The Best Downtown Las Vegas Cocktail Bars

I spent Labor Day weekend in Las Vegas and made sure to include a handful of cocktail bars as part of the trip. Personally, I prefer Downtown Las Vegas to the strip. There are more casinos in close proximity, it's easier to get in and out, and since I am far from a high-roller it's much more affordable. So with that in mind I wanted to scout some of the options away from the strip. Most of these are in the downtown area and within walking distance of any hotel on Fremont Street.

This trip was a little fuzzy, as Vegas has a tendency to do, so these reviews will focus more on the bars in general, rather than the cocktails that were ordered (as was done in my Minneapolis Cocktail Bars review)

Downtown Las Vegas Cocktail Bars

Mob Bar

The bar at Mob Bar

Mob Bar is located on 3rd Street, just north of the Fremont Street Experience. I first stumbled across this place a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. On more recent visits though, it's been less than overwhelming. They've got a fairly small cocktail menu and the service can be spotty if you aren't seated at the bar. While not my top choice, it's a stone's throw from Fremont and usually has open seating. My advice, grab a seat at the bar and enjoy some of the appetizers they offer.. the chicken parmesan sliders are absolutely phenomenal.

Bar + Bistro

About a mile south of Fremont is Bar + Bistro. This bar is in the arts district so you will see a lot of items inside that were crafted locally (liquor bottles as lampshades & glasses, street signs as tables, etc). You'll also likely be served by someone connected to the local art scene. The cocktail menu isn't huge, but has some good options for whatever type of liquor-based drink you want. This place has a pretty cool feel to it and plenty of whiskey on hand - they have three display cases showcasing all of the juice available. Add this to a solid food menu and decent service (it's been awesome a couple times, adequate a couple other, but never bad) and you've got a very solid bar.

Lady Silvia

The Lady Silvia

The Lady Silvia is just east of Bar + Bistro and located in a larger commercial building. The interior of this place is really unique. High ceilings and built-in bookcases along the walls, with an eclectic collection of furniture. This place felt like more of a spot for locals since the bartender quizzically asked us how we had heard about it. That aside, the drinks were good as was the service. Their liquor selection seemed a bit limited though so if you're looking for a pour of something specific you might be better off elsewhere. But if you want a decent cocktail in a really cool atmosphere this place is definitely worth checking out.

Laundry Room

A memento from The Laundry Room

Ok, I had a blend of excitement and trepidation headed into this one. The Laundry Room is located inside Commonwealth on Fremont Street East. Plus you can only get in with a reservation which is confirmed via texting a phone number not listed on their site (though it is shown on some popular review sites). The whole bar-within-a-bar and secret-text-reservations things came off as a little gimmicky, hence the trepidation. But the place had gotten some really solid reviews, hence the excitement.

Well push came to shove and we headed in for a couple rounds. I texted the magic number upon my arrival and we were taken back to the bar. They have seating for about 20-25 people and every drink is $15 - not cheap, but high-quality booze is used so it makes the price sting a little less. As for the drinks, they were outstanding. We planned on staying for 2 rounds and ended up having a third. Great drinks, great service, and delicious complimentary popcorn. I gotta say, this place lived up to the hype... a definite must-visit on my next trip to Vegas.

Herbs & Rye

Herbs & Rye steaks and sides
(sorry for the dark photo)

Herbs & Rye isn't located by Fremont but I'd seen some good things so wanted to check it out. It's a mile or two west of the strip on Sahara Avenue. The main draw for this stop was a happy hour that includes 50% off steak (plus your standard happy hour deals of cheap beer and well drinks). We ordered the filet and KC strip which were both really good. Additionally, the menu is filled with a healthy selection of cocktails. The drinks were tasty and priced reasonably at about $10 each. This place has more of a restaurant feel than cocktail bar, which is exactly what I'd recommend it for. Grab a few friends, get some steaks and a couple drinks before heading out on the town for the evening. 

Downtown Cocktail Room

The Lizard King at Downtown
Cocktail Room

The Downtown Cocktail Room is located on Fremont East and is a favorite of mine. Their bartenders know what they are doing and their cocktail menu changes every once in a while in case you want to mix things up. But that doesn't mean they can't make the classics - I had an outstanding Sazerac here on my first visit. It can get crowded on weekend nights, but during the week it's usually very low key and seating won't be an issue. This place has been outstanding every time I've stopped by and offers a great change-of-pace from the frantic atmosphere of Fremont.

So there you have it, my review of all the bars I was able to visit during my most recent trip to sin city. There are definitely some others I still want to get to, but those will have to be tackled on the next trip. Since this post is titled "The Best Downtown LV Cocktail Bars", I'd have to give the award to The Laundry Room and Downtown Cocktail Room. Keep in mind that the other bars likely don't consider themselves as solely a cocktail bar.  If you want a bite to eat I'd steer you towards Bar+Bistro or Herbs & Rye. And if you aren't quite looking for a meal, but don't really want a strict cocktail bar atmosphere Mob Bar and The Lady Silvia would be good options. These are all bars that I'm likely to visit again and they go to show that there are plenty of great non-casino options to fill your time in Las Vegas.

Review: Old Grand Dad Bonded & 114 Bourbon Whiskey

I'll be honest, I'd seen Old Grand Dad Bourbon on the shelf several times and never gave it a second look. The bright orange label led me to believe this was an old, cheap, tired bourbon. I couldn't have been more wrong. What caught my eye was their offering at 114 proof which is bottled quite differently than their lower proof offerings. OGD 114 has much more of a premium look to it, so apparently judging a book by it's cover was my thing. While I can't say I'm beyond this nasty habit, my experience with OGD has definitely helped to reduce my bottling prejudice.

The whiskey is named after Basil Hayden and was created by his grandson, Raymond - hence the Old Grand Dad name. It is currently offered at 3 proofs - 80, 100 and 114. The 80 proof version was 86, but in 2013 it was reduced. (I'm sure the people at Maker's Mark wish their change had gone as quietly as this one - though I'm guessing the bourbon community would gladly take an 80 proof Maker's if versions were also offered at 100 and 114 proof.) 

Today I'm covering the Bonded & 114 versions... I left out the 80 proof version because it wasn't all that good when I tried it at 86, so cutting the ABV probably didn't do it any favors.

Old Grand Dad Bonded - Tasting Notes

Old Grand Dad Bonded & Old Grand Dad 114

Nose: Vanilla, butter, caramel with just a hint of spice in the background. Really soft and pleasant, not overly powerful. This is something a first-time bourbon drinker might like.

Palate: Buttery, citrus-y, and silky on the entry with some mouth watering brown sugar sweetness as well. After a beat some of the spice notes show up.

Finish: Light vanilla and spice come and go quickly. Following this a light oak presence shows up.

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Price: $20

Old Grand Dad Bonded Rating: 7.9/10

Old Grand Dad 114 - Tasting Notes

Nose: All spice is prominent at first, then sweet corn and vanilla show up.

Palate: A thick mouthfeel that starts off very sweet. Strong caramel and brown sugar flavors eventually give way to a peppery spice.

Finish: A tiny bit of sweetness but spice, oak and mint are the key players in the third act which hangs around for a solid couple of minutes.

Proof: 114 (57% ABV)
Price: $23

Old Grand Dad 114 Rating: 8.7/10

Two solid bourbons here. OGD Bonded isn't overly complex so it graded a little lower as a result, but by no means is it a bad pour. Put it in front of me neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail and you'll be met with a "thank you" and a smile every time. The Old Grand Dad 114 just takes it to another level though. A friend of mine tried it blind and said it was like there was a party in his mouth... the higher proof and prominent flavors make it hard for me to argue. This might just be my favorite bourbon under $25 and is definitely something I'd recommend as a top value. Turns out judging a bourbon by it's bottle might not be the best tactic...

Rittenhouse Rye Review - 100 Proof Bottled in Bond

My previous experience with Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond (BIB) is entirely as a mixer. If I'm in a cocktail bar and order a rye-based drink (or if I'm making one at home), Rittenhouse is what I typically run with. Oddly enough, I don't think I've ever given this a try on it's own. Well I decided it was time to give this well-respected rye a spin.

A little info on BIB if interested - the whiskey has to meet a number of criteria

• must be the product of one distiller at one distillery
• it has to be produced in one year
• needs to be bottled at 100 proof
• must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse under US Govt supervision
• aged for at least four years

Rittenhouse Rye

Rittenhouse Rye - Tasting Notes

Nose: Light bubble gum with rye spice, vanilla & marshmallow. A slight tinge of young whiskey smell, but you have to look for it.

Palate: The palate starts off with vanilla sweetness, then turns to cinnamon spice... like having a stick of Big Red liquefy in your mouth.

Finish: The spice is predominant here. Very intense cinnamon heat that stays with you for a while. As this dissipates the young whiskey characteristics stick around for a bit making the finish a bit unpleasant

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Price: $23

I was a little surprised I didn't like this more than I did. After all, it has gotten favorable reviews from some well respected sources (as opposed to the efforts of this amateur) A bit of water helped remove some of the unpleasant notes while keeping the sweet & spicy flavors around. Keep in mind the rating below is if drinking Rittenhouse neat. This Rye works well over ice and is still going to be my go-to rye in cocktails. I'd put it closer to 8.5+ for either of those approaches.

Rittenhouse Rye Rating: 7.6/10

Temptation & Redemption Bourboun-Rye tastings (plus Old Overholt)

Color me a fan of whiskey tastings. My favorite local cocktail bar, Sugar House, does these every once in a while and I make every one that I can. On the menu for this week's tasting was Temptation Bourbon, Redemption High-Rye Bourbon, Riverboat Rye, and Redemption Rye. Sadly the Riverboat Rye was scratched in favor of Old Overholt for some reason, but I wasn't going to let that get in the way. The Redemption/Temptation bottles all come from LDI and this tasting was meant to show the progression of high-corn to high-rye whiskeys.

Temptation Bourbon

Proof: 82 (41% ABV)
Price: $23
Mashbill: 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% malted barley

Very, very sweet. It tasted a little young, but didn't have too much of the young-spirit flavor (at least to me... my friend found that element overpowering in this bottle). This was not a very complicated whiskey... sweet almost the whole way through with the exception of a little spice mid-palate. The main flavors present were corn and citrus.

Whiskey tasting lineup (- Riverboat, + Old Overholt)

Redemption High-Rye Bourbon

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Price: $26
Mashbill: 60% corn, 38.2% rye, 1.2% malted barley

As you'd expect, this had a little sweetness and a little spice. They worked well together to give this a nice balance and offer some more flavor than the Temptation did, potentially due to the higher proof. I really enjoyed this one and dubbed it my pick of the night. Could make for a good casual sipper or a good base for a bourbon cocktail that you wanted to add a little more spice to.

Old Overholt Rye

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Price: $20
Mashbill: 53% rye, 32% corn, 15% malted barley

Described as smelling awful by my friend and two-dimensional by one of the bartenders enjoying the tasting, this guy didn't win many people over. While I didn't love it, I didn't find it as offensive as others. The nose didn't really offer much up to me and the palate was somewhat bland. If I got it for free I wouldn't complain but this is simply a basic rye that is best suited as a mixer, not a primary element.

Redemption Rye

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Price: $29
Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley

Redemption Rye was extremely spicy with a lot of pine. A couple of my neighbors rated it as their favorite but this one was too young and aggressive for my tastes. I'm a rye fan, but this pour made my tongue feel like it was being electrocuted. I believe this is the same juice as is used in the Bulleit Rye, which I enjoy, so apparently I like my rye mellowed a bit. Despite all this, I can definitely see why the other guys had it as their favorite. The strong spice and pine notes make for a very assertive rye that would probably be great if you are looking to make a cocktail with a lot of spice.


Overall, I'd take the Redemption Bourbon if I had to choose one of them though I'd most likely pass these bottles up the next time I'm looking for a value whiskey. For the $20-$30 range I think you can do a lot better if you are looking for sweet (Evan Williams Single Barrel), sweet-spicy (Old Grand Dad 114), or spicy (Rittenhouse & Bulleit Rye).

Vintage Bourbon 17 Review

I first came across the Vintage Bourbon 17 Year at a favorite local bar of mine just about 2 years ago. It was love at first sip. As soon as I tried it I was on the hunt for some bottles. Sadly, my search began in vain as it is not sold in Michigan (a painfully re-occurring theme for certain bottles). Over the course of the next 6 months I was able to find a mere 2 bottles. If I had found 10 I would have bought all of them. Needless to say, I am going into this review with a bit of bias.

As far as info on the juice itself goes, there isn't a whole lot out there. The label claims it is chosen from the rarest of barrels and the bottlings are limited (amongst other things to boost the confidence of any potential buyer). From what I have been able to find, this is a wheated bourbon and a non-distiller product from our friends at KBD (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers). There are also 21 and 23 year old versions of this bourbon, though I've never seen them on a store shelf and only once in a bar.

Vintage Bourbon 17 Year Old - Tasting Notes

Vintage Bourbon 17

Nose: Very sweet nose. Candied dark fruits with caramel and vanilla present as well. A little bit of oak if you look for it but the sweetness really overpowers everything else.

Palate: Light mouthfeel, but not too light as it gives a brief coating. The initial taste mirrors the nose, with a sweet start followed by dark chocolate... and my mouth is literally watering. This mixes with a little cinnamon spice and a bit of oak towards the end. The combination of these flavors is absolutely TNT (dynamite!).

Finish: Nice and smooth, annnnnd my mouth is still watering from the palate. The candied fruits stick around for a long time and any spice from the palate dissipates quickly. The lingering notes are caramel and vanilla and these two stick around for a good minute or so. Solid overall finish

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Price: ~$70-100

I tried to be impartial, but this stuff might be my favorite bourbon on the market. I may have to put it up in a blind taste against some Jefferson's 18, Pappy 15 & Pappy 20 to see which wheater I like the best (might even throw the Very Old Scout 19-year or Elmer T. Lee in the mix too). Regardless of how the tasting turns out, this will definitely be a bottle that I'm always on the lookout for
.

Vintage Bourbon 17 Rating: 9.7/10

Review: Jefferson's Straight Rye - 10 Year

Jefferson's Rye Whiskey appears to be sourced from Canada, which when looking at other reviews appears to be a bit of a concern at first. However, I can nearly see Canada when I look out my window and have always been fond of our neighbors in the Great White North. So I decided to give it a shot anyways, eh? (If you want some detail on where this rye whiskey comes from there is a good write-ups about it at Whiskey Obsessive.)

So how did I come upon the Jefferson's Rye? Well I was recently in Maine, celebrating America's birthday with some friends and eating 4 lobsters in two days. (quick sidebar - I had NO IDEA how cheap lobsters are in Maine. Like, 2 cooked lobsters for $18 cheap... great stuff. Ok, back to business...) When we got into town, I wanted to check out a liquor shop to see if I could find any bottles that were tough to get in MI. I spotted an Evan Williams Single Barrel (barreled in 2001) and then noticed that Jefferson's Rye was on sale for $30. It's usually $35 in my state and my buddy and I both like whiskey enough that I figured we could get through the bottle (spoiler alert... we did). Let's see how it tasted...

Jefferson's Rye 10 Year Old - Tasting Notes

Jefferson's Straight Rye Whiskey
(apologies for the stock photo... drank it all
before I was able to take a photo)

Nose: A little sweet, a little spice and a lot pleasant. For some reason the overall scent that I got was pink bubble gum. I tried picking it apart a bit more, but then decided if I was getting pink bubble gum on the nose and I liked it, why keep digging?

Palate: The mouthfeel isn't thick or thin... sort of like the baby bear's porridge. The flavors here are vanilla, cinnamon, honey, rye (obvi) and of course that pink bubble gum flavor which I couldn't shake from my head. Sweeter than many other ryes but it still has plenty of spice in tow.

Finish: This is where you know the Jefferson's Rye is 100% rye in the mashbill. A little warming burn at first and the spice from the palate takes over. Flavors of mint & cinnamon linger quite pleasantly for a good couple of minutes once it's gone down the hatch.

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)
Price: ~$35

Well Mr. Jefferson, I'm sold. At a price under $40 for a 10-year rye, this is a great whiskey. I enjoyed it more than the bottle of Whistlepig that I had and it only cost me half as much. This can be used as a really good sipper, or if you're feeling cocktail-y you could use it to make something that would most likely wind up being delicious. Needless to say, I plan on picking up another bottle of this sooner than later.

Jefferson's Straight Rye Whiskey (10-Year) Rating: 8.9/10

Jim Beam White Label Review

Jim Beam White Label is one of the best-selling bourbons globally. It is aged 4 years and is the primary offering from Beam, which has a handful of other whiskeys as well. While some experts and enthusiasts may thumb their noses at the standard Beam offering, there has to be a reason this is stocked at every liquor store and well-received globally other than marketing and low cost, right? Well at a party this weekend I got my chance to find out. The whiskey options were Beam White Label, or Dewar's White Label. Since I wasn't in the mood for scotch or a mixed drink, I grabbed a pour of my old friend Jim to get the night started.

Jim Beam White Label Bourbon - Tasting Notes

Nose: Light vanilla and oak with some corn. Fairly straight-forward and simple.

Palate: Some corn sweetness with very light spice towards the end. A fairly thin mouth-feel with just a hint of oak.

Finish: Fairly short finish. A bit of heat is present at the start but it quickly dissipates and you are left with some light oak and vanilla.

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Price: ~$18

Jim Beam White Label
4 year Bourbon

Overall, most of the flavor notes are fairly timid. This bourbon doesn't have large, robust flavor that pops you in the mouth and at a mere 40% ABV, that's understandable.

JB White Label is like a solid backup catcher who will hit .250 for you without much power. He's typically underrated by the fan-base and will bounce around the league for about a dozen seasons, but there's always a team in need of his services. I know this doesn't sound like a compliment, but it is. Most baseball fans know how valuable a solid backup catcher can be over the course of a full season. And yes Jim Beam, you are the backup catcher in this baseball bourbon analogy. You are reliable, readily available, and while I wouldn't put you in the lineup every day, I don't have any reservations about penciling you in when the starters need a day off.

Jim Beam Bourbon White Label Rating: 7.2/10