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Cocktail of the Week

How to mix four signature Vegas Labor Day libations

Sabrina Chapman

Sharing is caring this Labor Day. What better way to celebrate than passing around these tasty cocktails by the pitcher? From refreshers to adrenaline kicks to hangover havens in a glass, the Weekly has you covered.

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      8 Ball

      Sammy D at First Food & Bar knows how to keep that fist-pumping endurance going strong. His 8 Ball ($32), is right on the money. “I always say, ‘An 8 Ball is bigger than a gram, and a pitcher is bigger than a glass,’” Sammy says. Bacardi 8 rum sets a full-bodied oak-aged tone while lime and mint keep it fresh. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t your everyday mojito. Adding a final touch of powdered sugar sweetens the deal to make sure it’s bottoms up, bottoms up every single cup.

      Ingredients:

      6 oz. Bacardi 8 rum

      15-20 mint leaves

      15 oz. sour mix

      Sparkling water

      Powdered sugar (garnish)

      Method: Combine all ingredients with ice, shake. Add to one scoop of fresh ice in pitcher. Garnish with powdered sugar.

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      Strawberry Caipirinha

      If last week’s AFAN 26th Annual Black & White Party got you in the philanthropic mood, continue marching to the beat with charitable cocktails from Fogo de Chão. Not just a juicy meat market, the Brazilian steakhouse knows how to dish out Brazil’s national cocktail—authentic caipirinhas. Choose any red caipirinha, such as the strawberry ($13.50), and 20 percent of the proceeds benefits Aid for AIDS of Nevada. Talk about spreading the LDW 2012 love.

      Ingredients:

      12 medium strawberries

      12 tbsp. sugar (to taste)

      12 oz. cachaça

      ice

      Method: Remove the tips of the strawberries and cut each strawberry in half. Muddle strawberries and sugar. Top with ice and add cachaça. Shake and serve.

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      The Surfside

      Kick back and relax with an icy cold pitcher of the Surfside ($48). Available at Marquee Dayclub, this libation is the work of Tim Keller, TAO Group director of beverage. “The Surfside is a cocktail that makes you think you are in the tropics because of its exotic ingredients,” Keller says. “Las Vegas is landlocked, but our pool parties rival anything a beach party could deliver next to the ocean. Although we are in the middle of the desert, this cocktail is an homage to drinks that one would enjoy on the sand.”

      Ingredients:

      5 oz. 10 Cane Rum

      3 ¾ oz. Malibu rum

      1 ¼ oz. Disaronno Amaretto

      5 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice

      5 oz. pineapple juice

      1 ¼ oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

      1 ¼ oz. grenadine

      Method: Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher full of ice, saving the grenadine for last to float on top of the mixture. Garnish with orange wheels.

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      Bloody Sunrise

      The Palms Pool & Bungalows gets the party started this Friday when Wiz Khalifa takes the stage for Ditch. Work hard, play hard—it’s not just one of the rapper’s top Billboard songs, it’s Vegas’ mode of operation. When the sun sets and rises again, rest assured the bartenders at the Palms have you covered with the Bloody Sunrise ($60). This hair of the dog cure-all is a sultry, spicy concoction of Absolut Peppar vodka united with horseradish, Tabasco and juicy tomato juice.

      Ingredients:

      32 oz. tomato juice

      6 oz. Absolut Peppar vodka

      1 tsp. horseradish

      ½ tsp. celery salt

      Pinch of salt

      Couple dashes Tabasco (depending on how spicy you want it)

      1 tsp. black pepper

      Couple dashes

      Worcestershire sauce

      5 celery stalks (garnish)

      5 lime slices (garnish)

      5 green olives (garnish)

      Method: Combine tomato juice, horseradish, salt and celery salt, Tabasco, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Shake well. Add Absolut Peppar vodka. Garnish with celery, lime and green olives.

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