I’ve been to Vegas several times but never for fun until this trip with my other half and two if his college buddies. After two nights of Phish concerts, we had a free day to check out old Vegas aka downtown aka Fremont Street. It’s a chill alternative to the Strip, with bars that lack slot machines and video poker. We walked from the Golden Nugget to Atomic Liquors, which is an excellent spot with outdoor seating, then stopped by Gold & Silver pawn shop and landed at the Millennium Fandom Bar. It’s a nerd paradise with Star Trek beer and weekly viewings of Dr. Who.

Highly recommend.

Craft beer on the strip exists! You’ll find Goose Island everywhere, but that’s owned by AB InBev so it doesn’t count. But there’s a place in New York, NY called 24 that has about a dozen taps, including a lot of local stuff. There’s even a tap with a rubber ducky on it. You gotta zoom in all the way to see it. The brewery is Able Baker out of Henderson, and it’s delightfully ducky.

I love IPAs. I know it’s cliche but I don’t care. They’re everywhere, taking over taps and infuriating the haters. But not all IPAs are the same. Many are, and breweries that specialize in other styles sometimes add one for people like me but they usually suck. Like if you don’t wanna brew IPAs then don’t. It’s like a meaty meatstick restaurant throwing vegetarians a bone with a frozen hockey puck veggie burger. Just don’t bother.

I don’t drink only IPAs. I also drink double IPAs and black IPAs. But also sours and stouts and porters and beers brewed with grape must.

IPA haters: try a few off the beaten path before rejecting them all. My husband hates cheese but he has tried more kinds of cheese than anyone.

Also, try some sours. Breweries like Greenport Harbor are doing some awesome stuff.