Las Vegas Weekly

April 27, 2009 · 4:26 PM

Vegas’ first virtual speakeasy? Social Mixology goes underground

By Xania Woodman

The new Tuesday night party from BarMagic of Las Vegas will feature crafted cocktails, a DJ soundtrack and a total lack of ego. Almost as refreshing as that mint julep.

Talk about hitting the ground running. While the world has been busy discussing President Obama’s first 100 days, BarMagic of Las Vegas’ Tobin Ellis and John Hogan have had their minds on Social Mixology’s first 55.

The highly-anticipated weekly Tuesday evenings of cocktail culture launched in a big way during March’s Nightclub & Bar Show with a Hendrick’s Gin celebration that was as hush-hush as it was chi-chi. High-level beverage industry folk especially loved the speakeasy aspect of the night, whereby only with mention of the secret password would they gain access to the Artisan’s inner sanctum where Anthony Alba of Liquidity Global beverage consulting and Alex Velez of 2100 Club were mixing up molecular goodies involving Pisco, sodium bicarbonate, Sanbitter Italian soda and Alba’s homemade liqueurs.

When time was up at the Artisan the Social Mixology Tour was born and the event migrated to Red Room Saloon. And with the coming of May, the Tour is once again pulling up stakes in preparation for its next move.

But that’s as far as the Weekly will go in giving up the Tour’s whereabouts—from now on, you’ll need to know the secret password!

That’s right. Hush-hush means hush! Social Mixology’s virtual speakeasy website is now live, meaning that if you wish to participate in the weekly events, receive invitations to beaucoup soignée soirees and be privy to tons of Vegas’ beverage industry news, you must first sign up at socialmixologyvegas.com and receive the secret password as well as the address of the speakeasy site, Finca Vigia, which is named after famed drinker Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban beach home retreat.

And no, it’s not fincavigia.com. Nice try, but sometimes it’s not who you know but what you know.

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