Don’t know what cocktail to order or where to go to get a good cocktail? Simple enough—I’ve just planned your drinking adventure for you with these five delicious cocktails I’m loving.
One in a Melon. Yup, the name is totes clever once you read the ingredients. Starting with a made-in-house jalapeno-infused tequila, it’s then mixed with fresh-pressed watermelon juice, lime, agave and dry vermouth. It’s topped with a garnish of Tajín around the rim and fresh-cut watermelon slices. You can thank lead bartender J.R. Gutierrez at Sugarcane at The Venetian Resort for this slightly spicy, totally refreshing cocktail that you will def want to order again.
• L-O-V-E. This cocktail has been on my favorites list for a long time—and it’s so popular and so good that it’s remained on the menu at Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa Resort & Casino for years. You might say this is one of my faves in the whole city! The recipe calls for Grey Goose Essences strawberry and lemongrass vodka, lychee syrup, Aperol, lime juice and egg whites, but what bartender Wilson Barrera does to send this cocktail into icon status is add a brush of raspberry compote along the outside of the glass. Each sip with that compote is like heaven in a glass.
• My Night in Vegas. When you have a cocktail menu curated and created by LP O’Brien, winner of Netflix’s Drink Masters, you know you’re in for a memorable drinking experience. The menu at F1 Arcade at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace is a mix of unique sips and innovative takes on classics, and the perfect example of this is my favorite, My Night in Vegas. The cocktail is a Penicillin-meets-New York sour with a slightly sweet and slightly spicy flavor. It’s made with rye, ginger and yuzu and arouses palate curiosity with the addition of celery bitters and a sweet-and-smoky blueberry peat foam—two ingredients that make this cocktail probably one of the most unique sips you’ll ever have.
• Passion’s Serenade. If you can find the hidden cocktail bar, The Vault at Bellagio, congrats! (I’m going to help you—check its Instagram account!) This bar is where Craig Schoettler, executive director of beverage and corporate mixologist at MGM Resorts International and one of the city’s most-impressive cocktail creators, plays wizard behind the bar, creating cheflike recipes with vintage and rare spirits mixed with thoughtfully curated ingredients. My favorite of all his creations (and I’ve tasted many of them) is Passion’s Serenade. It’s blended with a house-made toasted sesame-infused chocolate rum, passion fruit, vanilla, mint and coconut milk frozen to the side of the glass and topped with a Fresno chili. Each sip changes the taste as the coconut milk melts and the chili seeps. “I call it an evolving cocktail; your first sip is different than your last sip,” Schoettler says.
• Beijing Peach. Simple, beautiful and darn good, this martini-style cocktail is considered the house specialty at the newly opened Copper Sun at Resorts World Las Vegas. Three ingredients are all it takes to experience cocktail nirvana—jasmine-infused vodka, white peach purée and lemon juice. Chef’s kiss! Don’t pass up more stars at this new Inner-Mongolian hot pot hot spot, with standout specialty cocktails like the Honeydew Mojito, Buttered Plum Old-Fashioned and a Peanut Butter Boulevardier … yes, I know—tempting, right?!
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