Paul S’s Beer Club UYE at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse Jun 2015

Paul S. really put some thought and planning into this UYE beer club event. I’ve been meaning to get to one of his monthly beer events for awhile but something has always come up. Lucky for me I had this whole week off from work so I made it to my first one.
The event started at 5:30 pm but since I was on Staycation and I live in Sparks, we cruised over early to avoid rush-​hour traffic. We were lucky enough to sit with fellow Unilocaler Ly and her precocious daughter Kiwi who gave us some pointers on the U.S. Women’s vs Germany soccer game. Great game! So fun to watch. Go USA!
I always thought of BJ’s brewhouse as just another, maybe a little better, chain restaurant. And Reno’s location as just one of a zillion. Little did I know that the Reno operation is the main brewer for almost all of the countries BJ’s locations. They bottle too.
We were lucky enough to get a very thorough tour of the facility and a great education on how beer making works from Patty one of the Brewmasters. He was friendly, full of information and funny. He took quite a bit of time out of his work day, which he wasn’t done with, to help us learn and show us around. That was above and beyond service. I had no idea you could even set up a tour at BJ’s. Good job Paul !
Like any good food or drink tour, it started out with generous samples of the newest fresh Pale ale. A nice, cold refreshing drink. It was delicious and perfect on this close to 100 degree day. My personal favorite at BJ’s is the Jeremiah Red but I liked this too.
Back to the table, we had only ordered a sampler of appetizers to share, it was a hot day for eating too heavy for me, but they were great and our two servers for our group of something like 19 people did a great job keeping up and separating checks. This event was really about the great beer and the wonderful tour.
Bonus, I found out that BJ’s brewhouse will let you pick up their spent grains for free to use for fertilizing your garden. Drive by the back of the restaurant and see if they have any.
Thank you Paul S. For all the work you put into this event and all of your UYE beer events. These events are not as easy to set up as you make them look I’m sure. We will be back for more. And a big thanks to BJ’s for being so generous with their wonderful employee’s time. That kind of service definitely does not make me feel like I’m in a big chain.

Another beertastic event! I had the brunette beer and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was light, a little nutty and very smooth. For dinner I had the California burger with a veggie patty. Very yummy!
Thanks to Paul and BJ’s for a fun evening of beer, food and of course hanging out with fellow Unilocalers.

Love Paul’s Beer Club Events. It is a great way to get me out of my rut, try something new, and visit with some of the finest people in Reno.
Our service was great. Our server, Shelly, even offered upfront to do separate checks with this very very large group. I ordered the flight of four beers and she was very helpful in making some suggestions for me. The group of us sitting together decided on apps to get started. All was brought out right away.
Just as we were getting started on our drinks and eats, we were asked to come and take our tour of the brewery on site. OOPS — not good timing with fresh food and beer just having been served.
The brewmaster was very good at showing us everything and explaining the whole brewing process. It really is a amazing operation and they brew a lot of beer here. It’s not just for the restaurant. They distribute to other venues and it is a huge operation.
In all, it was a great event. I don’t often venture to South Reno, but this is a definite repeat place.

This was my first Paul S’s Beer Club UYE. I hesitated going as I have only used beer to make bread, and I have used it in my hair to make it, healthy, shiny and… I don’t know, stinky? I did seem unusually attractive to men that day. I’m thinking beer may act as some sort of man elixir.
We received an informative and engaging tour of the brewing areas. That was cool. We sampled product. Interestingly enough, gardeners may benefit from spent hops, malted grains, and such for mulching – so go git ya some, free courtesy of BJ’s.
Food was fresh and good. Everyone seemed to enjoy their selections – pizzas, flat breads, sandwiches, hors-d’oeuvres, desserts, etc.
Staff were outgoing, helpful and very accommodating with the slew of separate checks.
Fellow Unilocalers were terrific company, insuring a terrific night out.
The event was enjoyable and organized. Great job, Paul S.

This was my 2^nd time attended Paul’s beer club. Eventhough I don’t drink but it always fun to joined this event. First of all we waited until they set up the tables so we gathered near the bar area.
After we sat & ordered our drinks. Then we went to their back side where they making their own beers for our tour with one of BJ’s brewer guy & a sample of beer for those who want to try it.
He explained to us, very detailed how to make their beers even soda and root beer.
One side of the room was cold and it was nice for summer though.
Our waitress Pamela was a very nice lady & she did a great job served us with our separate checks without any problem.
Thank you Paul who did a great job as always. It was a pleasant evening with some folks.

June 30, 2015 Tuesday at 5:30 PM
Atmosphere — 5 stars
Food — 5 stars
Service — 5 stars
Background — Time for another Beer Club UYE at the biggest brewery in town.
Atmosphere — Mega restaurant. But the place is broken into smaller parts so it is not so «big». We started the night watching USA women’s nation soccer team beat Germany in the semi-​finals of the World Cup in the bar. After a bit we moved to our table on the other side of the restaurant where we finished watching the game while others finished at the bar. They had two long tables setup for us, 22 spots for 19 people made hopping around and visiting easier.
Food
Beer — Well that is what is about, right. The IPA’s were flowing at my table. I know there was even wine. They have lots of beers on tap from their brewery, or course, and guest taps.
Dinner — I had the Ahi seared salad. The tuna was really good. The wasabi paste they had on the side was hot, and I like spicy and you did not need much of it.
Service — To me the tour was the highlight of this event. The tour lasted over 45 minutes. Patty was great, over eight years at this location. As soon as the tour started in the brewery he asked who wanted a sample of their pale ale, fresh beer off the line. It does not get better than this. Then beer school started. Patty explained the brewing process with the proper terms then explained in fun terms or easier terms to understand. All I remember is the yeast farting giving off CO2 and pissing and popping stuff. Everyone was laughing but that was a great explanation.
I know we had two waitresses for the group and really I did not notice them other than giving them my order. It was flawless for a group 19 people, amazing. Split the checks was not even an issue for them which is always a plus.
Future — Yes I will be back, the place has become more interesting knowing what the back of the house looks like.

I finally made it to one of Paul’s Beer UYE’s.
I’m just not a fan of beer. But I had a great time on the tour learning about how BJ’s makes its various beers for the restaurant chain. And on a toasty summer night, it was probably the coldest place to be.
The beer maker really knew his stuff and was very detailed in his descriptions. Paul did a wonderful job at setting up this private behind the scene tour– heck I didn’t even know they brewed in the back of the restaurant.
The servers did a fantastic job and had no eye rolls when we asked for 12 paired or separate checks. The drinks were always full and food was good.
Just because I have no palate for the brewed libations– I certainly enjoyed all the company at the table. Glad I came.