CRAFTHAUS BREWERY CELEBRATES REBEL SPIRIT

Official Beer for UNLV benefits the university’s college of hospitality.

CraftHaus Brewery got into Rebel Spirit by creating the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ ofcial beer in 2022. Rebel Spirit, Golden Ale, is offered at sporting events, local retailers, and both CraftHaus taprooms, with a portion of the proceeds gifted to the university.

William F. Harrah College of Hospitality alumni, Wyndee and Dave Forrest, and Cameron Fisher brought the delicious brew to Nevada.

“We are honored to represent our alma mater with Rebel Spirit,” said CraftHaus Brewery owner Wyndee Forrest. “The journey has come full circle with learning the skills to prepare us to run our own business and operating CraftHaus Brewery for the last eight years. It was time for us to give back to our university. Rebel Spirit drives us to achieve, persevere, and triumph because we are Rebels for life!”

During the fall 2022 semester, 50 hospitality undergraduate students toured the CraftHaus brewery and taproom in Henderson. The Crafthaus team gave a tutorial on the brewing process, detailing the various ingredients that go into each batch and what makes each beer different. Wyndee Forrest led the group through a sensory analysis of fve different beer styles and explained the business operation. Students learned that CraftHaus encompasses three entities: manufacturer, wholesale distributor, and retailer.

“This partnership with CraftHaus Brewery underscores the college’s focus on practical learning and our growing emphasis on beverage operations,” said the Dean of William F. Harrah College of Hospitality Stowe Shoemaker. “The fact that our CraftHaus partners—as UNLV alums—are investing in the next generation of industry leaders really shows our students what the Rebel Spirit is all about.”

It has been nearly two decades since the Forrests obtained their degrees from UNLV. Wyndee majored in hotel administration with an emphasis in entertainment management, and Dave majored in hotel management with an emphasis in recreation and leisure. Fisher, CraftHaus head brewer, graduated in 2009, majoring in foodservice management.

Established in 2014, CraftHaus Brewery has created a community around quality beers. Wyndee and Dave Forrest successfully changed licensing for the city of Henderson and Las Vegas to offer craftfriendly licenses. In 2019, they opened a second taproom, CraftHaus Arts District, in Downtown Las Vegas. Wyndee Forrest also currently serves as the president of the Nevada Craft Brewers Association.

With a 5% ABV and smooth, crisp fnish, Rebel Spirit is available in four packs of 16-ounce cans and on draft at both taprooms. The 16-ounce can feature the school’s scarlet and gray coloring with the word “Rebel” in a classic script font against the gray background. The Rebel Spirit label, created by Victoria Hart of Pink Kitty Creative, was also inspired by the Hospitality College’s academic building, Hospitality Hall, and the iconic Flashlight sculpture—both centerpieces of the UNLV campus.

A partnership is being developed to make the brewery available in the future as a working lab for hospitality undergrads to have hands-on experience operating a brewery. Students will learn sensory analysis, how to operate a service industry-based business, the brewing process, and how to be stewards of the local community.

For more information, visit crafthausbrewery. com; follow on Facebook @CraftHausBrewery, Instagram @crafthaus, and Twitter @crafthausbrew.

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