By Bob Barnes
Chris Jacobs Being Honored With Shrunken Head
Renowned Chinatown bar The Golden Tiki has an iconic tradition of bestowing shrunken-head likenesses to admired luminaries who impact our community. The collection numbers more than 200 celebrities and visionaries, and its next recipient will be Beer Zombies founder Chris Jacobs and his famed hop cone head logo.
Speaking on why this selection was made, Beverage Director and Master Mixologist Adam Rains said, “After doing as much as anyone in Vegas for zombie culture, we are bestowing upon the head beer zombie himself a shrunken head to commemorate, celebrate and proliferate his name! He will be forever displayed among the greats of The Golden Tiki.”
The honor will be a birthday present of sorts, as the ceremony will take place on Feb. 26, Jacobs’ 48th birthday. The free event will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the revealing of the Jacobs and Beer Zombies logo shrunken head at 8 p.m. There will also be a one-off Beer Zombies Brewery tiki-themed beer and canned tiki cocktail.
The birthday celebration will continue Feb. 28 with a pay-as-you-go party at Beer Zombies Brewery at 5 p.m. with live bands and collaboration beers made with Beer Zombies and popular breweries from across the U.S., including Xul, Rar, Harland, Seek, Rad Beer Co, Black Ninja and Beer Salvage.
Craft Beer Paradise Comes to Northwest Las Vegas
In an area of Northwest Las Vegas where establishments featuring a robust craft beer selection are nearly lost in space, Mission Control has opened in a center at the NE corner of Tenaya and Craig Road. The owner partnership of Raj Patel and brothers Coby and Jasey Baker have opened what is described as an upscale, classy living room that doubles as a craft beer haven and craft cocktail lounge with an extensive bottle list.
The bar’s name and decor allude to a space theme, with artwork featuring female astronauts and cats in spacesuits. The establishment is nongaming and features a lounge with retro couches and cushy chairs, and all tables are six-tops, encouraging social connecting.
The 20-tap beer list changes constantly and includes local beers and Celestial Mechanics beers (the owners’ beer brand currently being contract brewed by Mason Ale Works).
The selection is quite unique, with brews you’ll not likely find anywhere else in town, such as Bottle Logic Contained Combustion Imperial Stout, Celestial Mechanics Ryusei Japanese Rice Lager and Beer Zombies Hoperation Orangy Fruited IPA. There’s also a semi-secret Captain’s List of more than 600 large format (1.5 L) beers.
Mission Control is connected to Saffron Flavors of India, and although the restaurant’s main menu is not available, there is a menu exclusive to the bar with items such as Crispy Cauliflower, Naan Pizza and Bibimbap Rice Bowl.
4450 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 115, Las Vegas. (702) 530-8844; MissionControlLV.com
Local Brewery Champion of the Month
In this recurring feature, we spotlight establishments that appreciate our local breweries enough to devote their beer lists to beer made in Nevada. ØØ Pie & Pub in Chinatown at The Center at Spring Mountain (the same center that includes The Golden Tiki) is named for the proprietary blend of Italian pizza flour Chef Partner Michael Vakneen perfected, leading to the eatery being ranked on the 50 Top Pizza USA 2024 list.
Congratulations to Vakneen, as well, for his just-announced James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef Southwest. In addition to its proven excellence in pizza making, this establishment promotes our local breweries with a beer list that is nearly all local, pouring El Charro and 702 ØØ Ale made by Tenaya Creek, Vanilla Oak and Half Bird Chicken & Beer Cockfight Pils by HUDL, Sumo Stomp and Rebel Spirit by CraftHaus and Flor IPA by North 5th.
3853 Spring Mountain Road, Las Vegas. (702) 463-0755; DoubleZeroPie.com
