established by husband-and-wife team Nathan and Sara Hall, is the latest to set up shop in the “Booze District” — a small patch of Eastgate Road also inhabited by the Las Vegas Distillery and Grape Expectations (a winemaking school). Barkley’s primary role is to execute and finesse Hall’s personal recipes for small-batch production. The two met through the Southern Nevada Ale Fermenters Union, Barkley’s local homebrew club. “We’ve had some lengthy talks about how we want to approach the beers,” he says. “My job is to strike a balance of mimicking what Nathan was trying to create at home and making them commercially successful.”
‘Something to prove’
W
ith its current set-up, Bad Beat can currently produce 700 barrels per year (with 31 gallons per barrel). The debut menu for its July opening featured six beers, including The Gutshot, a coffee-flavored stout, and Hoppy Times, a very drinkable and piney IPA. Barkley’s personal contribution to the poker-themed collection is Bluffing Isn’t Weisse, a light hefeweizen with a distinct
banana flavor. As with most of his recipes, it has its roots in an old five-gallon homebrew experiment. “I felt like I had something to prove when it came to the technical side of brewing the hefeweizen,” he says. “There is a lot of talk about underpitching, or stressing, your yeast to create more of those banana and clove esters. While that’s true, you also create more byproducts that are considered flaws. Many things suffer as a result: mouthfeel, head retention and, ironically, the esters.” Barkley strives for a product that leans towards subtle, and Bad Beat’s brand new facility gives him all of the tools for achieving that objective. “Without getting long-winded and geeky, the equipment I use is specifically made to optimize the process of making beer. Certain changes that I make to home recipes are based on personal opinion of flavor, but others revolve around adding and subtracting ingredients to balance the efficiency of the brewing process.” As a fellow brewing enthusiast, Hall appreciates that self-described geekiness. “We became friends around the time he joined Joseph James, and I would always pick his brain about different techniques,” he says. “He was always very knowledgeable, and struck me very early on as someone I would like to have on my team.”
Ostriches and herbs
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t’s fitting that the brewery’s name was inspired by Hall’s fondness for poker, because every day is a roll of the dice. Barkley’s responsibilities are ever-changing — one day he’s sourcing local herbs to infuse in a new pale ale; the next, he’s arranging for a local ostrich farmer to pick up spent grain for feed. It’s a far cry from his days as a grease monkey. There are also bigger risks involved. First, there is no telling whether the Booze District, which is situated on the easternmost end of the 215, will become a popular drinking destination. Beer-drinkers who prefer sitting on
May we recommend... Bluffing Isn’t Weisse This fruity wheat beer, adapted from Barkley’s personal recipe, was an unexpected hit on opening weekend. Expect a light body with aggressive (and pleasantly surprising) notes of banana and spice — a naturally occurring byproduct of fermentation. Look for the cloudy haze of yeast that is characteristic of a good hefe. “I love its soft and fluffy body,” says Barkley. “I bet if you paired it with ice cream it would mimic the flavors of a banana split.” — DL
their couch will have to depend on local wine and spirits store Khoury’s to provide retail bottles. Distribution deals with local bars are also in the works. Second, Bad Beat must disprove a common complaint that local craft brews are subpar. “I understand how the general public could form that opinion,” he says. “Quite a few breweries in town are more than just breweries, whether they also double as a restaurant or casino. If food and gaming pay the bills, the beer becomes a novelty.” Not here. Barkley accepted his position at Bad Beat for the fact that the taproom’s only forms of entertainment are shuffleboard and Cards Against Humanity. “All we do here is make beer, and we know that’s why people come. That allows me to take risks and work on unique and dynamic flavor profiles.” With the support of his wife Amber, who tends bar in the taproom, and a newborn daughter, Hannah, he’s all in on his dream. He expects to produce a thousand barrels by Bad Beat’s first anniversary and already foresees the brand’s growth beyond Las Vegas. “It’s not like I’m trying to reinvent the wheel,” he says. “I don’t want to find the secret to making a beer taste like birthday cake. I just want to take traditional beer and make it beautiful in a way that respects those before me and excites those after me.”
AUGUST 2014
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