What To Do If You’re In Vegas – Memorial Day Weekend

If Cinco de Mayo and college graduations weren’t enough, Memorial Day weekend presents the third official opportunity/excuse to party ridiculous in the month of May. Suggestions below:

FRIDAY (5/23) – Check out Friday Night Live at the Hard Rock Hotel pool, which kicks off at around 6 p.m. and features musical guest Stephen Marley. SpyOnVegas.com is also holding Open Bar from 6-9 p.m.. Friday Night Live is consistently one of the best spots to begin a summer weekend in Las Vegas. For a bit of a different vibe go downtown and find the Icehouse, which promotes Ink Fridays every Friday, and will also be the venue for the Girls Gone Wild search for the hottest girl in America. Cap off the night at Pure, with DJ Steve Aoki spinning and the Pussycat Dolls celebrating the release of a new single.

SATURDAY (5/24) – UFC 84 takes place at the MGM Grand, creating a slew of UFC after-parties. Check out Hawaiian Tropic Zone for an after-party hosted by UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste, or go to Studio 54 to experience Tito Ortiz’s official afterparty. Not to be outdone is the IFC, a rival organization to UFC. The First Annual IFC Celebrity Weekend goes off at Blush, with scheduled appearances by Carey Hart, Vin Diesel and Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. If you’re searching for a party not affiliated with Ultimate Fighting or its derivatives, check out Polly Esther’s, where Daisy from Rock of Love 2 is hosting the Bikini Bike Wash.

SUNDAY (5/25) – Rehab should be your No. 1 choice, but getting in won’t be easy. Sugar Ray is the musical guest at the Hard Rock pool. The Artisan, a favorite of Las Vegas locals, hosts the grand opening of its new pool party. Just about every Vegas pool party should be insane, so have a second choice ready in case you can’t get in at Rehab. Head back to the Hard Rock and check out Body English for Sunday School, but again, be prepared for long lines! Hanging out at the Hard Rock is usually an intense experience regardless of whether you get into the club or not.

It’s another great weekend to be in Vegas. Be sure to check out SpyOnVegas.com, as well as Las Vegas Weekly’s website for Xania’s Hot Spots, which breaks down just about everything going on that’s worth checking out for the entire week.

The World’s Greatest Beer – Delerium Tremens

Any beer lover owes it to themselves to enjoy a few rounds of Delirium Tremens. The Belgian ale took first place overall honors at the 1998 World Beer Cup, and a decade later the delicious beer is creating quite a buzz amongst beer connoseiurs across the country.

It’s tough to describe the taste of Delirium Tremens. It’s almost too good to be true – smooth and light, with a hint of sweetness at an 8.5% alcohol level. It’s very easy to down a few of these and get far more drunk then you intend to be, so be careful!

Enjoy Delirium Tremens on tap to truly experience this perfect beer. Go to either the Freakin’ Frog or Yard House to find Delirium on tap, and be sure to have someone else driving you home! This is as smooth a beer as you can find anywhere, but don’t be fooled into downing it like it’s Coors Light.

If you happen to know where else in Las Vegas Delirium Tremens is available, post a comment!

Absinthe Anyone?

On Bourbon Street in New Orleans sits an ancient bar called the Old Absinthe House. Built in the early 1800s, the building was transformed into a bar when mixologist Cayetano Ferrer invented a cocktail called the Absinthe House Frappe in 1874.

Most people in the U.S. aren’t all that familiar with Absinthe, which was a banned substance in our country for most of the 20th century. Distilleries stopped producing Absinthe, a highly alcoholic beverage with hallucinogenic qualities, in the U.S. in 1912.

The U.S. lifted the ban on Absinthe in 2007, but the legal product you’ll find on the shelves now isn’t the same psychoactive substance from the old days. Impressively, the Old Absinthe House stood for nearly 40 years before the Absinthe ban and survived 95 years while still calling itself “Old Absinthe House”. Now you can go in and actually drink Absinthe there legally! Now that’s surviving!

Las Vegas, of course, isn’t shying away from the newly legal Absinthe. Downtown Cocktail Room has a menu of interesting Absinthe cocktails. Ask for the Huntridge or the Emerald Isle if you’re trying to try it out, or just ask the bartender to mix up something for you. Absinthe is so new that mixologists are coming up with new concoctions by the day. Don’t be shy about asking for Absinthe all around the city either.

The New York Times ran a story on the return of Absinthe in December 2007, and check out another informative website on the storied alcohol here.

Nightlife Calorie Counting

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average male in the U.S. takes in 2,475 calories per day, while females on average consume 1,833 calories a day. Living in Las Vegas can be tough for fitness goals, as it’s hard to resist all of the city’s great restaurants and bars.

If you go out for dinner at a place like Grand Lux Cafe, the Carnival World Buffet at the Rio or even In-N-Out, you’re pretty close to the daily average just from that one meal. Start throwing back a few beers later in the night and things can get pretty ugly. Bud Light has 110 calories per 12 oz. (according to www.beer100.com), so tack on 660 calories if you down a six-pack. Consumers of darker beers like Blue Moon (171 calories) are in even worse shape. Even Pabst Blue Ribbon, the cheapest of cheap beer, weighs in heavy at 153 calories.

While it’s nice to enjoy a Blue Moon on tap every once in a while, it’s tough to take in all those extra calories. The best way to drink alcohol and consume fewer calories is to just take straight shots, no mixers and no high-calorie chasers.

Shots aren’t for everyone, however. Web MD has a great article on alcohol and calories that explains how quickly calories can add up in cocktails. Check it out! Do some research and go into your night out with a plan. You’ll wake up the next morning feeling slightly less guilty.

Drinking on a budget

Strapped for cash? Do you ever wonder if there’s somewhere to go in Las Vegas that doesn’t require $8 or more for a drink?

If you’re with a group of friends and you want to have a low-key night out that’s easy on the wallet, then try one of the following:

Freakin’ Frog (at Maryland and University) – The Frog is always hoppin’ with some kind of live music on the weekends and more than 200 kinds of beers to choose from. On most nights, the bar has 2-for-1 specials on any kind of beer in the 2-for-1 refrigerator. The Frog keeps the fridge stocked with all kinds of bottled beer that’s tough to find anywhere else. Definitely an opportunity to get drunk cheap!

Yayo Tequila Bar (Maryland and Harmon) – You’ve read about this beer-pong palace in a previous post. In case you forgot, Yayo has $2 tequila shots and $3 beers on Thursday nights until midnight, and often longer than that. Build up a taste for Jose Cuervo and you’re all set!

Ellis Island (Flamingo and Koval) - This locals’ favorite has $1 draft beers 24 hours a day. Try the Hefeweizen!

SpyOnVegas.com Open Bar (various locations) – It doesn’t get much cheaper than this. Open Bar gives away free drinks from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (or until the designated alcohol of the night is tapped out) at just about every Vegas venue imaginable. Get there early!

There are also lots of places that have a flat rate for all-you-can-drink draft beer. Stoney’s Rockin’ Country and Blondie’s (inside Planet Hollywood) are just a couple of the places that do this. Get a wristband and drink all night! The all-you-can-drink wristbands cost $20 at Stoney’s and anywhere from $10-$20 at Blondie’s. These specials only happen on certain nights. Check back here to find out when!

Planning for the weekend in Vegas (3/28 – 3/30)

Wondering where to go in Vegas this weekend? There are many choices, but here’s a suggested plan of action:

FRIDAY 3/28 – Check out Blondie’s inside Planet Hollywood for the Blacklight Bash. Dress in white to exhibit proper etiquette for this particular event. $15 to get in and all-you-can-drink draft and well drinks from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

SATURDAY 3/29 – Beauty Bar is always a great spot on Saturday night. A host of great DJs will be on hand and downtown should be a good spot.

SUNDAY 3/30 - If you haven’t yet checked out Stoney’s Rockin’ Country, try going this Sunday night for Ladies’ Night. You won’t find a better Sunday night party in town.

Check out Xania’s Hot Spots on Las Vegas Weekly’s website for a ton of information on just about everything going on this weekend. The preceding is just a suggested plan of attack based on personal experience. Have fun!

K-Fed gets paid to party

UNLV students out of town on spring break last week missed out on a mega-event right here in Las Vegas.

Pure Nightclub at Caesar’s Palace hosted Kevin Federline’s 30th birthday bash on March 21, right in the midst of spring break madness. While I was navigating the API Journalist’s Toolbox website for a class assignment, I came across a story about the nightclub reportedly paying K-Fed up to $175,000 to celebrate at Pure, according to an article on Newser.com.

So K-Fed gets to take a break from raising the kids and gets paid bank to party it up on his birthday in a VIP booth at one of the most popular nightclubs in the world. Must be nice! The article cites a source telling the New York Post that the club shelled out the cash because of K-Fed’s ability to draw crowds.

Federline surely won’t be the only “A-list” celebrity to party it up in Vegas for a birthday celebration. Here are some dates to watch for in the coming year:

JUNE 7 – Dave Navarro – The former Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction guitarist is probably most famous for being married to Carmen Electra and carrying on high-profile relationships with celebrities like Jenna Jameson. If you’ve never partied with Navarro, be prepared to be amazed by the star-studded guest list. This guy knows everybody!

JULY 2 – Lindsay Lohan – Lohan was scheduled for a much-hyped 21st birthday bash at Pure in 2007, but a trip to rehab forced the cancellation of the event. If she manages to show up in Sin City for her 22nd, the paparazzi will be in full force.

DECEMBER 2 – Britney Spears – No need to elaborate on this. If she comes to Vegas the whole world will see it on TV, but Vegas locals can put themselves right in the action!

JANUARY 31 – Justin Timberlake – JT showed up at Jet Nightclub to throw a birthday party for his mother just a few days before his own birthday in 2007. Timberlake keeps his plans on the down-low a lot of time, but he’s a good bet to show up in Sin City at some point. Too bad we all have to wait until January.

FEBRUARY 17 – Paris Hilton – The world will have to wait almost a year for another Paris Hilton birthday celebration, but if you really want to party with Paris in Las Vegas, she’s not too hard to find on any night of the year.

Celebrity parties are a special kind of crazy, and they’re so easy to find. So many celebs celebrate birthdays in Las Vegas, many getting paid like K-Fed. The clubs usually announce these events about a month or so in advance. Use connections and try to get in free,because it won’t be cheap!

Options for Wednesday 3/26 in Vegas

After going a little too heavy on the partying during spring break, I won’t be out on the scene until at least the weekend. If you’re looking to party it up on on Wednesday night (3/26), however try checking out one or both of the following:

BEAUTY BAR - Free admission to the bar and $10 to get into the courtyard. Live music and DJ Mike Attack are on tap and it should be a good spot!

BODY ENGLISH – Godskitchen is the Wednesday-night name for the ongoing party that seems to go on at the Hard Rock’s super-club seven nights a week. Try hitting up Beauty Bar first and finish your night here! You won’t find a better party than this for Wednesday.

Irish pubs in Las Vegas

I’ve never been to Boston, a city that I’m certain knows how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day like no other. If you didn’t make it to the east coast for March 17, however, there’s still a good chance you had a pretty good time if you made Las Vegas your St. Patty’s Day destination of choice.

St. Patrick’s Day is a particularly festive holiday in Sin City. Thousands of eager party people hit the town for St. Patty’s Day 2008 despite the fact that it fell on a Monday. Bars were packed across the Strip, and the Irish pub was the hot spot of the night.

If you haven’t hit up an Irish bar in Vegas, give one a try. It seems like every one in town has a festive atmosphere and a fun-loving crowd any night of the week. Here’s a rundown of a few of Las Vegas’ Irish bars. I hope you have a taste for Guinness:

McFadden’s (inside the Rio) - The newest Irish pub to hit the city just opened up in January but has already gained a reputation as a reliable place to find a good party, especially on weekends. McFadden’s has two bars in two different rooms, with room left over for live music and a dining area. Cozy but fun, McFadden’s is a great spot to get rowdy on the Irish scene.

McFadden’s isn’t the fanciest place around, and it can take awhile to get a drink at the main bar. The bar in the side room is much more accessible. This place was crazy on St. Patrick’s Day, with the added bonus of the festive atmosphere all throughout the Rio. McFadden’s is a great place to bounce in and out of while partying at the always-festive Rio. You’ll also find a nice selection of Irish cuisine at McFadden’s, which also has locations in New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Nine Fine Irishmen (inside New York New York) – Quite possibly the most popular Irish bar amongst tourists thanks to its location, Nine Fine Irishmen is always packed and rowdy on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Drinks aren’t cheap here, averaging about $10, but Nine Fine Irishmen has one of the best selections of Irish beers and whiskeys you’ll ever find. Authentic and definitely a good time.

If you’re looking to party with people from all over the world, hit up Nine Fine Irishmen on a weekend night, as it draws every kind of tourist from everywhere you can think of.

Quinn’s (inside Green Valley Ranch) - Formerly known as Fado, Quinn’s retains almost the exact same layout but without the outside walls. The main difference is the lack of a bouncer checking IDs at the door, because now you can walk right in.

Quinn’s usually has live music on weekend nights from Darby O’Gill and the Little People, a great Irish band with an enthusiastic local following. It doesn’t get too crazy, but Quinn’s can be a fun place to take a small group of friends for a night out.

McMullan’s (at Tropicana and Cameron) – Quite possibly the best Irish pub in Vegas, McMullan’s always seems to have something going on. Live music and special events are the norm at McMullan’s, which tends to draw more Las Vegas locals than the other Irish bars in the city.

It’s pretty difficult not to have a good time at this place. McMullan’s has the best variety of Irish food and beers in town, and there’s almost always a good, festive crowd. Probably your best bet amongst Vegas-Irish pubs.

Even if you’re not a “bar person”, try out one of these Irish imports. McMullan’s is a particularly good place to start, so check it out!

First Friday Las Vegas

If you’ve never celebrated First Friday in the Downtown Arts District, do yourself a favor this Friday (3/7) by making this once-a-month festival your destination of choice.

The party gets started around 5 p.m., when the Arts District is taken over by a huge, free-flowing art/entertainment/social festival that’s by far the most cultural experience you’ll find in Vegas, outside of the famous art galleries at Venetian and Bellagio. This festival is unlike anything else you’ll find in the nightlife wonderland of Sin City, and it’s easy to forget you’re Vegas after spending a couple hours at First Friday.

The cops clear the streets at around 10 p.m., but the party is only just beginning. Head down to Fremont Street and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a block party that doesn’t end until 6 a.m. or so. At the heart of the madness is “The Get Back” party at Beauty Bar, which usually gets packed around 11 p.m., when the bar’s back patio area opens up. Nearby spots like The Griffin and Downtown Cocktail Room are also great places to party on First Friday, and on a good night you’ll probably end up at all three of these great locations at some point.

The great vibe permeates all of Fremont Street on First Friday, and when you decide to give it a try, make a night of it there and experience the art festival and all of the top-notch parties. And be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!