For The Love of Cocktails Pours Out Drinks in February

Mixology takes the spotlight at the For The Love Of Cocktails event from Back Bar USA in February. Author Tony Abou-Ganim, the United States Bartenders’ Guild, Delano Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay and Herbs & Rye bring this three-day mixology event Feb 12-14.

A gala from 7 to 10 p.m. highlights the event on Friday, Feb. 13, at Alain Ducasse’s miX at the Delano Las Vegas. More than 30 mixology stations with bartenders from Las Vegas and around the world will feature original cocktail recipes. Live entertainment, passed hors d’oeuvres, charcuterie and other bites from miX executive chef Bruno Riou highlight the $100 per person event. Proceeds will benefit the Helen David Relief Fund for Bartenders Affected by Breast Cancer, a charitable organization that assists women in the bar industry by providing pre-screening services for breast cancer.

The event kicks off on Thursday, Feb. 12, with a Meet the Masters Wine Dinner at Aureole at Mandalay Bay from 6 to 9 p.m. Taste champagne and wine cocktails by Abou-Ganim, Dale DeGroff and Francesco Lafranconi, followed by a five-course meal and wine pairing by master sommeliers including Bellagio’s Jason Smith, Charlie Palmer’s Steven Geddes and Aria’s Nick Hetzel. Later that night, Cocktails and Conversation at Franklin inside Delano Las Vegas, where guests mingle with mixologists at a cash bar. Then from midnight to 4 a.m. head to The Life of a Bartender at Herbs & Rye at 3713 W. Sahara Ave., to find out about the post-shift lives of Las Vegas bartenders.

Friday, Feb. 13, starts with cocktail seminars and interactive classes from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Courses include "Making Great Cocktails at Home: Hands On With Tony Abou-Ganim," a ladies-only cocktail seminar led by Abou-Ganim, "I’ll Take Manhattans" with DeGroff, "Tacos and Tequila" with Julio Bermejo, "Seeds to the Glass" with Bridget Albert and Debbi Peek, and "For The Love Of Rum & Rhum" with Lafranconi. Admission is priced starting at $50 per person with limited seating available.

The event ends on Saturday, Feb. 14, with a bloody Mary brunch from noon to 3 p.m. at Della’s Kitchen inside Delano Las Vegas.

For tickets, head here.