The Best Cocktail Bars in Vegas
From the super-clubs to the dive bars, there is no shortage of options when it comes to Las Vegas nightlife. Cocktail aficionados will enjoy the city’s selection of lounges, as local bartenders share their favorite joints on and off The Strip with Serious Eats. Although Sin City nightlife has always been vibrant because of the casinos, it’s becoming more apparent that gambling isn’t the primary reason people travel to Vegas anymore.
The transformation of Vegas from a gambling capital to the most popular entertainment hub in the world began when casino operators saw a pattern between dying gaming revenues and increased online gameplay, which eventually ignited the mobile gaming revolution. Last year, Calvin Ayre reported that Gala Coral Group, managers of the casinos and bingo brands, saw significant growth in mobile usage, forcing physical operators to up their game and find new ways to lure patrons onto the casino grounds, from celebrity-run restaurants to nightclubs and bars run by the most talented of mixologists.
Craving an expertly crafted cocktail before trying your luck at a Vegas casino? Check out these three lounges:
Herbs & Rye A good spot for serious cocktails at the recommendation of Lavo’s Rodger Gillespie, the Herbs & Rye menu consists of beverages through the ages, inspired by the Gothic Era to Prohibition and the Tiki Boom. The Original Collins and these other historically depicted concoctions will have you feeling classier than your usual cocktail.
Bar Prohibition Channel your Frank Sinatra and head on over to Bar Prohibition in Golden Gate Casino. As one of the bar’s most famous patrons, they decided to pay homage by inventing the Frankie Two Fingers, which is “two fingers of Jack Daniels, a splash of bottled water and four ice cubes,” as described by Vegas Eater.
Downtown Cocktail Room The Strip isn’t the only area in Vegas to grab a stiff drink. Truly one of the best of the city’s hidden gems, Downtown Cocktail Room has a cozy yet sophisticated atmosphere and serves a batch of creative cocktails with unique flavor profiles, like the B- Movie Detective—who would have thought of putting mozzarella in a drink, eh?
