Cocktail highlights revealed for 10 Durango casino bars and restaurants

Cocktailing commences. Sipping starts. The buzz begins.

Durango casino resort, the $750 million Station Casinos project set to open Dec. 5 in southwest Las Vegas, just announced the beverage programs for 10 of its bars and restaurants. Here’s the short pour:

■ Bel-Aire Lounge features artful specialty cocktails. An Orange Sherbet mingles Belvedere Vodka, Monin cantaloupe syrup, coconut water, turmeric, cinnamon orange herbal tea and a garnish of papaya lemon zest foam. A Blue Blossom convenes Monin violet syrup, lemon and yuzu juices, rose water, angostura cocoa bitters, egg whites and dehydrated cornflower garnish.

■ Wax Rabbit lies hidden behind the walls of Mijo Modern Mexican Restaurant. The lounge highlights tequilas and mezcals. A Nopales cocktail, made with Patrón Reposado Tequila, Ancho Reyes chile liqueur, cactus and mint, honors Mexico’s spirits heritage, while a Candy Jar, designed for sharing, brings together Botanist Gin, aloe vera, açai, blueberry Red Bull and vanilla, in a lidded glass vessel.

■ Oasis, in the center of the casino floor, serves cocktails featuring desert botanicals and tropical flavors. Look for a Zen Universe with Ketel One Vodka, botanical Mancino Sakura Vermouth, yuzu, and lychee vapor, all under a glass cloche, and a Birds of Paradise with four rums, hibiscus falernum liqueur and toasted coconut.

■ Nicco’s Prime Cuts & Fresh Fish, the property’s signature steakhouse, offers a mix of 12 signature and classically inspired cocktails. Signatures include On Cloud Nine with Absolut Elyx Vodka, jasmine Cocchi Americano, Italicus citrus floral liqueur and Albrecht crémant sparkling rosé, finished tableside with a cloud of mountain berry tea. Large format cocktails include a 68-ounce Green Fairy made with Casamigos Blanco Tequila, absinthe and sparkling wine.

■ The Oyster Bar, modeled after the Oyster Bar at Palace Station, offers New Orleans-style cocktails, like The Big Easy with Ketel One Vodka, peach, lime, ginger beer, Cajun spice and Peychaud’s Bitters, and a Catch of the Day with Casamigos Blanco Tequila, Génépy herbal liqueur, triple sec, lime and habanero tincture.

■ DRNK, in Eat You Heart Out food hall, takes a craft approach to frozen cocktails, harnessing unexpected flavors, top-shelf spirits, housemade syrups, and fresh herbs, purées and juices. A spritzy slushy calls on Aperol, prosecco and citrus; a Paloma slushy unites Herradura Blanco Tequila and grapefruit. Drinks are served in single, large or a mix-and-match flight of four.

■ STN Sportsbook Bar sends out updated beer and shot combos like Pacifico and a Paloma cocktail, Elysian Space Dust IPA and a bourbon honey Gold Rush, and Guiness and Jameson Irish Whiskey. STN also features beer, including seasonal releases, from local breweries.

The George Sportsmen’s Lounge, adjacent to the sportsbook, presents specialty cocktails created by corporate beverage director Mark Hefter, including The Takei, with Takei 15 Haku Vodka, yuzu syrup and lemon juice over crushed ice in a lemon logo cup.

■ Casino Bar showcases classic cocktails. The menu includes a Southside, created about a century ago, with Sipsmith Gin, mint and lime, and a Hemingway Daiquiri, dating to the 1930s, with Bacardi white rum, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, grapefruit and lime.

■ High Limit Bars invite guests to name their cocktail, select a classic drink or choose from wines and Champagnes by the glass.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram and @ItsJLW on X.