The Steve Wynn Cocktail

As we discussed on this week's podcast, which will be available through the feed on Thursday and is already available directly for download at TheStripPodcast.Com, I am working on a big piece on Vegas mixologists and interviewed Patricia Richards, the mixologist for Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. In the process, I asked her what Steve Wynn drinks and she revealed his penchant for the Asian Equation cocktail invented by legendary Vegas mixologist and Bartender Magazine Hall of Famer Francesco LaFranconi.

What's in it? Glad you asked. I emailed Patricia to get the exact recipe for those of you who hope drinking it will bring you that much closer to looking and feeling like a Vegas billionaire casino mogul:

Asian Equation

-1½ oz. TY KU Sake Liqueur
-1½ oz. Momokawa Coconut-Lemongrass Nigori Sake
-1 oz. Fresh Sweet & Sour

Method: Roll ingredients in a mixing glass and tin with ice, 3-4 times to chill. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

Garnish: A kefir lime leaf floating on top of cocktail.

The easier approach, it would seem given the obscurity of some of those ingredients, would be to go to the Wynn and order one. Richards said he dictated it to appear on every cocktail menu throughout the property. At the B Bar, for which I have a cocktail menu, it's $16 -- or $2 more than almost any other drink.

I found a review of this drink on the Passionate Foodie blog, whose Boston-based author tried it while at the UNLVino Expo in Vegas in February and wrote it up in April. Note, however, that the blogger says it had sweet-and-sour mix, which no self-respecting mixologist would sanction. Nonetheless, he wrote: "The cocktail itself was quite interesting, with a rich coconut flavor (which I love) and it was not overly sweet. It also had hints of other fruits as well, due to the Ty Ku. This would make a good summer drink."

Cheers!