V
Vegas is the landof overindulgence.Visit thecity
and it’sagiven thatyou’ll sleep too little, bet too
high, eat too richly, anddrink toomuch. Formost
ofus, that’s just thenatureof thebeast there.
CocktailshavebeenaVegasstaple foras longas
thecity’sbeenagamblingmecca.Back in theday,
though, itwasall aboutwhiskeysours, Scotchand
soda, and the odd vodka concoction. If Frank
SinatraandhisRatPackerswere in town, then
ginmartinisflowed freely.
The factof thematter, though, is thatcocktails in
Vegasarecurrentlyenjoying theirgoldenage.And
it’snot justaboutbeing innovativewith juicesand
eggwhites. It’salsoaboutsheerqualityandquantity.
Forme, aguywho lovesnothingmore thana
Scotchselection that is toobig toregister,much
lessdrink, there isoneplace thatepitomizesVegas’
biggerandbetter ethos: StripSteak, executive
chefBenJenkins’ excellent beef emporium inside
MandalayBay.
The restaurantboastsaround100 to120differ-
entScotchesanda touchscreenonwhichyoucan
checkoutwhiskeysby regionandcharacteristics
inorder topick theone that seems likeliest tosuit
you. Soeven ifyoudon’tknowyourSpeyside from
yourLowland, you’llfindsomething tosatisfy
yoursensibilities.Belliedup to thebar, enjoyinga
bird’s-eyeviewof agingAngus that Iwill soonbe
ingesting, I startbysippingaglassofOban
14-year-oldsinglemalt.TheScotch iswarming
andflavorful andsets thestage foran impending
dinnerof primebeef.
StripSteak’s freest-spending connoisseurs
take thingsabit further. Theysplurgeon55-year-
oldMacallan and 35-year-oldBunnahabhain,
ponyingup$1,600and$450pershot, respectively,
to indulge in truly special singlemalts. Lower-
pricedoptions includeGlenmorangieSignet for
$35 andAuchentoshan for $15.Whatever youopt
for, whether you like it on the rocks, straight up,
witha splash, or even in cocktail form, drinkup
in the rich, upscale environment of StripSteak,
andyouwill surely enjoyyour tipple of choice
all themore.
➤
FALL 2009
celebratedliving.com
82
Returnof
theCocktail
Man cannot live onwine
alone. Andwhat better
place to savormixeddrinks
than Las Vegas?Writer
MICHAEL KAPLAN
takes
you to all the right spots.
above:
©GeorGeDiebolD/GettyimaGes
NIGHTLIFE
