The Las Vegas Grand Prix's current version is substantially different than the original early-'80s race, which was held, glamorously, in the parking lot of Caesar’s Palace. For one, it features a 3.8-mile city course with DRS zones and one legendary blast down Sin City's (in)famous Strip. With a pair of sizable straights, drivers will crest more than 215 mph at various points. Max Verstappen likes to say that the Las Vegas Grand Prix circuit is a boring drive, but last year saw manhole covers ruin cars and Verstappen himself pull out a nail-biter of a win.
It'll be very late at night (10pm PST, 1am ET) or early morning (6am GMT) depending on where in the world you're watching, but this is Vegas — time doesn't exist the same way it does everywhere else. It also means that there's no bad time for a drink. Which is why we worked with, Ben Wald, the head of beverage programming and spirits for New York City’s Flatiron Room, to mix up three Las Vegas Grand Prix-inspired cocktails.
For a fun game, take a sip whenever you see Brad Pitt — as himself or as Sonny Hayes from the upcoming "F1" movie.
The Straight Shot
Between Turns 12 and 14 is the flat-out, high-speed kink of Turn 13, followed by a 1.2-mile straight (and a DRS zone). Here, drivers will tear by at more than 210 mph (338kph). “The idea of the cars being there then gone in a second makes me think of a shot,” says Wald. For this drink, Wald riffs on a classic M & M drink—equal parts mezcal and Amaro Montenegro — and notes that while you can enjoy it as a shot, you can also pour it over ice and drink it as a cocktail. “And you can batch it by mixing it in equal parts,” Wald says. Your choice of bitters can push the drink in any direction; use habanero bitters for a spicy iteration, black walnut for a richer variant, or orange for more zest.
Ingredients:
- 1 part Amaro Montenegro
- 1 part mezcal (Wald uses Gracias a Dios)
- 2-4 dashes bitters of your choice
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until chilled. Pour into a shot glass or over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel if opting for the latter.
Smoked 90
At the end of the Koval straight is Turn 5, a 90-degree right that requires second gear, lest drivers overcook the corner and smash into the wall, as Alex Albon did last year during FP3. Expect to see some brake lockups here early in the race before the tires warm up in the cool desert night air, and later if anyone's gutsy enough make a late attempt at a pass. “To accompany any crash or tire smoke, let’s use a smoked gin in a sour,” says Wald. “I also like this drink because, just like the corner, it’s soft to start and full on by the end of the sip.” For extra points, after you drop the Angostura onto the egg white foam, drag a toothpick through the drops to draw the corner on the drink.
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces Botanist gin
- .75 ounces lime juice
- .5 ounces simple syrup
- 1 egg white
- Angostura bitters
Steps:
- Mix everything except the bitters in a shaker. Shake without ice for 15 seconds
- Add ice. Shake for another 15 seconds
- Double strain the drink into a coupe glass
- Add drops of bitters to the foam
Sphere Rummer
Turns 6 through 8 take drivers around the only-in-Vegas Sphere before they accelerate up through eighth gear, then drill the brakes for a chicane. It’s a spicy exchange, especially if a position is on the line. Wald’s variant on a Miami punch uses Allspice Dram liqueur and Applejack brandy to bring some spice and fall flavors into this rum-based cocktail. “The allspice notes show up around the end of your sip,” Wald says. “It’s a solid presence, but not an overcrowding one.”
Ingredients:
- 1.5 ounces Diplomatico rum
- .5 ounces Laird's Applejack brandy, though Wald notes any applejack will do
- .5 ounces apple cider
- .25 ounces St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram
- .25 ounces fresh lime juice
Steps:
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake until cold, then serve in a tall glass over crushed ice.
