Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Nightclub & Bar ’09: Semi-related thoughts from The Show

legends

Courtesy of Ati Grinspun Photography

Legends XI winner, Rodrigo Delpech, from Argentina

It’s gotta be one hell of a convention to make the Weekly want to go badge-to-badge with the logo’d polo-shirt set. Simply called The Show, the annual Nightclub & Bar Show is now part of International Hospitality Week, partnered with the International Restaurant Show and the HotelWorld Expo, all of which sat side-by-side at the Las Vegas Convention center for four days this week, welcoming thousands of industry professionals to peruse the maze of bar equipment and new products. And at night, the parties went off as only a nightclub and bar show could possibly do them.

What you missed: the trends

Energy drinks: Still?! Yes. We sampled Roaring Lion and Liquid Herbal Nitro, which is ghastly green but tangy. Our next stop: the cardiac ward.

Relaxation drinks: Novocaine Anti-Stress Drink was dentist-developed, and bitter like cava with a mild cough syrup-y finish. We tried to locate the Drank Extreme Relaxation Beverage (“Slow your roll!”) booth but got too tired.

Relaxation and Anti-Hangover Drinks

In a world or energy drinks, the drink trends this year at the 2009 Nightclub and Bar Convention were relaxation and anti-hangover drinks.

 Hangover remedies: Cheerz had a massive presence, as did the slightly lesser-known Drinkin’ Mate Tabs (which Team Hangover deemed No. 1 in last year’s hangover-cure roundup). As for the new-to-market GTox Hangover Blocker, we’ll have to tie one on and get back to you.

Fancy ice: May Kold-Draft’s luscious one-and-a-quarter-inch ice cubes become the industry standard in every glass. Amen.

Pink spirits: Flawless Pink Vodka, Tequila Mejor Pink …

 Electronic smoking products and flameless candles: All the better not to burn your investment down or stink it up.

The ladies have it

It proved to be a good year for Vegas and yet another for San Francisco at the Shake It Up! Battle of the Mixologists. Rio bartender Steve Dorsey took the award for best homemade ingredient, and in the Iron Chef-style finals (where the secret ingredient was passion fruit) San Fran’s Victoria Donato took the win, creating and naming her “Passionate Woman” in just 15 minutes. Donato took home the third-place win in last year’s competition. Emcee Francesco Lafranconi, national director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits, said, “The world of mixology is changing! Equal opportunities to the female mixologists!” 

Legends proved legendary

Eleven is a very lucky number for flair bartender Rodrigo Delpech, as he snatched the win back from Legends 11 winner Dario Doimo Tuesday night at LAX, Delpech’s fourth Legends win. This now ties Delpech with his older brother Christian, who dominated the show from ’01 to ’04. Emceed as always by Chico Garcia and lorded over by co-founder and flair bartender-turned-mixologist Ken Hall, Legends 11 proved that while interest in flair may have waned behind working bars, the sport itself is still going strong and now especially attracting forces to be reckoned with from not only Las Vegas, Florida and Argentina but also Japan. Danilo Oribe, last year’s third-place winner, came in second, with Doimo this year finishing third. Perhaps next year, these three will mix it up again … or just maybe Rodrigo will break the Delpech-brother tie.

‘And the award goes to …’

Behold, Vegas’ contribution to the Top 100 nightclubs and bars in America, 2009: 1. Tao. 2. Tryst. 4. Pure. 5. Jet. 7. The Bank. 8. LAX. 11. Body English. 12. Moon. 13. Ghostbar. 17. Privé. 21. The Playboy Club. 22. Drai’s Afterhours. 27. Christian Audigier. 28. Rumjungle. 29. Studio 54. 31. Blush. 35. Rain. 38. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country. 44. Krave. 60. Tabu. 79. Poetry.

Additional awards were given out at the Five Star Awards dinner, including a lifetime achievement award to the “King of Cocktails,” Dale DeGroff, and the coveted operator of the year award to partners Victor Drai and Cy and Jesse Waits for their success at Tryst and Drai’s Afterhours.

 “Clearly, Las Vegas maintains its dominance as a nightclub destination,” observes David Henkes, vice president of market-research firm Technomic, in Nightclub & Bar Magazine’s February issue. “Nearly a quarter of the Top 100 venues are located in Las Vegas.” The Weekly congratulates all winners. For more on the Top 100, download the complete list as published in NCB Magazine.

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