Saturday, Sept. 1, 2012 | 2 a.m.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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