Fans of Italian cuisine may already know that one of the go-to spots on the Las Vegas Strip is Lavo, where classics like brick-oven pizzas, chicken Parmigiano and spaghetti and meatballs are served to capacity crowds on a daily basis. As satisfying as the meals are here, they really shine when paired with the restaurant’s cocktails. And Lavo just added a slew of new libations to an already stellar menu.
All cocktails were created by the team of Craig Schoettler, vice president of West Coast Beverage, and Jan Padiernos, senior beverage manager. While there are a few house staples, the menu is packed with seasonal delights.
The beautiful LAVO-lini is a mix of Absolut Elyx vodka, lychee, white cranberry, aloe vera and lemon, shaken and poured at your table over a bed of raspberry caviar. The shaker is left at your table, so this is one you can sip and savor as the meal goes on.
A perfect pre-dinner drink is the Amalfi Gin & Tonic, a drink you can adjust to suit your palate. It contains Malfy Italian gin, Italicus orange liqueur, juniper, laurel bay leaf and lemon, and comes with a bottle of Fever-Tree tonic.
The Vecchia Fiamma, a wonderful version of the Old-Fashioned, blends Bulleit bourbon, BLiS bourbon barrel-matured pure maple syrup, orange peel and smoked applewood, and is brought to your table on a wooden stand with a glass dome cover. As the cover is slowly lifted and swirled, the smoke beneath billows out, filling the room with a nice, smoky aroma.
Keep the bourbon train going with the Giardino, a real flavor bomb with Maker’s Mark, Amaro Averna, fresh lemon juice, Demerara, cherry tomato and basil. You’ll be sipping this one quite a bit to fully process all the profiles.
The Buono Notte is a tiramisu in a glass (it even looks like it!). It’s made with vanilla-infused Ketel One vodka, Licor 43, Kahlua, espresso, vanilla crema and tiramisu dust. This is a perfect accompaniment to dessert.
Margarita fans will absolutely love the Melograno e Pera, one of the most distinct-looking cocktails on the menu (and by far its most popular over the years). Prickly pear and pomegranate are the dominant flavors in this tequila-based drink (Patrón blanco is the spirit of choice), and the rim is lined with Hawaiian black lava salt.
One of the longest-standing cocktails, the Valencia is irresistible, both for its vibrant color and the long-stemmed glass it’s served in. It’s got so much going on—Mount Gay Eclipse rum combines perfectly with Amaro Montenegro, apricot preserve, cold-pressed pineapple and Red Bull Yellow Edition.
Fans of limoncello will definitely want to check out the lemonade-forward Fiore Dolce, which uses the liqueur along with Belvedere vodka, local honey, fresh lemon and mint.
For a real pop of color, order the smooth-as-silk Ol’ Blue Eyes, served in a coupe glass and made with Ford’s gin, Cointreau, fresh lime, sage, nectar and topped off with egg white.
If mezcal is more your jam, you can’t beat the Sicilian Cartel, a heady mixture of Dos Hombres, grapefruit cordial, fresh lime, habanero tincture and egg white.
The Venetian, 702.791.1800
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