Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Half-price cocktails with a history

Trendy bars in the Cosmopolitan, Encore and Bellagio have made names for themselves with cool cocktails and renowned mixologists. But they aren't the only places in town to get a good drink.

Bartenders also are mixing up legendary libations — for a fraction of the cost — at a small lounge in the Monte Carlo.

Michael MacDonnell, the resort's beverage director, recently debuted a new drink menu at the Hit Bar and Lounge that boosted the number of cocktail offerings from seven to 21.

Most bars have a drink list that's a page or two long. The Hit Bar's cocktail list is an inch-thick book, bound in leather, with histories for each drink. McDonnell said he spent six months researching and compiling it.

Cocktails sell for $14, a relative bargain compared with the $18-$20 drinks offered at many other Strip casinos. During happy hour, from 5 to 7 p.m. daily, the price is slashed in half.

McDonnell will even teach you how to replicate his work during a two-hour mixology lesson.

"Our philosophy is there are only two people who care about your cocktail — you and me. And if I don't care about it, you're not going to get a good one," said MacDonnell, who has been mixing drinks in Las Vegas since 1993.

Thirsty yet? Here's a taste of some of the drinks:

    • Sidecar cocktail from the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo

      Sidecar

      These days, the main ingredient in a Sidecar is typically bourbon. But it was first mixed during World War I with a special blend of brandy called Very Superior Old Pale (VSOP). The drink got its name because it was favored by an American Army captain who arrived at a Paris bar riding in the sidecar of a motorcycle.

      The sidecar at Monte Carlo is made with French ingredients, including Remy Martin VSOP Cognac and Cointreau triple sec. A sugar-rimmed glass adds sweetness to balance the sourness of fresh lemon juice.

    • Hemingway Daiquiri from the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo.

      Hemingway daiquiri

      This cocktail originated in Cuba, where Ernest Hemingway's reputation for drinking almost equaled his reputation for writing. Hemingway put his own touch on the traditional daiquiri by adding a splash of lime. He reportedly drank a dozen a day and sometimes ordered doubles, which became known as "Papa Dobles."

      The Monte Carlo version is made with Cruzan Light Rum, maraschino liqueur, fresh lime and grapefruit juice.

    • Blood & Sand cocktail from the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo.

      Blood and Sand

      This drink got its name from the 1922 silent film, "Blood and Sand," which starred Rudolph Valentino as a bullfighter. The cocktail debuted the same year and was made with red blood orange juice to give it a distinctive color.

      At the Monte Carlo, 12-year-old Glenlivet scotch and sweet vermouth give the drink its kick. Because blood oranges aren't always in season, bartenders use fresh-squeezed orange juice and cherry liqueur to give the drink the right color and flavor. The beverage is topped with a burnt orange garnish that servers light on fire.

    • Moscow Mule cocktail from the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo

      Moscow Mule

      This cocktail was invented in 1941 in a New York bar by a Russian vodka distiller, an alcohol distributor and a ginger beer brewer.

      The Monte Carlo's version is made with Russian Standard Platinum Vodka, fresh lime juice and ginger beer. Superfine sugar — not the granulated kind kept in most kitchens — gives the drink a hint of sweetness. It's poured into a metal cup over a mound of ice, like a snow cone, and is meant to be sipped with a straw.

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