Rhumbar: Las Vegas

A bartender can be an artist, especially if they are truly skilled at making cocktails. It can be real pleasure to watch a professional bartender in action, especially when the results are quite compelling. On my recent trip to Las Vegas, I visited a new bar, the Rhumbar at the Mirage Hotel, which really captivated my attention.

Rhumbar consists of two parts, an exterior patio looking out on the Strip and a stylish interior. The interior seems mainly colored white and green, meant to symbolize a mojito on a white sand beach, with intriguing and somewhat bizarre "sculpted chrome fighting cocks encased in glass" jutting forth from the walls above the bar.

I had drinks in the bar on several occasions, trying some of their 40 or so featured rums as well as some of their innovative cocktails. Their rum selection is quite extensive and diverse and I tasted shots of a couple amazing ones. Behind the bar I could also see their other liqueurs and alcohols, including many of the newest and hottest ones on the market from St. Germaine to Domaine de Canton. The bar also contains jars and containers of fresh fruits and other ingredients for their cocktails.

As for the cocktails, I must have tried maybe six or seven different ones, though the names of most escape me except for the Samba Swizzle. The bartenders who made the cocktails were very professional, and it was enjoyable to watch them creating their drinks. They were confident, skilled and very personable. And I enjoyed every cocktail I tried, from the sweeter ones to the spicy, hot ones. The cocktail list is diverse and there should be something there to fit all tastes.

At night, this is quite the hot spot and I highly recommend you check it out on your next visit to Las Vegas. And if you like cigars, they also have their own humidor with plenty of different brands available.