Henderson distillery reopens after a 2-year renovation

By Johnathan L. Wright Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 months ago

Mixologist Cody Fredrickson pours at Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened ... — Mixologist Cody Fredrickson pours at Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened in June 2024 after its new owner undertook an extensive two-year renovation. (Las Vegas Distillery)

Releases from Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened in June 2024 after its new owner undertook an extensive two-year renovation. (Las Vegas Distillery)

An Eastgate Sour from Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened in June 2024 after its new owner undertook an extensive two-year renovation. (Las Vegas Distillery)

A behind-the-scenes tour at Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened in June 2024 after its new owner undertook an extensive two-year renovation. (Las Vegas Distillery)

A soft pretzel basket from Las Vegas Distillery in Henderson. The distillery reopened in June 2024 after its new owner undertook an extensive two-year renovation. (Las Vegas Distillery)

It’s booze and bottles, bites and buzz as Las Vegas Distillery reopens in Henderson after a two-year top-to-bottom renovation. Owner Rob Saucier purchased the distillery in July 2022, relaunching last month with distilling and bottling operations, a tasting room, craft cocktails showcasing house spirits, an interactive tour, bottle sales and more.

“Las Vegas Distillery is unique to the Las Vegas Valley,” Saucier said, “and we are looking forward to serving local cocktail and spirit enthusiasts, as well as curious tourists interested in the pride and productions behind our spirits.”

Current releases

Master distiller Jonny Ver Planck leads the small-batch distilling program that currently releases a vodka (made from unrefined cane sugar and hard white winter wheat), a white rum with a base of blackstrap molasses and unrefined cane sugar, a rum-based coffee liqueur with beans roasted by Dark Moon Coffee Roasters of Henderson, and a limited-edition rum distilled twice in copper stills to 126 proof.

The distillery is also releasing a “new make” bourbon and a new make single-malt whiskey — “new make” being the term for the clear unaged spirit from a fresh distillation. Spirits will be released and rotated monthly.

Cocktails and bites

Cocktails created by mixologist Cody Fredrickson showcase housemade spirits. Look for the drinks in the new tasting room: a Moscow mule, an espresso martini starring coffee liqueur and Dark Moon espresso, a barrel-aged old-fashioned made with new make bourbon or white rum, and a Keep the Change (Ya Filthy Animal) mingling new make bourbon, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters and cherry bark vanilla bitters.

Not in a cocktail mood? “For those who prefer their spirits neat, our tasting room also offers the option to taste all our spirits in a curated flight, with educational insights provided by our knowledgeable team,” Fredrickson said.

Large-format cocktails, seasonal cocktails, spirits flights, wine and beer round out the beverage selections.

For the bites menu, the distillery is calling on local Monzù Italian Oven + Bar for artisan bread and local Cured & Whey for cheese and charcuterie boards. Pizzas, a soft pretzel basket and assorted nuts are also on the menu.

Production, aging, bottling

A tour that begins with a welcome cocktail takes folks beyond the tasting room and into the distillery, with a discussion of distilling history and materials, and a walk-through of spirits production, aging and bottling.

Las Vegas Distillery is open noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at 7330 Eastgate Road, Suite 100, Henderson. Visit lasvegasdistillery.com.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.