If you catch a glimpse of Hyde Bellagio’s icy liquid nitrogen cart out of the corner of your eye, it might look like a witch’s cauldron. Which means that on rare occasions, Aileen Yepez has to reassure a guest that she isn’t whipping up a spooky elixir, even if there’s a foggy haze pouring out of the preparation bowl.
“Sometimes, someone will be like, ‘Can I really drink that?’ Like, they’re iffy for a second. They’ve never seen things like that, so they’re kind of in awe,” she says of Hyde’s frozen cocktails, prepared tableside in the special cart. “But usually it’s more, ‘Oh. This is awesome.’”
Working in nightlife comes naturally for Yepez, who started out working for a law firm until it became clear that she wasn’t about to settle for a desk job. “I was always kind of a people person, so I’d always find myself talking to our clients and talking about Vegas stuff.” She’s been working in nightlife since she turned 21 and hasn’t looked back.
Liquid Nitrogen Cocktail
Yepez describes herself as “outdoorsy,” and when she’s not working, she’s probably hiking, rock climbing or traveling, especially to the beaches of nearby California or as far as Miami. But even with that sense of wanderlust, her heart is always with Las Vegas.
“People ask me, ‘How is it seeing this all the time? Do you ever get tired of it?’ And, well, no. I don’t. It’s beautiful, I love it and I embrace it.”
Liquid Nitrogen Cocktail
It doesn’t look like your traditional cocktail, but Hyde’s liquid nitrogen cocktail is a tasty, sorbet-like creation with a boozy kick. Half of the fun is in the presentation: An elegant cart is rolled out to your table and a server pours a tiny amount of liquid nitrogen into a steel bowl. As the nitrogen gas expands and rises, the server whisks a mixture of juice, fruits and spirits into a fluffy chilled treat with subtle citric tartness.
