After more than a dozen years spent bartending, Rupert King decided it was time for a change, so he accepted a management position at Minus5 Ice Bar at Mandalay Bay. Before that, King bartended on the East Coast, and when he moved to Las Vegas 15 years ago, he was a flair bartender both on the Strip and downtown.
While he was the manager of the original Las Vegas Minus5, he helped open Minus5’s Monte Carlo location, and that’s where he connected with the MGM Resorts family. “I wanted to learn and develop and MGM was the company that I wanted to learn with,” King said. When Minus5 at Monte Carlo shuttered to make way for the hotel’s transition into Park MGM, King was tapped to be the director of beverage.
“I make sure we’re on the right path and the product that was on paper is actually translated to the guest,” said the native of Vermont. One of the new venues that King is most proud in helping launch is Juniper Cocktail Lounge. “Every beverage that we present is a moment where people can stop and stare and say, ‘Wow,’” said King, who went on to explain why Park MGM’s transformation will capture guests’ attention:
“This renovation will wow them. I would say that our cocktail program is very unique—it’s whimsical and fun. For me, if I’m going out, I’m going out to have a moment. I want to have that memory—and Park MGM is going to create that special memory.”
Beefeater GNT
While Juniper Cocktail Lounge offers a high-end assortment of rums, bourbons, mezcals and more, gin is a major focus for the bar—there are more than 75 labels and counting to choose from. A fun gin cocktail is the GNT (gin and tonic). When guests order the GNT, it’s like a choose-your-own-adventure cocktail, said King. Along with the bartender, guests get to use a paper fortune teller to pick the gin, tonic and the garnish. A delicious and fragrant combination is the Beefeater GNT with Fever Tree tonic, juniper berries and bay leaves.
