Experience the real Las Vegas through the eyes of veteran bartenders. Get a glimpse into the city’s past, its famous personalities, and the secrets hidden behind the scenes.
Bartending is in David Cooper’s blood. Following in his father’s footsteps, the fourth-generation Las Vegan, a popular local figure known as “Coop,” has had a veritable cocktail swirl of experiences in his decades-long hometown hospitality career.
“I started out at age 15 valeting cars at Villa d’Este, now Piero’s, for Tony Spilotro, the infamous mobster played by Joe Pesci in Casino,” recalls Cooper. “Spilotro’s lawyer, former Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, represented my Dad, a serial Vegas bar owner in the 1960’s and 1970’s. In 1983, I began my professional bartending career with a 24-year run at Caesars Palace, where fun times included playing my first round of golf with Evel Knievel and becoming close friends with Robin Williams and Rodney Dangerfield. The Palazzo was next, followed by helping to develop Vetri Cucina on the 56th floor of off-Strip Palms Resort Casino. My stories would fill a book.”
Today, it’s a family affair, with his wife and two sons also in the industry. “Bartending is not for everyone,” said Coop, whose latest endeavor is developing Spur, his own vodka line out of Texas. “Working the sticks in Vegas takes talent, energy, patience, humility, and a healthy sense of the absurd, but the fun and rewards are high-octane.” Vegas is home to some of the most creative taste makers behind the bar, so we headed to the desert to find out more about the master mixologists who make drinking such an exciting and pleasurable experience. Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this tall glass of insight from some of the leading movers and shakers of the Las Vegas bar scene.
Mariena Mercer Boarini, Master Mixologist
Wynn Resorts, North America (wynnresorts.com)
“I was always attracted by the glamor of the Las Vegas Strip,” said Mariena Mercer Boarini, a second-generation local who first gained renown at 21 as “The Tequila Goddess” at Treasure Island. “Our city excels in artistry, excellence, and luxury, and does everything on such a grand scale that I knew I wanted to celebrate my passion for the magic and laughter of life here. The craft cocktail scene was burgeoning when I started innovating mixology, so it was the perfect time to make an impact.”
Mariena Mercer Boarini (Photo by Studio J)
During her time as Chef Mixologist at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Mercer Boarini applied her college studies in chemistry and interest in molecular mixology to creating culinary-inspired craft cocktails for 21 distinct beverage menus at the property. She famously had Vegas buzzing with her signature Verbena tequila cocktail, garnished with the face-numbing “Szechuan Button.”
In 2021, after launching her consulting company Wanderlush and mouth-tingling flavor and sensation-enhancing Electricdust product, Mercer Boarini joined Wynn Resorts.
“For more than 15 years, I have been revolutionizing the mixology world with trailblazing cocktail alchemy by blending flavors, technique, and science to create innovative beverages,” she said. “At Wynn, I oversee 30-plus cocktail menus and a beverage development kitchen, which produces 60,000-plus gallons of liquid product annually.”
Aiming to “curate sophisticated, thrilling, and unforgettable bever- age experiences throughout our resorts,” she conceptualizes menus by visualizing the story that she wants to tell.
“People come to Las Vegas for an exceptional experience and a show, so I design cocktails that aim to inspire awe and wonder,” said Mercer Boarini. “Guided by the architecture and design inspiration for a given venue, as well as corresponding culture, history, cuisine, and philosophy, my cocktails incorporate interesting and novel ingredients, unique glassware, and multi-sensory excitement.”
Current personal favorites include the Monaco, a jet set-inspired cocktail served at the luxury yacht-inspired Aft Cocktail Deck over- looking Wynn’s multimedia Lake of Dreams experience. Mercer Boarini designed her “seaside spritz’ of Belvedere Lemon Basil Organic Vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, ginger, butterfly pea blossom, and Mediterranean sea parfum “to pair with the immersive audio-visual experience of the show.”
For Wynn’s hot-ticket Delilah supper club, she created The Kylie, a “silky clarified stunner” of 818 blanco tequila, peach, and citrus mélange. At Wynn’s coastal Mexican-inspired Casa Playa, she recommends marrying the Mexican Blue Shrimp Ceviche with her Obsidian margarita, a spicy mix of Casamigos Reposado Tequila and green Ancho Reyes chile liquer with Fresno chile, cucumber, black sea salt and lime.
Mercer Boarini, who presented her artistry alongside peers at the Wynn-hosted World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 awards ceremony and inaugural four-day Revelry culinary festival this June, sees “thoughtful, imaginative, and immersive cocktails” as the current vogue. “We drink with our eyes as we eat with our eyes, so beautiful presentations that beg to be photographed are a Vegas staple.”
Craig Schoettler
Executive Director of Beverage and Corporate Mixologist
MGM Resorts International (mgmresorts.com)
While pursuing his Culinary Arts degree at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., Craig Schoettler worked at Chicago’s former Michelin two star Tru restaurant. He then spent six intensive years with star Chicago chef Grant Achatz, going from unpaid intern to chef de tournant, or swing chef, at world-renowned Michelin three-star Alinea, before earning a James Beard nomination as executive chef at Achatz’s cocktail lab sensation The Aviary.
Vapor Trail Cocktail at The Vault, Bellagio Resort & Casino (Photo by MGM Resort)
Vegas is home to some of the most creative taste makers behind the bar, so we headed to the desert to find out more about the master mixologists who make drinking such an exciting and pleasurable experience.
To complement his encyclopedic command of spirits and cocktails, he then learned how to bartend. In 2013, following turns as bartender and corporate beverage director for a Chicago hotel group, Schoettler joined ARIA Resort and Casino as the five-star Vegas resort’s first mixologist. Today, his expertise reaches across MGM’s extensive Vegas portfolio of resorts and venues.
Craig Schoettler (Photo by MGM Resorts International)
“Vegas has transformed into an experience-driven environment and our realm is to create standout memories through beverages and cock- tails that guests cannot find elsewhere,” said Schoettler. “Everything we do at MGM Resorts has purpose and reason in service of creating a distinct guest experience. Vegas annually welcomes upwards of 40 million people from around and we don’t want to let them and their hard-earned money down.”
Obligatory, too, is providing high quality service and products across an enormous variety of styles and venues. “From one venue I now oversee more than 400, which took me from controlling every- thing to controlling little, but making big impact because there are so many opportunities,” he continued. “Working here is transcendent in terms of designing menus and experiences. Vegas has trained me to think more creatively about how to continually elevate our offerings and ensure they speak to the right audience.”
Recent ingredient-driven innovations include a dirty martini using a Greek vodka made from three Greek olive varietals. “We are taking it a step further by using the olive brine used to make the vodka in the cocktail, and the olive varietals for the garnish,” said Schoettler. “Months in development, we are creating the experience of drinking the terroir of Greece through a cocktail via the ingredients.”
Schoettler also embraces the competition in Vegas. “Visitors have become more educated in the world of mixology, which means we must always be on top of our game,” he said. “Our guests are likely to visit competitor properties, but it’s reciprocal. The serious industry professionals across this city believe in creating art through the medium of the cocktail. If that collective spirit is bringing people to Las Vegas, everybody wins.”
With enticing new concepts such as The Vault, an elite hideaway inside the Bellagio focused on rare and vintage spirits, Schoettler takes pride in his work. “We create transporting environments, experiences, and moments in time,” he said. “Knowing that something you created made a positive impact is among my biggest rewards.”
Mike Thompson, Bartender, Edge Steakhouse
Westgate Las Vegas (westgateresorts.com)
Fittingly for an ace from New York City, Mike Thompson makes the consummate Manhattan. I’d put him up against anyone. Consistency is one facet. In my five trips to his stage at Westgate’s perennially top- rated Edge Steakhouse since 2019, his Manhattan has been unerringly brilliant. Potency is another. Comprising single barrel Blanton bourbon, Carpona Antica sweet vermouth, and Grand Marnier with a dash of Peychaud bitters and finished with orange zest and filthy cherries, Mikey’s Manhattan delivers a big city punch.
Mike Thompson (Photo by Westgate Las Vegas)
Thompson is a natural with a personable way and practiced hand from bartending assignments around the globe, including London, Dubai, Venice, and Niagara Falls.
“Man, what a ride it’s been,” he said at our most recent encounter over his off-menu Gatsby Martini, an elixir of Notel’s gin spritzed with Carpano dry vermouth crowned with a blue cheese and kaluga caviar-stuffed olive, and edible 24K gold leaf for good measure. “The many wonderful people I’ve met in my nearly 30 years behind the bar has been a big part of that journey.”
Mikey’s Manhattan at Edge Steakhouse (Photo by Westgate Las Vegas)
He landed in Vegas by way of Texas: “I started a successful custom door and retractable screens business, but something was missing,” recalls Thompson. “So, I sold up, rode my Harley to California, and sat on the beach contemplating my future. What had I always done best? Bartending. Where else to show ‘em what you got? Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world!”
Arriving in 2015, he opened Edge Steakhouse, where he has held court ever since. “Bartend long enough and it can be rough if you don’t take care of yourself,” said Thompson. “You can’t be robotic about it. It must be in your blood. That said, hosting the party every night and creating memorable experiences for guests is a continual reward.”
“Vegas is on top in going over the top and showcasing its talent,” continued Thompson as he fittingly prepared his Vegas Dream, another signature cocktail of Belvedere, passion fruit, and citrus bitters topped with prosecco and garnished with an edible orchid and pomegranate sugar rim. “Whether your mood is juicing up at a local dive bar or dropping ten grand on a cognac cocktail in a nightclub, the creative artistry, showmanship, and performance elements here are unmatched,” Thompson said.
Juyoung Kang
Director of Beverage Development Fontainebleau Las Vegas (fontainebleaulasvegas.com)
While pursuing filmmaking and marketing at Philadelphia’s Temple University, Juyoung Kang worked part-time at a local restaurant. Stepping in when a bartender failed to show for a 300-person wedding at the venue, Kang discovered her passion for mixology and never looked back.
Juyoung Kang (Photo courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas)
After first practicing her craft at hotel bars in Los Angeles, she answered the siren call of Las Vegas. “I wanted a higher volume environment with greater opportunities,” recalled Kang, whose first assignment was opening a French brassiere at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. She then made her name in leading mixology roles downtown and on the Strip, including Resorts World Las Vegas and Venetian Las Vegas, where we first met in 2021, before she joined the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Responsible for overseeing 16 venues and creating and developing most of the property’s Juyoung Kang beverage offerings, her role at the $3.6 billion, 67-story, 3,644-room skyscraper is a tall order—and she relishes the challenge.
“When running a cocktail program of this magnitude, I make a point of maintaining a regular personal touch with each bartender to ensure they are executing my vision,” said Kang. “Seeing our talented mixologists take pride in fully grasping what I have developed is always rewarding.”
Creating memorable guest experiences is an essential ingredient. “Las Vegas brims with elevated cocktail bars and lounges, and visitors expect a certain level of knowledge, product quality and even showmanship from our mixologists,” continued Kang. “Like chefs cooking in an open kitchen, they are the star on stage. Guests love when a cocktail tells a story, so our bartenders are responsible for welcoming them on a journey in which they share their knowledge of a cocktail’s inspiration, history, and ingredients.”
Kang has applied her studious discipline to creating around 300 original cocktails for Fontainebleau venues to date, based on extensive historical research and exploring ways to incorporate global references by way of international flavors and ingredients.
Cash Bunny Cocktail at Fontainebleau Las Vegas Bleau Bar (Photo by Angelo Clinton)
Examples include The Jade Rabbit, a beguiling concoction of green chile and shiitake mushroom-infused blanco tequila, sake, lime juice, and honeydew lactic acid syrup topped with orange blossom foam, which she created for Fontainebleau’s agave-driven Azul lounge. She credits the drink, which she made when interviewing for the position, for getting her hired.
Other popular pours include the Cash Bunny, a refreshing mix of blanco tequila, ume plum liqueur, lime, watermelon, and basil served at the dazzling Bleau Bar. Taking 36 hours to complete, the technique-driven Bloody Chyna for the Chyna Club is Kang’s twist on the clarified Bloody Mary using vodka, Roma tomatoes, lemon juice, Szechuan peppercorn, celery salt, Thai chili, and sugar.
“I love that each venue has its own distinct personality and inspiration, which allows my creativity to flourish,” said Kang.
Evan Hosaka, Master Mixologist (m.facebook.com/evanhosaka)
When meeting Kang at the Venetian, I also met her former colleague Evan Hosaka at the Palazzo’s Electra Cocktail Club, where he served up an energizing Charging Station of vodka with cold brew coffee, coconut, and hellfire bitters. Hosaka, since moved on, now supports local businesses while assessing new opportunities. Originally from Hawaii, he exemplifies the passion and feel that mixologists and other hospitality frontliners have for working in Las Vegas.
Evan Hosaka (Photo by Anthony Mair)
“The demand for bars and mixology keeps this round-the-clock city at the forefront of food and beverage talent acquisition,” said Hosaka, who moved here from San Francisco in 2015 and worked at The Stratosphere and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago at Caesars Palace before his six- year run at The Venetian. “Smart planning allows resort operators to cycle out underperforming restaurants and bars while maintaining top producers and introducing exciting new innovative concepts.”
Cocktail culture is an integral component of Vegas’s “Entertainment Capital of the World” brand. “Mixology is in the mix everywhere you go, with as many diverse beverage experiences as entertainment options,” continued Hosaka. “At higher end resorts especially, components include meticulously prepared cocktails in beautiful glassware, top quality ingredients and techniques, and flavors and aromas that may provoke curiosity and sometimes nostalgia.”
Status quo is not in the equation. “Las Vegas is always pushing boundaries,” he continued. “We constantly seek ways to execute and elevate top global trends through our own Las Vegas style. Personally, I enjoy raising the ceiling on training, technique, and ingredients. The synergistic flow between bartenders and staff is part of the show, along with the never-ending trend of providing guests with higher quality cocktails, faster. Getting the best cocktails in people’s hands quickly creates more time to engage and connect with them. By getting to know our guests, we position ourselves to welcome them back, create customized drinks based on their preferences, and create the best experience possible.”
Ryan Kelly (Photo by Caesars Entertainment)
Ryan Kelly, Director of Beverage for Harrah’s Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel + Experience and Flamingo Las Vegas (caesars.com)
Born in Carson City, Nevada’s state capital, Ryan Kelly moved to Las Vegas with his family when he was three years old. At age 15, he launched his Vegas hospitality career as a lifeguard at legendary Flamingo Las Vegas.
“I was thrust into one of the most bustling environments I have ever experienced,” recalled Kelly. “The Flamingo has a unique place in Vegas history with an energy and atmosphere all its own.”
That early opportunity was Kelly’s springboard into managerial roles with Caesars Entertainment, which owns and operates the Flamingo, LINQ, and Harrah’s, leading to his current role.
“Overseeing the beverage program at three resorts in the heart of the world’s most alluring food and beverage destination is truly a dream come true,” said Kelly, who takes a customer-centric approach to guiding his team.
“The most important part of our business is to stay connected to our guests, who come here from around the globe,” he explained. “From flavor trends to the presentation of our cocktails, it is imperative that we keep those customers in mind throughout the iteration process, which starts with data analysis.”
FIVE FAVORITE OFF-STRIP BARS
From Resorts World Las Vegas’s panoramic 66th floor Alle Lounge and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’s effervescent Chandelier Bar to Bruno Mars’s Pinky Ring lounge and music hotspot at Bellagio, Las Vegas Boulevard abounds in cocktail venues. The exciting flow continues at this quintet of spirited off-Strip choices.
Herbs & Rye (3713 W. Sahara Avenue. Tel. 702-982-8036. herbsandrye.com). Join industry folks and decom- press with the award-winning cocktails at this lively late- night restaurant. Espresso martinis are the rage in Vegas, and here they make one of the best.
Atomic Liquors (917 Fremont Street. Tel. 702-982-3000. atomic.vegas). Ignite your senses with the Hunter S. Mash, Nevada Test Shot and other fuel-me-ups at this 1952 blast from the past, Vegas’s oldest freestanding bar.
The Underground (300 Stewart Avenue. Tel. 702-229-2734. themobmuseum.org). Get the password online for access to this basement speakeasy and distillery at Downtown’s Mob Museum for The Bee’s Knees and other Prohibition-era cocktails.
Cleaver Restaurant (3900 Paradise Road. Tel. 702-538-9888. cleaverlasvegas.com). This steak and seafood hotspot won “Best U.S. Restaurant Bar” in the West at the Tales of the Cocktail’s 2024 Spirited Awards for its era- driven menu of classic cocktails.
Frankie’s Tiki Room (1712 West Charleston. Tel. 702-385-3110. frankiestikiroom.com). Featuring tropical island décor by star tiki bar designer Bamboo Ben, whose grandfather Eli Hedley dressed legendary Aku Aku at the Stardust, this 24/7 Arts District treasure punches up classics like the “five skull” rated Zombie, a legendary hangover cure from 1934.
Staying in tune with guest tastes and preferences is a song sheet with many notes. “Today’s essentials include mocktails, classics with a twist, and an expansive offering of high-end spirits,” Kelly said. “Plus, skinny and smoked cocktails, margaritas, and much more.”
Old Fashioned Cocktail at Bugsy & Meyer’s Flamingo Las Vegas (Photo by Caesars Entertainment)
Cocktail showcases include Bugsy and Meyer’s Steakhouse, which debuted at the Flamingo in 2020. Named for mobster Ben- jamin “Bugsy” Siegel, who opened the Flamingo in 1946, and organized crime figure Meyer Lansky, who backed the resort, the venue features sophisticated Old Fashion’s made with whiskeys from around the world. Limited and rare high-end selections distinguish the expansive spirit list, with an old-fashioned beverage cart for custom tableside service.
Another hotspot is The Lounge, recently opened at Harrah’s Las Vegas as part of Caesars’ $200 million refresh of the 1973 property. “Food and beverage can be demanding,” Kelly said. “We face unique challenges daily, but by adapting to current trends and pro- viding top-notch service, we ensure our guests experience Vegas the way they envision it.”
