Nebraska Brewing Company is the rare brewery with a genuinely national trophy case. Founded in 2007 by Paul and Kim Kavulak, it took top honors at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival — first place for its barrel-aged strong beer, third for its hefeweizen — and built a reputation on barrel-aged and Belgian-influenced beers that few Midwestern breweries attempt.
The Papillion taproom is the flagship experience: a full lineup from easy drinkers to the barrel-aged heavyweights, in a room that draws from across the metro. A La Vista location at 6950 S 108th St has also poured the beers closer to Omaha.
Note: some directories flag the Papillion and La Vista spots as closed, but the brewery was pouring at summer 2025 festivals and remains listed as active — verify hours before a special trip.