A Cocktail in the Sun

As it gets hot outside, a young drunkymonkey's thoughts turn to cool refreshment. I've spent several recent weekends searching for what will likely become my go-to summer watering hole and cocktail, and so far the search has proven fruitful.

The first great summer find was the Spanish Trampoline at the Mirage's Rhumbar. YES. I will certainly return often to enjoy this fine establishment's delicious libations and lovely patio area.

The second great find is the Cucumber Gimlet, a delightful concoction you will find at T-bones Chophouse inside the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. Comprised of four muddled cucumbers, Hendrick's gin, rock candy syrup and fresh lime juice, the cucumber gimlet isn't overly sweet and has a nice touch of citrus-y tartness. It also has a nice overall essence of cucumber, a flavor that works well in combination with the unique flavor of the Hendrick's gin -- unsurprising since Hendrick's' unique flavor is acquired through infusions of Bulgarian rose and, yes, cucumber. The cucumber gimlet is refreshing, light and crisp. My first occasion for the cocktail was a stop for pre-dinner drinks on the way to somewhere else (the much loved Hachi where, by the way, I very much enjoyed the Hyuuka, another perfectly good gin/cucumber concoction, but unwisely let the bartender talk me into trying the Sake-tini, a deplorable example of the dreaded whatever-tini craze. Putting crap in a martini glass --some sort of promotional vodka and sake flavoring in this case -- does not a martini make. But I digress.)

A return trip a few weeks later proved the cucumber gimlet to still be delicious, and possibly even more so when enjoyed in the afternoon sun on the T-bones patio. A spacious area overlooking the pool, the patio has plenty of comfy couches and chairs and laid-back atmosphere. If the thought of a cucumber gimlet doesn't quite float your boat, the T-bones bar also serves up a super booze-y, generously portioned Old Fashioned and a nice classic martini featuring the most delicious blue-cheese stuffed olives I've found in Vegas.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Occasionally an old aphorism does wonders to sum things right up: The more things change, the more they stay the same. True unless, of course, they don't stay the same at all. In the past two weeks I've hit up two favorite old haunts, and the experiences stood in complete contrast to each other. First up was The Griffin, and it was just as awesome as ever. Dark and cavernous inside, with a decent selection on its handful of taps and the same cool ambiance as ever, it was just as it was the last time I stopped in for a drink, maybe eight or nine months ago. There are two reasons I really like this downtown bar; one is the energy and overall ambiance. The place opened a few years ago, during the height of the buzz about the Fremont East District, and the hipster charge to make downtown cool. The Griffin's feat was in transcending the trendy side of the hype. It is classically cool, sidestepping that sad fate of being on the cutting edge for a year, then hopelessly dated forever.

The other is the drinks themselves, and the knowledgeable bartenders. The drinks are always good, very reasonably priced and poured with a slightly heavy hand, which I will never, ever complain about. And if you go in the early evening (before the place gets crowded) and sit at the bar, the bartenders will talk to you about their wares and make suggestions. This was the case when I first tried a martini with Hendrick's gin a couple of summers ago. Now I see Hendrick's all over the place, and sometimes request it. So thanks, Griffin. Thank you for the Hendrick's and for continuing to be awesome, even though I've been gone for a few months.

The flip side of that coin was discovered last weekend during a stop at the Green Valley Ranch. When I was just a young Henderson-dwelling girl several years ago, the Green Valley Ranch Resort was home to what were without doubt the most exciting lounges in the city, Drop Bar and Whiskey Sky. At the time they were very cool, and very different for Henderson. Whiskey was not only a lounge, but also had a bit of a club-y vibe, and by way of its then-ownership (Mr. Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber) was probably the only place in Henderson that ever has or will count George Clooney among its patrons. During my recent visit the place was closed, and based on what I could see by peeking through a crack in the door, under renovations. Surprising? No. The true surprise was still ahead of me, lurking at the Drop Bar.

Granted, though I use to hit up the GVR for booze and entertainment at least once a week, I haven't been back in at least a year, so the "new" Drop Bar is probably not actually all that new. What was once the epitome of mod cool, an all-white, minimalist interior (a round space, the circumference was ringed by white booth-style couches surrounded by small white cocktail tables and ottomans) has gone polar opposite. It's like the GVR hired Saturday Night Live's Jon Bovi to create a concept. Where the lounge was once white and futuristic, it now looks like a vampire lair/super-goth palace in shades of black with touches of purple. The former clean lines have been replaced with ornate wood and brass cabinetry, extensive wrought iron work, including a mind-boggling chandelier dripping with clear, black and purple crystals, a dropped faux ceiling in mirrored black, and dramatic velvet couches ringing the walls. My date may have summed it up best when he said the whole thing reminded him of Disneyland's Haunted House ride. At one time the lounge was tended by cocktail waitresses and bartenders clad in white tube tops, skirts and go-go boots. No more. There were no waitresses present during my visit, but the female bartender wore a simple, stiff black suit. Frankly, I was surprised she wasn't decked out in something reminiscent of Prince, circa Purple Rain. It would have been more fitting.

Signs on each coffin-shaped cocktail table inform customers that Drop Bar now turns into a Hookah Lounge at 7 p.m. nightly. I'm not big on hookah, but I stopped in during the early afternoon hours and I'm curious to see this place at night, in all its goth glory. In any case I'm pretty much forced to go back, because I'm still too shocked by the extreme changes to decide if the new Drop Bar is awesome or awful.