It’s only Tuesday and we’ve already got cocktails on the brain. Vegas doesn’t care what day of the week it is, and it’s lavish new property Aria at CityCenter has unveiled trend-setting cocktails for 2010 that will lure your taste buds around-the-clock with sweet and spicy sips. Whether you need a remedial cocktail after last night, a fruity complement to breakfast, or an after-work kick, Aria caters radical libations pleasing every palate.
The bad boy of the bar is back; gin is in at Aria with its Raspberry Aviation concoction and The Ford Cocktail. Raspberry Aviation is a classic sip using Beefeater gin, but it gets an Aria twist with Luxardo Marachino Liquer, fresh raspberries and sour. The signature cocktail is shaken and served up throughout the resort. American Fish’s vintage drink, The Ford Cocktail, predates Prohibition and the rise of Henry Ford. The timeless drink features Navy Strength Gin, house-made lime cordial and fresh lime juice.
Can you handle the heat? If you’re in the mood for something haute and spicy, try one of Aria’s fiery cocktails, Fire in the Hole!!! or El Fuego, racy breakfast or poolside alternatives to the Bloody Mary. Fire in the Hole!!! is your morning hangover remedy at Bar Moderno. Including Herradura Reposado Tequila, and Aria’s own Mary Mix and Sriracha, this cocktail is sure to take the pain out of a night of party-going in Sin City. El Fuego at Skybox Sports Bar & Grill combines Herradure Anejo Tequila, Skybox’s signature Bloody Mary Mix, lemon stuffed olives, and the hottest pepper in the world: the Jolokia pepper. This liquid fire is so hot it comes with a side shot of milk.
Aria is taking part in the absinthe revival with cutting-edge absinthe presentations and cocktails. Sage, which boasts one of the largest selections of absinthe in the nation, offers guests a Russian-style absinthe tasting where guests watch as the magic potion is swirled in a snifter, ignited, and poured into a glass of orange juice. From there, tasters inhale the warm, anise-flavored air through a straw and chase it with the blazing blue potion, finally exhaling as the finish the experience. If guests prefer a unique take on Sage’s stellar Russian-style presentation, they can opt to replace orange juice with root beer and a rim laced with Pop Rocks. American Fish serves a legendary cocktail created in pre-Civil War New Orleans. Sazerac includes rye or cognac, “gomme” syrup, Peychaud’s Bitters and Angostura Bitters, served in an absinthe-rinsed glass.
If the aforementioned picks are a bit too potent, Aria has plenty of fresh-fruit sensations to put guests at ease. The Prickly Pear Pisco Sour is served throughout the resort. The taste of the desert blends Bar Sol Pisco Acholado, prickly pear puree, fresh lime, and rhubarb bitters. For something whimsical, Pink Leopard at Lemongrass is a refreshing martini made with Ketel One Vodka, PAMA Liqueur, yuzu puree, fresh sour, and pomegranate seeds. A fresh take on an apple martini, Manzana Deliziosa served at Julian Serrano blends Hendrick’s Gin, crisp green apple puree, Lillet, and thyme. And for a sophisticated flavor explosion, the twisted cosmo at Jean-Georges Steakhouse, Orange Elderflower Cosmo, includes Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Vodka, Orange Elderflower syrup, fresh cranberries, and pineapple.
Other harmonious cocktails guests can savor are Desert Shrub at Sage, featuring Tequila Reposado, Prosecco, pink grapefruit and purple sage, and Yokohama Breeze. The latter’s mix of Absolut Citron, Crème de Cassis, fresh blueberries, and lime pairs perfectly with Chef Masa’s sushi at Bar Masa.
Vegas offers an adventure unlike anywhere else, so it’s only fitting that it’s cocktails do the same. Dammi un Bacon, found at Sirio Ristorante, is a meaty mix of vodka, organic tomato juice, Worcestershire, and beef bouillon. Garnished with a deep-fried bacon-wrapped olive, prosciutto-stuffed olive, and cream-cheese-and-bacon-stuffed olive, Aria brings home the bacon in terms of cocktail ingenuity. If a cocktail just isn’t enough to erase what may (or may not) have happened the night prior, Bar Moderno proffers a quick fix: a straight shot of Jack Daniel’s and draft beer chaser, appropriately dubbed The Annulment.
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