Las Vegas Weekly

October 21, 2009 · 9:01 AM

Oscar’s mayoral visit to London earns a Gold Double Martini toast

By Robin Leach

Mayor Oscar Goodman, second from right, holds the Goodman Gold Double Martini named after him.

Photo: Duesse Global

Mayor Oscar Goodman is reveling in his role as ambassador of Las Vegas to my former countrymen over in London. His business trip is to raise the image of the Las Vegas brand in the British capital and generate new British travelers on the first-ever, nonstop flights from London’s Heathrow Airport to our McCarran Airport.

Oscar has already dazzled and won over the normally stuffy Brits with their bowlers and brollies! The London tabloids are all agog over him, and he’s greeting and shaking hands with as many Londoners as he can wherever he goes. Click HERE for our mayor’s own words yesterday in his first report shortly after arrival.

Said Oscar: “Everyone knows that Las Vegas offers world-class gaming, entertainment, hotels, boutique shopping and restaurants. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit our city. Our new partnership with British Airways was more than 10 years in the making. This new British Airways flight will only increase visitor demand from the United Kingdom and throughout Europe.”

Oscar is chairman of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, and on his schedule in my old hometown, he has interviews with the most influential media outlets, including the BBC World, CNN Live and the prestigious Daily Telegraph. The mayor also meets with British Airways Chairman Martin Broughton and officials from the International Rugby Board, who last week announced their new partnership with Las Vegas that will bring the annual USA Sevens Rugby tournament here in February.

There’s also a double celebration! To mark the first official visit to London by Oscar and the opening of the first branch of The Palm Steakhouse in Europe, Bombay Sapphire master mixologist Merlin Griffiths has created a special cocktail available exclusively at The Palm Steakhouse called The Goodman Gold Double Martini. This cocktail is a twist on Oscar’s favorite Bombay Sapphire classic martini. Simply put, the drink is a classic Sapphire martini featuring two gold leaf-coated olives. The gold olives are sure to bring a bit of the Las Vegas glitz and glamour across the pond.

Our Merry Mayor of Mirth should be at The Palm in London this afternoon about 4 p.m. our time today, and we’ll have the photo coverage to keep our loyal Vegas DeLuxe readers up to date. If you’d like to make the special martini at home and toast Oscar across the pond, here’s the recipe: 60ml / 2 oz. / 2 parts Bombay Sapphire,
10ml / 1/3 oz. / 2 tsp dry vermouth,
2 olives plated in edible gold for garnish. Stir Bombay Sapphire and vermouth over ice until chilled, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with 2 gold olives on the rim of the glass.

Read Oscar’s blogs about his London travels on VegasontheRoad.com.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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