Speaking of other new beginnings, in my What’s Brewing column I have details of the newly-opened HUDL Brewing, the reopening of Trustworthy Brewing and the gradual return of beer events, namely the Oktoberfest beer dinner at Ellis Island’s The Front Yard

What’s Brewing

Bob Barnes is a native Las Vegan, editorial director of The Las Vegas Food & Beverage Professional and covers the LV restaurant scene for Gayot.com. He welcomes your inquiries. Email: bob@lvfnb.com

HUDL Brewing Now Open in Arts District

As the burgeoning Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas continues to blossom with new eateries and craft beer establishments, last month’s opening of HUDL Brewing brings the total of breweries and taprooms to 7, along with a handful of craft beer bars now pouring or opening soon. Situated at 1327 S. Main in the same building and just steps from Nevada Brew Works (which opened a month earlier), the two breweries share a sizeable outdoor patio. Inside you’ll find a coated concrete floor, repurposed wood wall and a black and gray color scheme with black tables and black/gray chairs. There’s also an attractive high def screen above the bar listing the beers with descriptions. Like many other new ventures, this one was two years in the making and COVID slowed things down, including the backlog of required inspections. At the soft opening I was informed by Co-owner Ken Cooper that the name HUDL is a shortening of huddle, but is not a football reference, but rather denotes a community getting together to have a good time. Head Brewer Joe Cuozzo had a full roster of eight beers ready to pour. I especially enjoyed the Wrathful Rose, made with raspberries and hibiscus tea, which thankfully was more tart than sweet; Shaggy Assassin, a hazy IPA; Vanilla Oak Cream Ale with a slight oak character; Salty Swabber, a 9.4% American DIPA made with all US hops; and best of all, the 8.2% 115° Imperial Stout on nitro aged on dark chocolate in a bourbon barrel. Joe tells me up next will be a pilsner. I’ve talked about the Arts District morphing into a beer district, and although I’m not suggesting changing the name, with this and other recent openings and more coming soon, it certainly qualifies as one.

Trustworthy Brewing Reopens

On October 1 Trustworthy Brewing at The Palazzo reopened, which happens to be the only brewery on the Vegas Strip. A few weeks later a media event was held, hosted by Co-founder Chipper Pastron, who said, “We’re really happy and so excited to get the doors open again and the staff back to work.” He also shared with the group that the brewery is now brewing its own beers. (When Trustworthy opened in July, 2019 government licensing was still pending and beers were being sent over from the other Trustworthy location in Burbank, CA.) It was an honor to be one of the first to try

three new Vegas beers, which included Test Pilot Unfiltered Ale, which GM Robert Parekh informed us was the initial batch and the name references how unforeseen mechanical issues with the never before used brewhouse proved to be challenging, yet it still came out to be pretty good. Also poured were Palazzo Pale, an American pale ale, and A Year in the Making, an American amber ale named for how long it took to finally obtain their brewers license, which ironically was issued the day before the shutdown in March. Regarding the beers he is making, Head Brewer Zach Johnson, who started brewing at Trustworthy in Feb. 2017, said, “I don’t try to get too much into one style of

beer, but am a big fan of lagers, so there will be some coming down the line, including a Helles and Mexican lager.” Along with the reopening is a new daily happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close with $2 off drafts and ½ off select appetizers and 24 oz drafts for $9 during football games. Hours are Mon., Thu., Fri. and Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sun. 1:30-9 p.m.

Great American Beer Festival

Although due to the pandemic there was no onsite festival at the Great American Beer Festival, the Brewers Association did hold its annual beer judging competition, which this year attracted the most ever entries: more than 8,800. The record-breaking amount was due to the BA allowing an unlimited amount of entries from the more than 8,200 US breweries entering as many as they wished. Although no Southern Nevada breweries medaled, Northern Nevada breweries brought home five medals. Reno’s Great Basin Brewing Co. took gold for its Razzle Fo Shazzle in the Berliner-Style Weisse category, IMBIB Custom Brews earned silver for its Triad Blanc in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour category and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery was awarded bronze for its BJ’s Coffee Blonde in the Coffee Beer category; and Carson City’s Shoe Tree Brewing Co. received two medals: gold for its Coco Burrito Porter in the Specialty Beer category and bronze for its Stoutacus in the Imperial Stout category. Worth mentioning is the fact that Great Basin has now amassed 16 GABF medals, the most of any brewery in Nevada. Congrats to our friends up north for their impressive showing!

Ellis Island The Front Yard Oktoberfest Beer Dinner

After Governor Sisolak okayed gatherings larger than 50 people, Ellis Island wasted no time in putting together an Oktoberfest-themed beer dinner. This turned out to be The Front Yard’s very first Oktoberfest and I was happy to attend; interestingly, the last beer dinner I attended before everything was clamped shut was Ellis Island’s inaugural beer dinner event, held in early February. Present were the entertaining and affable Head Brewers Michael Key and Eddie Leal, who led us through the Oktoberfest-themed pairings; and the masterful Chef John Alers, who created and directed the preparation of all the courses. The dinner began with German Cucumber Salad and Mini Pretzel Sticks with Beer Cheese paired with Koval Pilsner, which is hoppier and darker than traditional German pilsners. We were informed the beer cheese contained the Pilsner, and this cheese was so delectable I would have happily unabashedly drunk a pint of it. Next up was Chicken Schnitzel Fries with Honey Mustard and Lemon Aioli, a German take on chicken tenders, matched with Weizenbock, a very enjoyable brew filled with malty-sweet goodness.

This was followed by Bratwurst, Kale and Apple Salad paired with Oktoberfest, with the bratwurst being enlivened by having the Oktoberfest infused in it. Pork Loin Roast with German Potato Salad was matched with Bourbon Barrel-Aged Rauchbier. We were privileged to be the first ones to ever experience this beer, which Eddie told us had been aged for 11 months in the barrel, and had only been tapped minutes before. The pork loin was also cooked in the Oktoberfest, making this another beer-infused dish. We finished with Mini Chocolate Cakes with Luxardo Cherry Reduction paired with Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Helles Bock. What an interesting (in a very good way) and delicious beer this was, and I reflected on how rare it is to see a light-hued beer that is barrel aged. Social distancing was enforced between tables with a maximum of six guests at each table. The dinner was sold out, with 55 guests in attendance, and the price was $65, a very reasonable fee for the amount of excellently prepared food and beer we enjoyed. Next up is a winter-themed beer dinner, which is set for December 17.

CraftHaus Brewery & Taproom New Patio

Just in time for the great fall weather, last month CraftHaus Brewery & Taproom on California St. in the Arts District opened a new extended patio. The brewery has teamed up with neighboring Garagiste Wine Room & Merchant to share the 1,500-square-foot patio which will be open through January 5. The patio is equipped with picnic tables and benches that seat up to six and wood barrels from CraftHaus’ barrel-aged program give the space more of a beer garden vibe. As for food to go with the taproom’s 22 drafts, the menu includes curated cheese and charcuterie boards, spent grain soft pretzels with beer cheese or beer bacon jam, prosciuttowrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese and a vegan deli board.

As always, great beer happens in Vegas!

Rallying the Troops: Michelin-Rated Restaurateur’s Podcast Brings in World-Class Industry Talent

Benjamin Brown, MBA is a seasoned writer and consultant. Ben works with Fortune 500 companies and mom & pop shops alike in Marketing, Analytics, Consumer Insights, PR and Business Development. Contact Ben at Ben@lvfnb.com or follow him @Foodie_Biz.

The hospitality world has been littered with questions since this pandemic has taken hold. And in a naturally fragmented field where so many small, independent operators may feel like they’re wandering through the dark, one industry vet is bringing some answers. Josh Kopel, a Michelin-rated restaurateur and tech entrepreneur, has brought in some of the country’s biggest names to discuss hard-hitting issues around how businesses both small and large can effectively reopen. His podcast, FULL COMP, is now in its second season. “What we need more than anything right now is tactical help in getting through this pandemic,” Kopel said. “We don’t speak in the abstract. We speak in the concrete about things people are actually doing…[FULL COMP] is a platform where we can have really candid, honest conversations with people whom I’ve looked up to my entire career.” Some of those people include SBE Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian, Bar Rescue’s Jon Taffer, best-selling authors Seth Godin and Jim Collins, and Focus Brands COO Kat Cole among many others. While many of Kopel’s guests are notable hospitality leaders, many more come from outside the industry, providing fresh perspective. “[Restaurants] are a naturally fragmented business. You have a lot of owners and operators who work 80-100 hours a week in their own little worlds and we’re often so busy that we never think we have the time to talk to each other,” Kopel said. “Now their businesses are closed, and they have time and the ability to make big changes. If there’s a moment for the industry to make big changes, it’s now.” Kopel, born and raised in Louisiana, began his hospitality career in the Alligator Bayou Bar [“it’s exactly as you picture it,” he jokes]. After rising through the ranks, he moved to Los Angeles with the intention of bringing a touch of the big city back down to Louisiana. He’s stayed in Southern California ever since doing quite the opposite, owning and operating Southerninspired establishments that have accumulated just about every award in the book. Then the pandemic hit. Kopel’s most recent venture, the highly-lauded Preux & Proper in Downtown Los Angeles, recently closed its doors for good. “I’m a parent. I’m invested in my staff and the community we serve…not knowing how to keep my family safe, my team safe, my patrons safe, it didn’t seem like the responsible choice to stay open,” Kopel said. The decision to close permanently came six months later, yet with that perpetual smile and hospitable Southern attitude, Kopel saw opportunity. “All entrepreneurs have exceptional amounts of optimism, but for restaurant owners it borders on craziness. The day we closed, I turned to my wife and said ‘this can either be an opportunity or a curse, and whichever path we choose will determine what that will be. Let’s make this an opportunity.’” FULL COMP debuted shortly afterward. “Everyone was blaming the pandemic for the decimation of the industry, but I didn’t see that. That may have been the final blow, but that’s not the only thing that did it in for us,” Kopel said. He sees the Coronavirus pandemic as the catalyst that accelerated the inevitable demise of so many businesses that were already hanging by a thread. FULL COMP investigates the underlying factors that made hospitality so susceptible to failure, and how the industry can improve on these issues moving forward. Supplementing the podcast is the FULL COMP Industry Guide to Restructuring, a physical manifestation of the of best practices shared by Kopel’s extensive Rolodex of partners. “There have been noble efforts made by so many different organizations, but I didn’t see a holistic guide out there that could guide me through a successful future. Through this show, I’ve had the pleasure to speak with such prolific people in the industry and ask them really pointed questions. This restart guide is the culmination of those conversations,” Kopel said. And while the restart guide and podcast cover a breadth of topics for success in the industry, Kopel was quick to hone in on the lowesthanging fruit: marketing. From formatting your website to investing in beautiful photography and video, efforts to showcase the people behind the product will go a long way. “The ‘aha’ moment for all of us is that the restaurant business is a business. If every other business on the planet is spending a ton of time and money on marketing their goods and services, why aren’t we? Why aren’t we telling our story?” Kopel said. FULL COMP can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. The FULL COMP Industry Guide to Restructuring can be downloaded for free on JoshKopel.com.

Epicurean had a jam-packed last couple of weeks. We started off with our social game night where some of our members played Among Us, a game of deception, chaos and betrayal, and some of us played Tokaido, a vacation in a boardgame. Among Us is a lot like the old John Carpenter movie The Thing where you play with up to 10 people and 1 to 3 of you are imposters trying to sabotage the crew making sure they cannot complete all of their tasks. The game is won when either all the imposters are discovered and ejected from the ship, all the tasks are complete or the imposters kill all the crew. This game can get intense and maybe not the best game to play when we are trying to learn about each other, since a big part of the game is lying to win, but we had fun. As for Tokaido, it is a game where you are on vacation and you

By Nicholas Bilt

Nicholas Bilt, a Hospitality Management student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, represents the Epicurean Society, a collection of food and restaurant enthusiasts. Nicholas is the journalist for Epicurean Society, and is sharing the club’s experiences with the public. Coming from an arts high school for culinary arts and hospitality, Nicholas looks at food and service from an artist angle.

earn points by sightseeing and experiencing the culture; the game ends when everyone makes it to the end of the board. We hosted Tokaido games for our members to have a more casual experience with less screaming at each other with friends. Over all that was a fun night and we all got to know each other better, which made the next week’s activity even more fun. After getting to know each other better, the next week we did our food debate: Epicureans Culinary Clash. We set up a Google slideshow for our members to make slides based on their opinions about food for us as a club to discuss. We talked about ranking fry cuts, and that crinkly cut fries are the best according to our member Mei. One of our members shared his opinion on how oversized food is overrated, an opinion by Linh. And a ranking of beef cooking temperatures and beef cuts, done by Bryan. Also, we talked about if cereal can be classified as a salad. It was a ton of fun talking about all things food and even had to reset the Zoom meeting so we could talk even more about the topics. We are planning on doing another food debate on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving all about our opinions on Thanksgiving foods. That same day we uploaded the second episode of Dorm Chef on our UNLV Epicurean Instagram. This month, I demoed a 4-ingredient chocolate cake in a mug, consisting of a banana, egg, cane sugar, and cocoa powder. It takes about 3 minutes to make, so it is a quick and easy treat for people in dorms with only a microwave, a mug and a spoon. Finally, this past month we had our first guest speaker for the semester. Candice Imam, the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement & Events of the Hospitality College. She talked to us about what it is like to work events for the Hospitality College. First, we talked about the Chaine de Rotisserie dinner that UNLV hosted. She, along with training from Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, ran front-of-house service and she talked about the process of planning the events and what goes into designing and setting the atmosphere for the event. Then she talked about her role in planning the Women in Hospitality event. She showed us what the information packet for the venders looked like, showing what materials they would get and the directions to find the building and information about how to unload all equipment. Candice also told us about how she learns things from every job and told us about how she walked around with the health inspector and how she learned more about handling more back-ofhouse experiences. Then we touched on the preplanning stages for an event that got canceled by COVID-19 and the timeline of planning events. Overall, we got great insight on front-of-house event planning and what it is like working and collaborating with other companies, delivering the best product for the client. For the next few weeks we are looking at doing a trivia night in the form of Jeopardy. The categories will be fast food chains, food in movies, baking, equipment and utensils and Halloween candy (got to keep that Halloween spirit up). Then we are planning on doing a watch party for some food-related content; we are still picking what we want to watch but we want to try to find something new and exciting to bring to our members. We will also be having our second guest speaker for the semester and while I will not say who it is now, we want to have this guest speaker give prospective on back-of-house operations. This semester, while very challenging due to everything being over Zoom, has still been a blast.

Foley Family Wines Bullish on Industry Growth and Innovation

By Ben Brown | Photo Credit: Foley Family Wines

Part of an artform that’s evolved over millennia, Foley Family Wines is a relatively new player on the field. But since its founding in 1996, what started as a single vineyard has grown into a global enterprise, encompassing dozens of labels across California and the Pacific Northwest all the way down to South Island, New Zealand. Relative to its time in the industry, Foley Family Wines has grown at breakneck speed, and despite a whirlwind year of wildfires, a global pandemic and resulting business closures, doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon. Foley Family Wines was built on passion, its growth reflective of an ambitious mindset fueled by Founder and Vintner Bill Foley. While his ownership of the Vegas Golden Knights has garnered substantial fame across the Las Vegas Valley in recent years, it was Foley’s keen eye for a good business deal that got him to a position to make such a purchase. The Air Force vet made his mark on the business world when he bought and turned around the then-struggling Fidelity National Financial. Now, nearly 50 years later, he remains Executive Chairman of the Board, and applies the same acumen that’s garnered such success into other areas he’s passionate about. Any Golden Knights fan can attest to the team’s incredible milestones and the positive impact they’ve made on the city. Wine aficionados can say the same with Foley Family Wines. “As I began researching [Bill], I realized that the Foley family and Foley Family Wines organization was committed to investing in the business for the long-term and striving for success in the luxury wine market,” said Gerard Thoukis, Chief Marketing Officer at Foley Family Wines. “The portfolio is comprised of a long list of iconic winery estates that have rich pedigrees and deep rooted stories, derived from some of the world’s most renowned wine growing regions.” That portfolio is the product of a relentless series of acquisitions, made year after year, geared to grow and diversify Foley Family Wines while preserving the natural art and culture of each label they take under their wing. “The key to managing such an expansive and diverse portfolio is prioritization and maintaining authenticity,” Thoukis said. “From an authenticity perspective, it is imperative that each brand in our portfolio maintains and shares their unique, compelling brand story and maintains product profiles that are consistent with the brand’s history, heritage and place of origin.” “From a prioritization perspective, [we have] identified key brands and even individual SKUs to focus our attention and investment. This prioritization enables all FFW functional areas, our wholesaler partners and customers to clearly understand which initiatives are most important.” Overseeing that many labels and perfecting each of those brand stories to uphold a reputation of ‘distinct style and legacy’ is much easier said than done. But the portfolio keeps growing, and Thoukis is among those at the helm looking out for the next great acquisition. “Early in my tenure, Bill asked me to compile a list of brands which would be great additions,” Thoukis said. “When evaluating potential acquisitions, it is imperative that we look for brands that fill a gap in our existing portfolio.” One of the more recent brands that filled that gap is Sonoma County-based FerrariCarano, knowns for its Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and a Tuscan-style red blend. The deal adds more than 1,200 acres of vineyard and an estimated 480,000 cases of annual output to the Foley Family Wines umbrella. Bill Foley’s goal is to get to 2 million cases.

But Thoukis is adamant about the company’s preservation of each label’s legacy. This mission doesn’t just apply to the wine itself, but the tasting experience as well. “We’re in the process of revamping the consumer experiences at all winery sites,” he said. “Our objective in doing this is to ensure that each onsite winery experience reinforces the authentic, unique stories for each specific winery and location to consumers.” Thoukis has dedicated his career to the wine world, taking after his father, who served with E. & J. Gallo for 45 years, retiring as VP of Winemaking, and his grandfather, a wine and spirits maker in Cyprus. Thoukis himself became enamored with wine as a child, not by drinking it of course, but seeing how it brought together his family and their friends, symbolizing the best of times. Now, with a 21-year stint of his own with E. & J. Gallo behind him, Thoukis is in his third year with Foley Family Wines and his second year as CMO. He was recently nominated for the “Wine Executive of the Year” Wine Star Award from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The deep industry experience that got him into the C-suite and a revered nomination is what’s also allowing Foley Family Wines to navigate its way through the ever-evolving digital age. E-commerce is somewhat of a low-hanging fruit at this point, not to say that it’s easy to manage from an operational or financial perspective. “Today’s consumer has an expectation of purchasing what they want, when they want it,” Thoukis said. “As a result, e-commerce has become a growth avenue for many in the wine industry, including us.” But Foley Family Wines’ initiatives go far beyond basic online sales. In a time when in-person tastings have all but disappeared, the company is leveraging another one of its arms, the Foley Food & Wine Society, to take consumer engagement to another level. “We’ve developed and launched virtual tasting capability featuring some of the world’s mostcelebrated wines, and hosted by the wine world’s greatest wine experts,” Thoukis said. “Virtual tasting packages bring the elegance and exclusivity of a private cellar tasting directly to a consumer’s home.” The Foley Food & Wine Society is a luxury lifestyle community where members gain access to a variety of culinary, travel and entertainment experiences, as well as highly acclaimed wines. Started by Bill and Carol Foley, the community is another example of personal passion becoming a reality for others through mindful execution. But it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Foley Family Wines, or anyone growing in California for that matter. The pandemic has forced countless restaurants, hotels and other business partners to close their doors indefinitely, inevitably hurting sales. Thoukis did note that he’s seen some resurgence in recent months, however. And as if a global pandemic wasn’t bad enough, wildfires have been scorching California’s wine country for months. With the potential to wipe out entire crops, these fires could prove fatal for many in the area. And while the Foley Family vineyards located in California, Oregon and Washington seem to be largely unaffected, the company is nevertheless supported by its broad geographic diversification. “Unfortunately, wildfires seem to have become the new normal in wine growing regions,” Thoukis said. “Over the past few years, we’ve had a few properties touched by wildfires. Fortunately, due to extraordinary and selfless work done by first responders, no [Foley Family] wineries have been destroyed.”

Thoukis is also optimistic about the wine industry continuing to move forward, with an eye set on innovation. Even in a field that’s existed for thousands of years, he sees a breadth of areas ripe for change. As consumers continue along their wine journey and become more and more comfortable with wine, I see continued growth of the category over the next five years,” he said. “But in order for my projection to be true, the wine industry must continue to innovate. Flavor innovation, packaging innovation, lower-alcohol offerings, marketing innovation, especially around digital consumer outreach and engagement, all must take place for the wine industry to attract and retain the next generation of wine consumers and drive growth.” Foley Family Wines has become a dominant force in the wine world over the last 25 years. Now, with an army of labels in tow, there’s a new corner to turn, and that’s the art of effectively communicating these masterfully-crafted brand identities to an increasingly digital consumer with an elusive palate. And as we eye a hopeful recovery from a pandemic that’s put the hospitality industry effectively on pause, brands have had substantial time to think about how they’re going to approach this next generation of consumer, whose habits have inevitably changed as well amidst the lockdowns. Finding the exact channels and engagement tools will continue to be a priority for Thoukis and his team. But for a group founded on passion, they will undoubtedly continue to lead the field. For more information on Foley Family Wines, visit FoleyWines.com. For more information on the Foley Family Food and Wine Society, visit FoleyFoodAndWineSociety.com.