Experiencing Drink Las Vegas One Signature Tasting at a Time

By Chanelle Hayes-Sessions

Las Vegas always has something new and exciting to look forward to. In September 2026, it was all about Drink Las Vegas, an inaugural food and drink festival held at several MGM Resorts International properties, with wine samplings, intimate dining experiences, various panel sessions and late-night events spread across multiple days.

A highlight for me was attending the signature tastings Sept. 24-26 at Yucca Pool at Aria, where each evening featured light bites and cocktails from various restaurants, chefs and brands. On Thursday, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, known for Jean Georges Steakhouse at Aria and Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio, hosted the evening and was joined by special guests Shaquille O’Neal and Sammy Hagar.

Friday night brought Tom Colicchio, of Craftsteak at MGM Grand, as well as Tiffany Derry. Saturday evening honored chef Michael Mina, who has five restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, including Michael Mina at Bellagio, Stripsteak and Orla at Mandalay Bay, Bourbon Steak at Four Seasons and Bardot Brasserie at Aria. Also recognized were Masaharu Morimoto of Morimoto at MGM Grand and Wolfgang Puck, who currently has four restaurants in town, including CUT at The Palazzo, Spago at Bellagio, Caramá at Mandalay Bay and Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at MGM Grand.

As a VIP guest, I got early access to the event before general admission ticket holders, which included a special lounge area with bites from restaurants such as Stephen Hopcraft’s STK at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and Daniel Ontiveros’ Flanker Kitchen + Sports Bar at Mandalay Bay. STK served New York steak and a spicy sweet corn fritter drizzled with tangy tomatillo aioli, while Flanker had Wagyu “pigs in a blanket,” a mini hot link wrapped in puff pastry with a dab of spicy mustard and a pickle on the side.

As I made my way down to the pool complex, I spotted dishes from several other MGM Resorts International restaurants, including New York-New York’s Gallagher’s Steakhouse, Bellagio’s Mayfair Supper Club and Aria’s Carbone, which served its delicious spicy rigatoni vodka that kept me coming back for more.

The festival also brought in off-Strip restaurants, including Peppermill Restaurant & Fireside Lounge, where Nicholas and Krystin Orth served red pepper risotto with blackened chicken. Jae Doan of Doanburi, a sushi restaurant on the southwest side of town, served attendees Hokkaido scallops with truffle soy reduction and Ossetra caviar. I also really enjoyed Gary FX LaMorte of Honest Hospitality Team, who put on a show with R2 Tobiko, an innovative automated sushi robot that crafted a blue crab and sudachi hand roll. As someone who had never had a hand roll before, I decided to give it a try, and it was flavorful with every bite.

Beyond Las Vegas, David Nayfeld of Via Aurelia, based in San Francisco, served bruschetta with marinated Jimmy Nardello peppers, fresh mozzarella and anchovies, while Miami chef Giorgio Rapicavoli of Luca Osteria and Eating House served a mini dessert featuring foie gras torchon, brown butter brioche, banana caramel and vanilla bean salt.

With a festival named “Drink Las Vegas,” I had to stop by the beverage booths, including Belvedere Vodka, Don Julio and Three Hearts Rum, a premium Caribbean-inspired rum co-founded by Johnny Depp. The brands offered a variety of drinks, including espresso martinis, one of my favorite cocktails. I sampled their takes on the martini, and each one was delicious in its own way. I also came across other brands, including Hennessy, Crown Royal, Cîroc, Teremana, Jägermeister, Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon and SipMargs.

Another highlight was the Flight Bar from event partner Marriott Bonvoy. It was a build-your-own drink activation with the tagline “Let your cocktail take flight.” The first step was choosing a base: either Aspen vodka with lemon, shell ginger tea and Maryland wild honey, or Flecha Azul tequila with grapefruit, lemon-lime and Chareau Aloe, with Perrier-Jouët in both. What made it fun was getting a “flight pass” with my drink selection and chosen flavor add-ins, which I then handed to the bartender, who made it right in front of me.

The lavish poolside affair also had a live DJ, with the booth in the center of the pool area surrounded by festive and interactive activations that added to the energy of the night. Overall, spending the weekend at the Yucca Pool events at Aria was a great way to experience just a portion of what Drink Las Vegas had to offer, and I can’t wait to see what the 2027 event has in store!