Las Vegas is famous for giving visitors a good time, whether that’s with food and drink, enticing entertainment, amazing hotels, or thrilling attractions. When it comes to unique cocktails, there are many hands that keep the drinks flowing behind the bars and restaurants in town. Experience the real Las Vegas through the eyes of veteran bartenders and get a glimpse into the city’s past, its famous personalities, and some of the best cocktails in town.
Mariena Mercer Boarini – Master Mixologist
Wynn Resorts, North America (wynnresorts.com)
During her time as Chef Mixologist at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Mercer Boarini applied her college studies in chemistry and interest in molecular mixology to creating culinary-inspired craft cocktails for 21 distinct beverage menus at the property. She famously had Vegas buzzing with her signature Verbena tequila cocktail, garnished with the face-numbing “Szechuan Button.” In 2021, after launching her consulting company Wanderlush and mouth-tingling flavor and sensation-enhancing Electricdust product, Mercer Boarini joined Wynn Resorts. “Our city excels in artistry, excellence, and luxury, and does everything on such a grand scale that I knew I wanted to celebrate my passion for the magic and laughter of life here. The craft cocktail scene was burgeoning when I started innovating mixology, so it was the perfect time to make an impact.”
Craig Schoettler – Executive Director of Beverage and Corporate Mixologist
MGM Resorts International (mgmresorts.com)
While pursuing his Culinary Arts degree at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., Craig Schoettler worked at Chicago’s former Michelin two star Tru restaurant. He then spent six intensive years with star Chicago chef Grant Achatz, going from unpaid intern to chef de tournant, or swing chef, at world-renowned Michelin three-star Alinea, before earning a James Beard nomination as executive chef at Achatz’s cocktail lab sensation The Aviary. To complement his encyclopedic command of spirits and cocktails, he then learned how to bartend. In 2013, following turns as bartender and corporate beverage director for a Chicago hotel group, Schoettler joined ARIA Resort and Casino as the five-star Vegas resort’s first mixologist. Today, his expertise reaches across MGM’s extensive Vegas portfolio of resorts and venues. “Working here is transcendent in terms of designing menus and experiences. Vegas has trained me to think more creatively about how to continually elevate our offerings and ensure they speak to the right audience.”
Juyoung Kang – Director of Beverage Development
Fontainebleau Las Vegas (fontainebleaulasvegas.com)
While pursuing filmmaking and marketing at Philadelphia’s Temple University, Juyoung Kang worked part-time at a local restaurant. Stepping in when a bartender failed to show for a 300-person wedding at the venue, Kang discovered her passion for mixology and never looked back. After first practicing her craft at hotel bars in Los Angeles, she answered the siren call of Las Vegas. “I wanted a higher volume environment with greater opportunities,” recalled Kang, whose first assignment was opening a French brasserie at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. She made her name in leading mixology roles downtown and on the Strip, including Resorts World Las Vegas and Venetian Las Vegas, where we first met in 2021, before she joined the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Now, responsible for overseeing 16 venues and creating and developing most of the property’s beverage offerings, her role at the $3.6 billion, 67-story, 3,644-room skyscraper is a tall order—and she relishes the challenge. “When running a cocktail program of this magnitude, I make a point of maintaining a regular personal touch with each bartender to ensure they are executing my vision,” said Kang. “Seeing our talented mixologists take pride in fully grasping what I have developed is always rewarding.”
Read about more The Leading Movers & Shakers of The Las Vegas Bar Scene on PassportMagazine.com.
