It was 2001 and Lewis Caputa, who was in ad sales, decided to change careers completely. A friend suggested to him that he’d make a good bartender, and she knew of a property in Las Vegas that was hiring. “So I flew out for the interview,” says the California native. “And during the interview the guy said, ‘You don’t really have a lot of knowledge or experience bartending. Why should I hire you?’ and I said, ‘I’ll never call in late and I’ll never let you down.’ And he said, ‘When do you want to start?’”
He moved to Las Vegas soon after, joining Sunset Station as a barback. About a year later, he became a bartender and worked at the property for 12 years. While working there, he picked up some part time work at The Venetian, joining the property in 2005. Today, you can find him working full time as lead bartender at Rosina Cocktail Lounge at sister property The Palazzo.
“I’m the kind of bartender that empaths with all kinds of guests,” Caputa says. “I know how to read guests. You need to have the skill as a bartender to, yes, generate revenue, but you become a bartender because bartending is fun. And if you don’t become a bartender to have fun, why are you doing it? Even at the age of 53, I like bartending the same as when I first moved here and became one, if not more.”
After spending nearly two decades in a career that he took a chance on, what does Caputa think about when he reflects on his life?
“No one in Vegas is luckier than me,” he says. “I nailed it. I swung as hard as I could and hit it farther than anybody. All you want to do as a bartender is give a guest an experience. There’s plenty of bars in Las Vegas, plenty. So at the end of the day when guests get on that plane and leave, I want to be one of the reasons that they want to come back. When people go home, they’ll remember me. I want them to go, ‘That guy cared.’ And I’ve been that type of bartender since day one.”
Libation: Gringo Peligroso
“Rosina is a very bartender’s-choice type of bar,” Caputa says. Meaning that a lot of guests can take delight in the fact that all the bartenders are able to create cocktails on the spot. Yes, there’s an impressive menu of set specialty cocktails, but trust in the bartenders to take your tastebuds on an adventure. For example, order Caputa’s own creation, the Gringo Peligroso (translation: dangerous white boy). It’s mixed with mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, ginger syrup and lime. “This drink is undefeated,” he says. “It’s a banger.”
Benefit: Love Irish whiskey and absinthe? Then ask for the Blackthorn from Rosina’s secret menu.
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