Taste

Making T-Mobile Arena cocktails with mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim

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T-Mobile Arena’s signature cocktail, the Atomic Fizz

“Looking sexy over there,” says Tony Abou-Ganim, referring to two frothy highball glasses filled with expertly crafted mojitos. “A cocktail should be sexy.”

The celebrity beverage pro recently signed on as property mixologist for T-Mobile Arena, where on April 12 he showcased the venue’s signature sippers, spoke about different beverage options available to visitors and led interactive demonstrations for a handful of cocktails, which were paired with small bites prepared by arena executive chef Garry DeLucia.

Celebrity mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim developed the food and beverage program at T-Mobile Arena.

“We wanted to elevate food and beverage in sports entertainment,” says Abou-Ganim, citing a study that reported approximately 75 percent of revenue at sporting events comes from food and beverage purchases. “The overall vision and goal is to enhance your experience.”

Abou-Ganim is hoping thousands of patrons will enhance their experiences with T-Mobile’s signature Atomic Fizz, similar to traditions like ordering mint juleps at Churchill Downs or Sazeracs down in the Big Easy. “We wanted to create the next signature cocktail … and it had to celebrate Las Vegas.”

T-Mobile pink (of course) in color, the subtly sweet and citrusy Atomic Fizz is made with prickly pear and Eureka lemon juices, agave nectar and Aperol, and is available on draft at all arena bars. While Abou-Ganim says he initially struggled with the idea of putting fresh cocktails on draft (“if I didn’t squeeze it, it isn’t fresh”), he’s quick to point out that his draft cocktails use Ripe’s all-natural, cold-pressed juices for optimal freshness. “It allows us to do a consistent drink at the concession stand,” he says, adding that “touches of classic mixology” have been preserved—which is why bartenders will top off your Fizz with a spritz of seltzer water. “We wanted to maintain the art of mixology.”

T-Mobile Arena's Scratch Margarita

Abou-Ganim’s delightfully simple Scratch Margarita is also on draft, but it can be ordered in a DIY kit complete with mixers, booze and bar tools for those experiencing the arena in one of its many suites. “We wanted people to be able to host their own party. … We empower the host with the ability to be the bartender,” he says, adding that a future goal is to lead hosts and hostesses through video cocktail demonstrations on television screens inside the suites. And with Abou-Ganim’s comical cocktail quips (“You want to wake it up, not knock it to sleep,” he says of mixing drinks in a Boston shaker), it sounds like an entertaining idea.

T-Mobile Arena's mojito

The suite levels also feature punch options and a roving mojito cart, which rolls around prior to events and even stops by the suites when shows or games begin. Abou-Ganim says the mojito is “one of the most simplest, most difficult drinks to make”—and he perfected the tropical classic, made with equal parts lime juice and simple syrup, freshly muddled mint, light rum and a topper of seltzer. “If you remember one thing about cocktails, it’s balance.”

Every drink we made and/or sampled boasted an excellent equilibrium. Basically, nothing you’ll drink at T-Mobile should be too sweet or too sour, too boozy or too watered-down—and it should all taste deliciously fresh. As Abou-Ganim says, “Better ingredients make better drinks.” So skip the Bud Light next time you step foot in the city’s newest entertainment destination, and consider sipping on an Atomic Fizz.

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