The Art of Cocktail Culture in Casinos

Since Prohibition ended, cocktail culture has slowly been making a comeback, with several cocktail-focused restaurants popping up around the country.

Cocktails add the perfect finishing touch to an unforgettable date night or event in Las Vegas, so learn how to craft some casino-inspired beverages for your own home date night or other social gathering.

The History of Cocktails

Modern cocktail culture can be traced back to American Prohibition, which began in 1920. While people had long used cutting spirits with soda to make them more drinkable (Venetian Spritz) or to treat illness, after alcohol production, sale, and transport was banned nationwide, interest in cocktails boomed; suddenly rum was flowing from Caribbean islands like Cuba or moonshine from Appalachians states or whiskey from Canada was flooding markets around the world.

At this point, bartending became an art. Jerry Thomas, widely considered to be the father of modern mixology, created recipes which codified measurements, provided guidance for matching ingredients, and determined which drinks blended well together.

He created the shaker, which enabled more consistent mixing and ensured cocktails would endure through first Depression and world war. As a result, we now know and love his cocktail book known as The Savoy Cocktail Book.

The Bellini

A Bellini is an exquisite bubbly cocktail created from Prosecco and white peach puree. It was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani at his Harry’s Bar in Venice during World War II; its pink hue mimicking Saint Lawrence in Giovanni Bellini’s painting led to its name.

At its height, this famous bar was frequented by celebrities like Ernest Hemingway and Sinclair Lewis, making it a hotspot. Soon thereafter, its signature Bellini drink quickly gained widespread attention and could be found on menus at authentic Italian restaurants and bars worldwide.

Las Vegas, famous for its grandiosity and glamour, can transcend its reputation by developing an appealing cocktail culture for locals as well as 42 million annual visitors. Hirsch expects the trend toward craft cocktails featuring multiple spirits to continue, particularly those featuring whiskey or tequila as preferred tastes.

The Bellagio

The Bellagio offers something for everyone – gambling, fine dining, an exquisite indoor Botanical Garden with rotating exhibits from Cirque du Soleil theater show performances, high-end boutiques and high-end boutiques. Additionally, its Gallery of Fine Art hosts rotating exhibits by artists like Andy Warhol.

The hotel is perhaps best-known for the Fountains of Bellagio, an eye-catching water and light show set to music on an 8-acre lake located directly in front of it. Don’t miss this free attraction; make time to see this fantastic display if possible!

Hotel rooms at The Luxor Las Vegas feature lavish reds and golds decorated with marble dual vanity sinks and large flat-screen TVs. There is also an expansive minibar, safe, free wireless internet access and some rooms even have their own personal balcony – making this hotel the ideal place for experiencing luxury Las Vegas has to offer! Besides that, their rooms are also spacious and boast incredible city views from their spacious windows.

The Atlantic City

Atlantic City was established on Absecon Island, New Jersey and soon became an internationally acclaimed gambling and leisure destination. Atlantic City inspired the creation of Monopoly board game and is part of America’s rich legacy of fun-loving fun, glamour, and entertainment.

In the 1920s and 1930s, an aggressive generation adopted American-style jazz music, enormous cars, and motion pictures as symbols of liberation and hedonism. Philadelphia became home to numerous firsts: from Miss America pageants and salt-water taffy shops to labor organizers and feminists who would eventually change society for good.

After World War II, however, Atlantic City began to slip. Perhaps due to increased air travel or shifting public tastes, Atlantic City’s great hotels fell into disrepair or closed. By the late 1960s when casino gambling was legalized and legalized for public consumption in Atlantic City residents were often poor or elderly with little benefit coming back down into their formerly glittering streets from these self-contained gambling towers.