Burlesque queen’s crowning achievement

Dita Von Teese

She is perhaps our leading lady when it comes to celebrating the female form in all its glory, and now Dita Von Teese heads the burlesque brigade with her full-length revue at House of Blues in Mandalay Bay, May 17-19. The buxom bombshell recently talked to Las Vegas Magazine, revealing the beauty behind one of the most stunning forms of art.

Q: Your new show sounds like it was tailor-made for Las Vegas. Tell us the highlights of Strip Strip Hooray.
A: Strip Strip Hooray is the name of my hourlong full-length revue. I am performing four of my most lavish acts with a cast of the crème de la crème of the international burlesque scene. We have the hilarious Murray Hill as our emcee and an amazing lineup of diverse burlesque performers, each of them revered in the neo-burlesque scene. This is the first time I’ve put all of my most loved numbers all in one revue, and I have personally invested over a million dollars into those four acts alone, so this is a chance to see what I’ve been working on for all these years, and what my show has evolved into, and to see burlesque on a grand level, up to par for Vegas! My acts for this show include my martini glass act that most people know me for, but it’s been reinvented for this tour with an all-new costume and martini glass prop, covered entirely in crystal. I also will do my Rhinestone Cowgirl act, based on the act I created for my role as MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam spokesperson. It’s funny and outrageous, and it brings the house down every time. A lot of my fans always wanted to see it, because it’s one of my biggest production numbers—so we worked hard to make it possible to present it in this show, which isn’t easy because it’s a real mechanical bull. (It) takes a lot of effort to stage it. I’m also doing my Opium Den act as a finale. It’s the most unique, cinematic and timeless act, and I am very proud of it; it’s my biggest production number. Each of my acts features extravagant costumes with over 100,000 Swarovski crystals each, custom-made Louboutin shoes and grand stage props. There’s nothing like it, even in Las Vegas.

Q: Where did the idea for a touring burlesque show come from?
A: I’ve been building and performing my acts for the better part of 20 years now, so basically the idea comes from my fans wanting to see me perform and my desire to try to build a full-length revue around my acts. The past several years, much of my performance time onstage has been in Europe at shows like The Crazy Horse Paris, and for VIP events, so I really wanted to have a chance to do a show for my real fans in America. This is the first time I have ever brought my full show to Las Vegas.

Q: Burlesque has seen somewhat of a resurgence in recent years thanks to the movie Burlesque and other high-profile placement. Why is it important to keep the art of burlesque in the spotlight?
A: It’s important for me mostly to make people understand what it is exactly, because I think it’s odd that even though burlesque was a huge part of American entertainment history, that it’s still considered taboo here. The term “burlesque” as we know it today comes from a type of risqué variety show in America that one would go to see in the 1930s and ’40s, and performing striptease—“stripping” is the word to describe what the burlesque performers did onstage. It’s not just my opinion; it’s a fact. Nowadays we use the word “burlesque” to describe this retro-styled striptease that is seeing a big revival. Without the strip, it’s not burlesque, that’s for certain, and the greatest burlesque star that ever lived, Gypsy Rose Lee, called herself a stripper. “Stripper” is not a bad word, and you aren’t going to hear me tell you that there is a difference between burlesque and stripping, because I think that’s awfully pretentious to go on and on about how burlesque isn’t really stripping… it is! Burlesque-style striptease is where the modern pole dancing-type strip originated from, and essentially, we’re all related. Initially, I worked in strip clubs, as did most of us that were at the forefront of the burlesque revival in the early 1990s—and, I’m not ashamed to say it, it’s all relative.

Q: There are those who have been critical of the art form over the years. How do you respond to that?
A: I’ve never had anyone that actually saw my show criticize it, really, that I know of! I think that once one sees what burlesque is all about, and sees who burlesque audiences are and understand what they get from seeing a show like this, there is very little to say against it. The detractors are usually people who know nothing about it, people that watch reality TV, or sit in front of the computer and badmouth just about anything they see. I’ve received rave reviews from the very best newspapers all over the world, fashion and news magazines, plus my fans are super chic, so I don’t really think much about people that don’t like what I do, because there is no real reason to bother with worrying about what a stranger thinks. You can be a juicy ripe peach, and there will still be people that don’t like peaches! I only care what people I admire and like think! I have a lot of prominent fans who do really great things that I admire, from novelists, philosophers to directors and fashion designers … Steven Spielberg brought his daughters to see me dance, Sophia Coppola hired me to perform for her father’s birthday in front of their family, Paulo Coelho is one of my biggest supporters and Jean Paul Gaultier never misses my shows in Paris. So, I don’t waste time fretting over what strangers on the Internet say, you know? A lot of women view it as an inspiration to see these shows, especially ones like Strip Strip Hooray, that have a diverse selection of performers. Many of the burlesque fans see it as a way to feel beautiful and sexy without feeling the need to fit into the typical modern day standards of beauty, where the emphasis seems to be on unattainable, natural, bikini-model, so-called healthy-looking, tanned, slim bodies. Burlesque embraces artifice, fantasy, diversity, and it’s an image that can be emulated by anyone who puts their mind to it, really. It’s about sensual freedom, and the enjoyment of sex and fun of a playful nature! Seduction and feminine prowess! And I would say that the men, for the most part, are enjoying the benefits of this … But when I first started out, I think I had more male fans—many told me they had sneaked into burlesque theaters as kids. I think that back then, the emphasis was more on titillation for a predominantly male audience, but I think it’s also quite interesting that it was more acceptable back then in many ways than it is now in the United States. I perform a lot more often in Europe, and there is an entirely different attitude toward burlesque as art, whereas in the U.S., sadly, most people don’t know the rich history of burlesque in America, where it was truly invented and perfected. Americans have taken steps backwards with regard to sex and nudity, and that’s a shame. But really, now the audience for burlesque is diverse; you have people from all walks of life, all ages. I do say it’s a great place to meet girls like me … we definitely have a vast number of women in the audience wearing red lipstick and garter belts!

Q: Do you feel as if Las Vegas has embraced burlesque or does it still have a way to go?
A: I think it has a bit of a way to go, because many of the burlesque-themed shows and clubs in Vegas are commercialized and sanitized for audiences, and me, I’ve been trying to stay true to burlesque’s risqué nature, just as the great stars of burlesque did that came before me. I want to change people’s minds about what it is to be a stripper, the same way Gypsy Rose Lee and Lili St. Cyr did. I have no interest in candy-coating the history of burlesque for mass appeal. I want to bring them something they can’t see anywhere else, and stay true to what I set out to do 20 years ago when I first wanted to create a new stylized version of a classic burlesque show. I hope that people will see this show and have a better understanding of what burlesque was and will also see how it has evolved for this new audience, which is mainly comprised of sophisticated people from all walks of life that enjoy sensuality, glamour and fun all in one show. I like the idea of changing people’s minds about striptease. I find something very powerful and interesting in the confusion of elements—sensuality, elegance, playfulness, vulgarity, high fashion, sex, humor. I enjoy the challenge of making something taboo something chic. Strip Strip Hooray is a great example of the real neo-burlesque, with the brightest stars in the business.

Q: If you weren’t a burlesque superstar, what do you think you’d be doing professionally?
A: I would probably be a stylist of some kind; I’m good at creating glamour!

Back when Elton John (“Brighter Than the Lights”) was a rookie resident Las Vegas headliner—when his Red Piano show ruled the roost at Caesars Palace for five years during Queen Celine’s first term at The Colosseum—the message sent by the David LaChapelle-designed show was thus: bigger is better, and ostentatiousness is the name of the game. So while John presented his biggest hits onstage, instead of a light show or vintage photos from his heyday behind him, you’d get a video of Pamela Anderson in some barely there outfit, or a giant, inflatable phallic symbol that threatened to steal the show from what many people came to see: the man himself.

So, in The Million Dollar Piano, John’s Red Piano redux, we get just what the doctor ordered: the man himself. He’s still glittery, as is the namesake piano, and he’s still campy—witness the umpteen times he mugs for the crowd following a procession of hits—but it never overshadows the powerfully rendered hits of his classic era.

It’s been well documented that John has lost some of that upper range that made yelping hits out of “Bennie and the Jets” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (his buddy Billy Joel has had to drop the keys of most of his biggest hits by a whole step to accommodate this phenomenon), but the good news is that John’s voice is still powerful and affecting, ready to render everything from “Levon” to “I’m Still Standing” with the force of a freight train. Although the “Circle of Life” encore may tend toward anticlimax territory for those who lost touch with John during his Lion King-Aida-Billy Elliott years, there’s no denying the fire is very much still burning inside the 65-year-old superstar.

Like the Rod Stewarts, Chers, Leonard Cohens and Bette Midlers who have passed through The Colosseum’s doors before him, John is making the most of what should be his twilight years. The time is right to punch your ticket—or get it scanned, in the less romantic sense—for a true rock legend, one Las Vegas is happy to call its own.

A glittering custom-made piano could only hope to outshine Elton John in his latest Las Vegas extravaganza

By Jack Houston
Photo by Erik Kabik

Caesars Palace 7:30 p.m. May 17-20 & 24-27, starting at $55 plus tax and fee. 888.435.8665

Only in Las Vegas could a show called The Million Dollar Piano be considered “no frills.” But after the sensory overload of Elton John’s first production spectacular, The Red Piano, just about anything would pale in comparison.

That’s not to say The Million Dollar Piano is lacking in any way. Since returning to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the site of his Red Piano triumph, John has proved you can have it both ways, with or without inflatable breasts and phallic bananas.

Nicknamed “Blossom,” John’s Yamaha grand piano is the titular star of the show, outfitted with LED screens that pulse and change in time to the music to the tune of a million big ones. But anyone who knows John, or has perhaps seen him in his younger days banging away at his keys dressed as Donald Duck, knows the 65-year-old isn’t going to be upstaged by anyone. And especially not by anything.

And so it goes. Rapturous applause greets John as he makes his way from the wings, clearly appreciative of, and in no small way egging on, the assembled multitudes. Camp is an integral part of John’s appeal, and if it takes a little mugging for the crowd to satisfy him, then clap and hoot and whistle they will. “The Bitch is Back” is his anthemic opening salvo, and it finds John in strong voice—deeper than in his heyday, but possessive of a hard-earned power and forcefulness that is striking in its vitality.

From there, it’s basically a greatest hits roll call: “Bennie and the Jets,” “Rocket Man,” “Levon,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Your Song.” Another performer would be forced to save these for a climactic finale; John has so many classics he can toss off the most popular ones as warm-ups. And, in a way, that’s exactly what they are. As the band exits the stage leaving Elton and Blossom alone in the spotlight, John lights into a poignant rendition of “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”—just him, his keys and those pricey LEDs.

“Indian Sunset,” a dynamic showpiece that allows percussionist Ray Cooper to get busy across his entire drum kit, is one of the set’s out-and-out highlights. Buried deep on 1971’s Madman Across the Water, it made none of the money of “Rocket Man” but is at least twice as affecting. John was wise to sneak a few unfamiliar nuggets into The Million Dollar Piano; The Red Piano, for all of its grandeur, was pretty much greatest hits wire to wire, and John, who came to prominence in the age of the album, owed it to his fans to break out a few obscure tunes here and there. “Hey Ahab,” from The Union, his 2011 collaboration with Leon Russell, is yet another shout-out to the die-hards.

A defiant, fighter’s spirit pervades “I’m Still Standing,” which makes the transition from glossy ’80s megahit to something of an unofficial theme song for John and his long journey down the yellow brick road. Its placement late in the set speaks to its importance in John’s canon, a not-so-subtle reminder to all the naysayers who have had him down for the count so many times before. Pay attention to that man in front of the curtain, he seems to say. The Pinball Wizard is looking like a true survivor.

Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity takes the erotic to another level

By Josh Bell

New York-New York 7:30 & 10 p.m. Fri.-Tues., $69-$99, $129 for duo sofas (sold in pairs only), 18+. 702.740.6815

When people think of Cirque du Soleil, they tend to think of abstract acrobatic and dance routines, beautiful, flowing costumes, an atmosphere of mystery and otherworldliness. That applies to most Cirque productions, and certainly to most of the company’s shows in Las Vegas. But Zumanity, The Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil is a whole different kind of Cirque, even though it features many of the company’s trademark elements. Rather than abstract and mysterious, Zumanity is direct and funny, never playing coy about what its performers and routines represent. To put it plainly, Zumanity is all about sex.

Set up more like a cabaret show than a circus, Zumanity starts out with the traditional Cirque clowning around as audience members find their seats and get settled in. But instead of actual clowns who engage in slapstick-style buffoonery as in other Cirque shows, the “clowns” at Zumanity are a pair of sexually charged pranksters who break out naughty toys and taunt audience members with inappropriate questions. That same kind of playful attitude pervades the entire show, which includes a number of audience-participation moments all designed for maximum embarrassment. But no one would come to Zumanity without being a pretty good sport and open to a healthy degree of risqué humor.

That humor runs throughout the show, thanks to host Edie (played by drag performer Christopher Kenney), who helps move things along from one act to the next and keeps up a running bawdy dialogue with the audience. Edie is just one of the show’s cabaret-style elements; she’s joined by singers who deliver rock and soul numbers featuring lyrics in English, as opposed to the nonsense language of typical Cirque music. It makes the show more down-to-earth and accessible, and helps augment the sexy performance pieces.

Those pieces often take familiar Cirque elements—contortion, balancing acts, suspension—and recast them as riffs on bondage or self-pleasure. There are conventional images of sexiness, including a female performer in a schoolgirl outfit, a routine involving pole dancing and a hunky male dancer handing out roses, but Zumanity also revels in pushing the envelope, featuring same-sex pairings and a variety of body types. The result is Vegas’ only all-inclusive erotic show: You can see scantily clad men at shows like Chippendales or Thunder From Down Under, and scantily clad women in any number of gentlemen’s clubs, but Zumanity has both in equal measure, and is thus perfect for couples or singles of any gender or orientation.

And that’s what connects Zumanity to the overall Cirque mission: It may be for adults only, but it’s for all kinds of adults, just as other Cirque shows are for all kinds of people of all ages. That openness and enthusiasm for diversity is a Cirque hallmark, and Zumanity applies it to the age-old Vegas tradition of the topless show. Who says showgirls have to fit a certain mold, or even have to be girls at all? In Zumanity, sexiness knows no boundaries.

Gordon Ramsay brings his first approach to the steakhouse to Paris Las Vegas

By Susan Stapleton

Paris Las Vegas Call for information. 702.946.7000

A 13-Michelin star restaurateur has Paris Las Vegas in a tizzy that the British are invading. Gordon Ramsay, the Scottish-born chef known for his brusque personality on Kitchen Nightmares, Hell’s Kitchen and MasterChef, brought his first restaurant to Las Vegas when Gordon Ramsay Steak opened on May 11.

“He is such a culinary tour de force,” said Jeffrey Frederick, vice president of food and beverage at Paris Las Vegas. “We’ve worked with him now for over a year and his intensity and expectations for perfection have been inspiring for all of us. Just the attention to detail—service, product, plate presentation, the way he wants the room to look and feel … you would expect that from Gordon Ramsay.”

Outside, a giant sign standing 40 feet high and planted into the blue sky of Paris greets guests as they walk through the Chunnel into the restaurant. To the right lies a 15-foot wine tower, one of three, that leads to the dining room with an open kitchen. Three booths give diners a view of the chefs in action, while three more face out to the dining room. The ceiling is like a huge art piece, a Union Jack with a red neon sculpture hanging below. Artist Andrey Berezowsky of SWON Design studied Ramsay’s own hand movements while he cooked to create the work. It incorporates 250 feet of neon tubing—it took a week just to blow the tubing. To the left, you’ll find a lounge wrapped in metallic cherry red.

But the place to sit is on the second floor, where three private dining rooms, seating 60 total, are tucked in the back and more dining areas overlook the lower level. In all, 7,500 square feet, seating 200, make up the space.

On the menu, Ramsay worked with executive chef Kevin Hee to present his take on the American steakhouse with nods to his popular dishes that won him Michelin stars.

“He’s really inspired by the American steakhouse menu and bringing some sensibility to it but also bringing some of the famed items from his restaurants in London,” Frederick said. “Things like the English sticky toffee for dessert, comfort foods like fish and chips, roast beef Wellington. Those are things well-known to Gordon.”

An in-house beef-aging program is the centerpiece of a menu that offers Ramsay’s interpretation of an American steakhouse with a French twist, a nod to the resort and Ramsay’s tutelage under chefs Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy. Shepherd’s pie and pork belly with candied kumquat and Swiss chard are just two of the dishes he brings from across the pond.

“He’s been very careful that he doesn’t want us to present anything in such a fashion that would be intimidating to our consumer,” Frederick said. “This is really about having his broadest fan audience come to appreciate what he does. You don’t have to be a world sophisticate to come experience Gordon Ramsay Steak. You just have to appreciate Gordon Ramsay and what he represents in excellence.”

By Jack Houston

Mandalay Bay 4 p.m. May 19, $50-$300 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

In the first matchup between junior welterweights Lamont Peterson and Amir Khan, Peterson rallied from behind to beat Khan in a split decision that left both fighters eager to return to the ring for a rematch. They get their chance on May 19. “If it was left up to me … I’d fight him tomorrow,” said Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs) in the press conference following their December bout in Washington, D.C.

London-born Khan (26-2, 18 KOs) struck a more defiant tone: “It seems like I was against him and the referee. … When you come to D.C., to his home state, you are two points down before the fight starts. He won the fight tonight, and I’m ready for a rematch, anywhere.” While Khan’s dream of a U.K.-based fight never came to be, the rematch takes place in the U.S.’ boxing mecca, in between marquee fights by Floyd Mayweather (May 5) and Manny Pacquiao (June 9).

“These are two young athletes in the prime of their career,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told USA Today. “You could put them together 10 times and 10 times you’ll have a terrific fight.”

By Nina King

The Mirage 10 p.m. May 18-19, $59.99-$79.99 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

In the fight to win us over this year, one man may have a huge advantage. Nope, it’s not Obama, or Romney either. Although the rants of any politician often make us laugh, it’s a rare soul who can maintain his popularity based on those rants.

But comedian Lewis Black has been developing his rants since before he was brought on board The Daily Show in 1996, and his popularity has mushroomed with every poke of a finger since. Perhaps what differentiates Black from so many others is the sheer diversity of things that he’s perennially pissed off at. Politics, sure—and it’s not one party or the other who invites his ire more. One classic Black line is “The Republicans are the party of bad ideas. The Democrats are the party of no ideas.” The TSA is almost always on his list. Even bottled water can get him going. It’s always good to scan the news before you head to a Black show; you might get a preview on the rant du jour. And with politicians taking potshots all over this year, there’s a good chance Black will hit his target.

By Kiko Miyasato

Tropicana 8 p.m. Mon. & Wed.-Thurs., 9 p.m. Fri., 2 & 8 p.m. Sat.-Sun., $40-$165 VIP plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster

Some of your favorites from past Dancing With the Stars seasons have jumped from the small screen to the stage in Dancing With the Stars: Live in Las Vegas. Lacey Schwimmer shakes what her mama gave her. Kyle Massey jumps, jives and wails. Tia Carrere turns up the sultry. Joey Fatone is in sync with the beat. Sabrina Bryan roars onto the floor, and Dmitry Chaplin shows off his assets.

Thrilling numbers, top 40s music, impressive choreography and a whole lotta talent make up the live DWTS—a chance for viewers of the ABC hit to see up close all of the excitement that has played out on TV for nearly seven years. It’s a nonstop romp of comedic banter and dance styles including Latin, ballroom, tango and foxtrot.

Hosting is season 13’s dancing darling, Carson Kressley. “(It) is a great way for fans that love the TV show, who maybe wouldn’t be able to get tickets to a taping, to actually come and experience it live,” he said. And Kressley’s dance to Madonna’s “Vogue” nearly steals the show. It’s to die for!

Japonais takes diners on a sublime journey

By Brock Radke
Photos by Christopher DeVargas

Ahí tuna steak

Refined and fun, serene yet active, Japonais is a sleek, modern take on traditional Japanese cuisine, offering an incredible variation of dining experiences packed into unforgettable, even blissful surroundings. Resting just beyond the domed rainforest environment near the grand lobby of The Mirage, Japonais has long been considered one of Las Vegas’ top-notch, most cutting-edge Asian restaurant experiences. Patrons happily bounce between its bustling lounge—where beautiful people gather for cocktails and sushi rolls to begin the evening’s entertainment—and its sheltered, relaxing dining room, an intimate and delicious hideaway.

Sushi may be the signature of Japonais, but it’s only the beginning. In addition to a colorful rainbow of sashimi and nigiri options, the sushi bar serves whole fish sashimi-style, such as Spanish mackerel with freshly grated ginger and Japanese baby red snapper. Other chef’s specialties include tuna tuna salmon—salmon tartare topped with sliced tuna, avocado and wasabi tobiko sauce—and the luscious baked king crab bites known as kani nigiri. Every imaginable flavor from the sea is available from this sushi bar, prepared precisely and pristinely.

Whether you’re ordering from the sushi bar, the principal kitchen or both, you’ll discover that the entire menu is designed to be shared. So don’t be shy when browsing the brilliant selection of hot and cold small plates. On the cool side, Hawaiian hamachi—thinly sliced raw yellowtail in a sesame-soy-yuzu vinaigrette—is a refreshing favorite. Equally enchanting is seared baby tuna, quick-seared ribbons of fresh fish topped with scallions and crisp garlic chips. Warming things up, lobster spring rolls are lightly crisp and packed with sweet lobster meat, complemented by mango relish.

The “Kobe” Rock

Just as identifiable as Japonais’ sushi offerings is the The Rock, thinly sliced marinated steak served raw and ready to be dropped onto a scalding hot rock for seconds to create a truly unique, sublimely beefy bite. The restaurant recently began serving an upgraded version of this dish, with finely marbled Imperial Wagyu strip steak multiplying the flavor factor.

There’s more sampling on the way: Japonais’ robata grill offers small skewers of meat, fish or vegetable—reasonably priced by the piece—grilled over petrified wood charcoal, imparting a one-of-a-kind smokiness to scallop, Chilean sea bass, Australian rock lobster and other choices.

There’s a more full-size version of surf and turf available as an entrée, with Kobe beef, lobster and sweet potato French fries. Other mouthwatering mains include the seven-spice Kobe ribeye, maple leaf-smoked duck with traditional hoisin sauce and mu shu wraps, and a delicate sea bass cartoccio steamed with maitake mushroom and tomato compote in a soy butter sauce. Each dish combines the highest-quality ingredients with innovative techniques designed to highlight the simple, clean flavors of the proteins and vegetables. A meal at Japonais is an artful experience, satisfying for all the senses.

The Mirage
5-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 866.339.4566

Azure VIP services director creates daytime getaway

By Kiko Miyasato

Sherri Martin

Sherri Martin guards the gates to luxury. “I run the podium; everything comes through me,” she says. As the director of VIP services for Azure Luxury Pool at The Palazzo she’s not only stationed at the entrance at most days but can also be seen walking through the venue making sure the 21-and-over watery oasis runs smoothly.

“Service is key. You want to make sure that guests are greeted with a smile, greeted by name. You want to pretty much put the customer up on a pedestal. … That gets a return clientele. Everyone wants to get treated like a VIP.”

The UNLV grad is in her second season at Azure and has high praise for the daytime retreat. “The venue is flawless. … You have the best service—Evian mists, cucumber water—it’s like bringing St. Tropez to Vegas.” Azure caters to clientele looking to soak up the sun in high style—it’s champagne, specialty cocktails, personalized service and noshing on Wolfgang Puck dishes. “It’s a bubble of luxury,” Martin said.

And overseeing opulence is not an easy task, but Martin handles it with aplomb. “I like being busy and I like the responsibility. … When my phone’s not ringing all the time I have to make sure that it’s not broken,” she said. But to completely handle the demands that go along with her job, Martin does have an outlet. “I am absolutely addicted to hot Pilates! It’s my sanity. I do it at least five days a week. … It’s the only time I don’t answer my phone.”

Scent

Inventive blends of high-end spirits, fresh-squeezed juices and creative ingredients make up Azure’s specialty cocktail menu, created by a team of mixologists. An outstanding example of the luxurious libations is the Scent. Mixed with Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, St-Germain Elderflower liqueur, Lillet Blanc, fresh lime sour and lavender bitters, the ingredients are then blended with ice until smooth and served in a champagne glass and topped off with an edible flower.