The Golden Age of
the Cocktail

New classic cocktails and their creators.

The Mastro
Salvatore Calabrese
Bound by Salvatore
The Cromwell

Cocktail:  The Cromwellian
“A great cocktail has to satisfy three elements: eyes, nose and mouth. It has to look great. It has to smell divine and taste incredible,” says world-renowned mixologist Salvatore Calabrese. His concoctions at The Cromwell’s swanky lounge, Bound by Salvatore, represent just that: from his iconic Breakfast Martini—born after his wife served him toast with marmalade (flavors he adapted into a cocktail)—to his Vegas-centric champagne coffee drinks. “Vegas never sleeps,” he says, “and everyone has an espresso martini. Instead, I brewed coffee but replaced the water with champagne.” The result? Perky pick-me-ups such as the Madame Moka, a champagne-flavored espresso mixing Hennessy V.S.O.P. cognac, Disaronno, sugar syrup and spices; and The Cromwellian, with Cocchi Americano-flavored espresso, Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Cherry Heering brandy and sugar syrup.

Photographs by Sabin Orr

Modern Mixologist
Tony Abou-Ganim
Lobby Bar
Caesars Palace

Cocktail: The Chairman’s Manhattan
“At Lobby Bar, we celebrate the past but embrace the future,” Tony Abou-Ganim explains as he raises his glass. Known as The Modern Mixologist, he took over the renovated space last summer, yet was careful to “maintain an old-school vibe” while elevating the experience with an extensive cocktail menu. “We wanted to hold on to that classic feel,” he says. “You can imagine Frank Sinatra and the boys coming in and having a drink in the Lobby Bar.” In fact, Abou-Ganim pays homage to Ol’ Blue Eyes with an impressively smooth cocktail called The Chairman’s Manhattan. It blends the higher proof Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select with vermouth and pimento bitters.

Photographs by Sabin Orr

The Wizard
Adam O’Donnell
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill
Caesars Palace

Cocktail: The Ol’ Song and Dance
Adam O’Donnell and the rest of the barkeeps at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill are more on-the-fly type of guys. Name a spirit and explain the flavors you like, and they’ll craft a one-of-a-kind cocktail that just might make it onto the pub’s “secret menu.” One that O’Donnell created for us was the Ol’ Song and Dance. “It’s a play on eggnog,” he explains of the frothy concoction—a mixture of Appleton Estate rum, Laird’s Applejack brandy, Plymouth sloe gin, Angostura bitters, sugar, lemon juice and an egg. “It’s something different that’s perfect for the holiday season.”

Photographs by Sabin Orr