There are certain standards when it comes to any tiki bar. The vibe is always chill, groovy and fun mixed with a little hipster and a little dive; the music is always on island-vacation rotation; and the cocktails are always tropical, colorful and strong enough to knock you on your …
Well, Resorts World Las Vegas is now home to such a tiki bar, but with a little twist. First off, Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge is a hidden gem of sorts on the property. It’s not easily seen when just walking across the property, and that’s what makes it special—it’s like stumbling across a great secret. (Look for the signs pointing you to Genting Palace and you’ll spot the lounge). Next, there is nothing dive about this tiki bar—it’s one of the most gorgeous tiki-themed spaces you’ll see, beautifully decorated with lighting and design accents, oversized lounge chairs and lush island scenery and a sleek, marble-topped bar area.
“Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge is a tropical escape, if you will, from the rest of the casino,” said Will Cahow, director of beverage for Resorts World Las Vegas. “It’s similar to other tiki bars around the country, with very vibrant colors. It has a tropical oasis dynamic. It’s about vacation mode here. This is more of a luxurious tiki environment, though, more upscale.”
You can thank Cahow and his team for creating the specialty cocktails at Golden Monkey. While there are seven classic tiki cocktails on the menu, including the Mai Tai, Scorpion and Rum Runner, Cahow has created 10 unique, specialty tiki cocktails—all served in cool and kitschy tiki vessels.
For a show, start with the One Way Ticket, a blend of Appleton Estate 8 Year Reserve rum, Hamilton 86 Demerara rum, Chinola passion fruit liqueur, Heirloom pineapple amaro liqueur, lime, pineapple and orgeat. The cocktail is then dusted with cinnamon over an open flame, making the flame flair. So cool!
For a twist on taste, try the Bird of Paradise. “We used this really cool syrup called pandan syrup,” Cahow said. “Pandan is a leaf like a banana leaf; it’s very common in Southeastern Asian desserts and cuisine. It’s sweet. We took simple syrup and steeped the leaves in the syrup. The flavor is nutty, vanilla and herbaceous.” The pandan syrup is mixed with Bacardi Superior rum, Chinola pineapple liqueur, orange, lime and pineapple.
And just as at any other tiki bar, there are shareable cocktails, too. Sometimes called scorpion bowls, at Golden Monkey they’re called punch bowls, and one of the most popular is the Hurricane, mixed with Bacardi Superior, Myers’s dark rum, pineapple, orange, lime and grenadine.
“If you want tropical-flavored cocktails then you want to come to the Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge,” Cahow said. If you want a cool tiki experience that takes it to the next level, then you want to come to Golden Monkey. If you want a bougie bohemian escape that screams, “Welcome to your fabulous vacation!” then you want to come to Golden Monkey.
Tips/Insider Knowledge
- Enjoy two different made-in-house snacks. The first are crunchy and delicious Maui onion potato chips. The other is the Hurricane Popcorn, a salty snack made with ingredients like togarashi and furikake.
- Share your experience! At the bar, look for the Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge postcards. Fill one out and the staff will mail it out for you to anywhere in the world.
- The playlist is a carefully curated mix of tropical, vacation-mode music.
Resorts World, 702.676.7000
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