Beverage Director Nate Hedlund Shares Stories from Tangier Whiskey Lounge in Vegas

By March 30, 2023Mixology News

The Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas is home to The Tangier Lounge, a vibrant and cozy whiskey lounge that specializes in brown spirits.

 

It’s a space where retro meets modern, offering more than 200 brown spirits including world-class selections of bourbon, scotch, and cognac. Conveniently situated near the lobby, the classic Vegas lounge is the ideal spot to kick off your Sin City excursions at The Sahara. Guests can expect an intimate setting with a well versed, personable bartender that would love to talk whiskey with anybody willing to listen.

Director of Beverage at Sahara of Las Vegas, Nate Hedlund, comments on what it takes to keep a bar program thriving nowadays.

 

 

“In a hotel setting, I feel success relies on consistency. Ensuring if you get a great specialty cocktail on Wednesday, it should be made the exact same on Friday because that’s what you came back for. The bartenders need to have passion and integrity and not skip any steps making the drink and believe in the overall program,” he shares.

 

Hedlund adds some noteworthy advice for bartenders looking to up their game. “What I’m seeing now are cocktails that are great tasting with a focus on aesthetics. The garnish holds an important role now due to people wanting to share their experiences online. It can be what goes in the drink or what the drink goes in such as a unique glass, smoke box or full-on presentation. So, bartenders, make your artwork into masterpieces!”

As far as the liquid masterpieces served at The Tangier, each concoction on the menu has an aged, or brown, base spirit. The classics section includes drinks ranging from the signature Old Fashioned to its own take on Philadelphia Fish House Punch, one of George Washington’s favorites!

 

 

The specialty cocktail page is the same style, showcasing drinks like the light refreshing cocktail called the Kyuri Highball using Suntori Toki Japanese Whisky and lychee syrup. For a delectable dessert sipper, The Prize Fighter is whipped up with Slane Irish Whiskey and Cinnamon Bun Cream.

The property itself and its theme inspires some of the specialty beverages on the menu. For instance, “The Fall of ’52” commemorates the time the original Sahara first opened its doors. There’s also “The Caravan of One” which gets served in a reflective glass. Once placed on the saucer, it presents an image of a camel walking through the Sahara Desert.

Other drinks draw inspiration from impactful figures, like the “Self-Made Man,” in ode to the properties’ beloved owner Mr. M. “Don but Not Forgotten” is a rum-based tiki drink on the menu that pays homage to Don the Beachcomber, the godfather of tiki cocktail culture. It signifies the era back in the 60’s when a legendary tiki bar themed restaurant was on the hotel’s property.

 

 

Caravan of One

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 oz Glenmorangie 10-Year Scotch
  • 1 oz Grapefruit Juice
  • 3/4 oz St-Germain
  • 1/4 oz Sandeman Sherry
  • 2 Dashes Grapefruit Bitters

Preparation: Combine ingredients in a Camel Cup with crushed ice. Stir. Garnish with a dehydrated pineapple.

The post Beverage Director Nate Hedlund Shares Stories from Tangier Whiskey Lounge in Vegas appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Mixology News

Author Mixology News

More posts by Mixology News