beers, couldn’t resist—she refilled her glass at least twice. A third, limited edition beer, Tule Duck Red Ale, is a robust, almost opaque ale with a creamy smooth, rich flavor reminiscent of British ales.
When they receive their first shipment of cans in about a month, Buckbean will be one of two Nevada breweries that distributes its beer (Ruby Mountain Brewing Company in Northeastern Nevada is the other) and the only one to do so in cans. “Canned beer suffers from an image problem,” says Dan Kahn, brewmaster and co-founder of Buckbean. “People got used to the idea that good beer only comes from bottles because that’s all microbreweries had to work with in the beginning.”
Cans, as it turns out, are better for the beer than bottles—they keep out air and light, which preserves freshness and prevents the beer from going flat. Cans also are better for the environment. They aren’t packed in cardboard like bottles, so they don’t need to be rinsed of packing dust; cans are lighter than bottles and require less fuel to ship; cans don’t require glue and labels, saving paper and energy; and cans are more easily recycled than bottles. Perhaps the greatest selling point in the cans vs. bottles debate: Buckbean cans offer beer lovers a full pint (16 ounces) instead of the paltry 12 ounces offered by most bottled beers.
Buckbean is located at 1155 South Rock Boulevard, Suite 490, in Reno and is open for tours, free tasting, and 64-ounce growler filling ($13.50 and the bottle is yours to keep for refills), Tuesday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you can’t make it in for a tasting or growler, you can still enjoy Buckbean’s brews at all four Reno, Sparks, and Carson City Sparky’s locations. To see more microbreweries from around Nevada, check out “Battle-Born Brews” from the March/April issue of Nevada Magazine.
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