The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a hipster oasis in the middle of the ever-increasingly hip Las Vegas Strip; and rising up over three levels, surrounded by enormous ropes of crystals, is The Chandelier – a trio of bars spread over three levels of sparkly goodness.  But, it’s not just the visuals that set The Chandelier apart from the myriad bars and lounges that litter the Strip; it’s the specialty cocktails – different ones on each level, created by Mariena Mercer (GM of The Chandelier, and Property Mixologist for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas), a tall drink of water who has assembled a group of incredibly tasty and original drinks menus.

Anyhoo, this past weekend I was entertaining some visiting Republican friends of mine (not to be cliché, but some of my best friends really ARE Republicans…), so we met-up over a fanciful flight of Specialty Cocktails, two from each of The Chandelier’s three levels.

First we tried a pair of Specialty Cocktails from Bottom of the Chandelier, on the ground floor.  The Marnier Dynasty (Grand Marnier, Chinese Five-Spice, Asian Tea Blend, and Yuzu Sour, with Star Anise), and the cleverly named Kaffir the Reaper (Ciroc Coconut Vodka, Chinese Five-Spice, Yuzu Sour, Coconut-Ginger Tea, and Ginger Beer).

Then came a couple of the Specialty Cocktails, from Top of the Chandelier, on the second floor.  The Libertine (Maker’s 46, Rosemary Simple Syrup, Orange Marmalade, and Maple Syrup Foam), and The Black Heart (Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Briotett Crème de Cassis, Balsamic Reduction, Basil, and Blackberries); both particularly yummy.

The third duo – representing my favorite of the three bars, Inside the Chandelier (known as “1.5” to those in the know, due to its location on the mezzanine level between the first and second floors) – prepared by our very able barkeep, Jeremy, included 1.5’s signature Specialty Cocktail, the two-step Fire Breathing Dragon (first, one is served a handful of raspberries frozen in liquid nitrogen, that one chews, causing the “smoke” to come out one’s nose; after which one imbibes the cocktail, consisting of Bacardi DragonBerry, Raspberry Puree, and Syrups of Lemongrass and Thai Chili).

After the Fire Breathing Dragon, Jeremy poured us The Cosmopolitan’s signature cocktail, The Verbena (Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Lemon Verbena, Yuzu Sour, Fresh Lemon Juice, and Ginger Syrup, with a trio of Szechuan Flower-buds).  Wow!

There are a few things that make The Verbena so special.  First, those Szechuan flowers, known as “buzz buttons” are a story in and of themselves.  When chewed they cause an intense tingling sensation of the tongue, that enhances the cocktail.  Second, this cockail has become so popular (simply via word-of-mouth), that more than a half-million of them have been poured.  Finally, The Verbena is a “secret” cocktail, in that it doesn’t appear on any menu, anywhere on property; making it the Animal Style 3 x 3 burger of the cocktail world.

The Chandelier
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
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Get into it!