The Whisky Attic Experience in Las Vegas

Matt Sexton and I at the Whisky Attic in Las Vegas

I once asked a bartender I both respected and wanted what she thought the manliest drink a patron could order. Without hesitation she said, “Whiskey neat.” Straight whiskey – no mixer, ice nor chaser – was never my thing, but ever since that day I became a whiskey fan. Maybe I wanted to be more manly, or maybe I just wanted to get laid more. Most likely it was a combination of both.

Anyway, the past couple of years I’ve been doing my best to expand both my whiskey knowledge and palate. I often bring back bottle from my various travels, and I’ve also become fond of following whiskey industry leaders on social media and reading a magazine called Whisky Advocate. That publication is where I first learned of the Whisky Attic, which boasted that it contained “The Greatest Collection of Whisky in America.” I was intrigued.

That proved doubly true when I learned that it was in Las Vegas, a fact that both surprised and excited me. I was surprised because I’d spent the last four summers in Las Vegas and had never heard of the Whisky Attic, which has been since 2005. I was excited because I was slated to go to Vegas at the end of May. I knew I had to go.

Nolan Dalla & his wife Marietta.

The Whisky Attic Experience requires a reservation, and it’s not exactly cheap. A regular ticket is $75, but for $120 they have a High Roller package that offers quite a bit more. Of course I had to go all out. I invited my Vegas friend Matt Sexton to join me as a birthday gift to him, and also told my friend and mentor Nolan Dalla about it. Being the liquor aficionado that he is, I figured he’d be interested and indeed he was. He also brought along his wife Marietta, who was delightful.

The Whisky Attic is located inside the Freakin’ Frog -- the largest beer bar in the country – and is just five minutes off the Strip near UNLV. I was a bit surprised to find the Freakin’ Frog at the end of a desolate and somewhat rundown strip mall (it definitely was the type of place I’d expect to find “The Greatest Collection of Whisky in America,” but once you make it inside it’s like you’re a world away.

Appropriately, the Whisky Attic is upstairs in the Freakin’ Frog in a quaint room filled with hand-crafted wood reminiscent of a bar you might find in Scotland. The experience is the brainchild of Professor Adam Carmer, who is an expert in spirits and teaches at the aforementioned UNLV. Unfortunately Professor Carmer wasn’t there to lead our tour, but Jon “JD” Darrow, the manager of the place, filled in. He was both enthusiastic and knowledgeable, which made the experience that much more fun.

We learned about the history of tasting spirits, and then were taught a new tasting method called C:STEM (Carmer Spirits Tasting Enhancement Method), which was designed by Carmer. JD was a certified CSTEM Instructor, and I must say that the method was incredible. It’s hard to explain the method, so I’ll let this video do it for me:

Once we learned the method, JD selected ten whiskies for us to try suited to our own personal tasting profile. They weren’t cheap whiskies either, and thanks to the new method, I was able to enjoy them much more fully than I have whiskies in the past. I will definitely be using the tasting method moving forward.

The whole experience lasted about 100 minutes, so given the length and price it was on par with a Vegas show. Aside from the tasting, you also get the chance to see their expansive beer selection (they have one bottle that costs $3,000) and the collection of over 850 bottles of whiskey (three of which cost $100,000 apiece).

Being big into whisky I had a great time, and the other members of the party who weren’t quite so hardcore enjoyed it as well. Matt wasn’t a fan of whiskey, but he had fun and even found a couple he liked. Likewise, Marietta was more partial to wine, but she seemed to have a blast (probably because a lot of what we learned could be applied to wine and other spirits).

If you’re in Vegas and looking for something fun and unique, I highly recommend the Whisky Attic. It’s one of those off-the-map destinations (Nolan and Marietta have lived in Vegas for decades and didn’t know about it) that leaves you feeling fulfilled… and a little buzzed.

Here are some photos from the Whisky Attic:

Matt Checking out the expansive beer collection.

Myself in front of the whisky collection.

Matt and I during the tasting.

The whiskies that were selected for us to sample.

Matt Sexton, Myself, Marietta, and Nolan Dalla at the Whisky Attic.

Three expensive bottles. They cost $100K apiece!

I believe Nolan will be writing his own blog on the experience. If and when he does, I will be sure to share that with you on here.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.

Sanremo, Cock Socks, & Losing Last Longer to Moneymaker

I just returned from three weeks split between Sanremo, Italy and Monte Carlo, Monaco for back-to-back European Poker Tours, which closed out Season 10. It was a great season, and I’m happy to say I was at every stop except for PCA and Deauville, neither of which I particularly sad to miss. The latest trip was long, grueling, and full of work, but it was also filled with some fun times with good people.

This marked the second time I’d been to Sanremo, but this trip was much better as the weather was nicer, the hotel was closer, and the food better. Sanremo is a quaint town along the Italian Riviera with shops, outdated hotels (my room had a brass key), and plenty of cafes and restaurants.

Sarah and I on the rickshaw.

It also has plenty of coastline with a biking/walking trail that stretches for miles. I’m not certain, but I think it may have been constructed over an old railway line. Anyway, I made it a point to jog the trail every other day, and the view was amazing. Likewise, it was also the trail that Sarah Grant, Will Thomas, and I traveled when we rented a three-person rickshaw. It was the most fun I’d ever had for €7.00. Here’s a photo featuring Sarah and I (Will is hanging on the front taking the picture).

After Vicky Coren Mitchell became the first two-time EPT champ, which you can read about here, members of the media gathered at a little bar outside the casino. It was our time to unwind, and several of us did including Marc Convey, Joe Stapleton, James Hartigan, and EPT President Edgar Stuchly, who was kind enough to pick up the bill (Always a classy and much-appreciated gesture in my book).

After the bar closed, we headed upstairs to someone’s hotel room to raid the minibar. By then everyone was pretty well lit – or at least buzzing – and I remember being a bit more talkative than normal. At one point Mad Harper, the EPT media vixen, asked me what I had done with the winnings from my World Series of Poker bracelet win. With a drink in hand I deadpanned, “Mad, I invested it all in a company called ‘Cock Socks.’ It’s a company that makes socks with pictures of roosters on them. I’ve lost it all, Mad.” I’m pretty sure she believed me too.

It was also at this social gathering that I was told about a small liquor store nearby. If you know me, then you know that I like to bring back a few bottles of booze when I travel (my collection has grown quite extensive). I was told the prices were reasonable, so on our day off set about locating the storefront. It turned out to me a “mom-and-pop” type store with two rooms filled to the brim with bottles. About half of it was dedicated to wines, but the other had whiskies, rums, and all my favorite types of firewater.

I’m a big fan of Havana Club, which was the first alcoholic drink I’d ever tried (it was on a study abroad excursion to Cuba way back in 2004). It also happens to be unavailable in the United States due to the decades old Cuban Embargo. Anyway, I always bring back a bottle or two, and I wondered if this hole-in-the-wall shop in Sanremo might have some Havana Club. Sure enough, tucked away on the shelves were two old bottles that I’d never tried before, one of which was the rather rare Havana Club Barrel Proof. I snatched it up (at a very reasonable price), and am excited to add it to my collection. I think there’s only one type of Havana Club rum that I don’t have, and that’d be the Maximo, which runs something like $2,000 a bottle. I’ll buy it someday, but I needed another big tournament score or two before I do.

After visiting the liquor shop, my three colleagues – Frank Op de Woerd, Danny Maxwell, and William Powell – and I decided to explore the city. Instead of sticking by the coast, we headed to the hills and just by lucky happenstance came across a great lookout point. I think these two photos speak for themselves:

Frank, Danny, myself & William

After Sanremo is was down the coast to Monte Carlo, Monaco. This is a small country known for its glitz, Grace Kelly, Formula 1 racing, and expensive cars. It’s essentially built into the side of a mountain along the sea. Really quite beautiful, but definitely a place designed for the rich and famous. I didn’t really belong, but I wasn’t about to complain.

The jogging trail in Monte Carlo.

Monte Carlo was filled with work, but I also found another trail to jog with perhaps an even better view than Sanremo.

Another highlight from that portion of the trip was the EPT10 Grand Final €2,000 Freeroll Media Tournament. My track record in EPT media events isn’t good, but I was intent on getting my hands on some free cash. Plus, 2003 WSOP champ Chris Moneymaker and Full Tilt Poker Professional Gus Hansen played and chummed it up with us. What’s more, Hansen offered a €500 bounty on his head, which he upped to €1,000 when Moneymaker matched his €500 bounty. Unfortunately I never got the chance to play with either as I once again busted early (thanks a lot Lee Jones). For the record, Scott Collins took down the tournament.

Speaking of Moneymaker, he asked if I wanted to do a last longer bet prior to the start of the tournament. I accepted and agreed to put €50 on the line. I obviously lost that. It sucked to lose money in a freeroll, but at least I have a good story to take back home to my friends (all of who were products of the Moneymaker boom). Oh, I almost forgot, a couple days later Chris saw fit to rub it in a bit. I was walking through the cafeteria minding my own when I hear, “Hey Chad.”

I turn around and it’s Chris eating with a couple of other people. He pointed at the spread laid out in front of them and said, “I bought all of this with your money!” It was a good needle, but I know the prices in Monte Carlo and there’s no way he got it all for €50! Don’t believe me, perhaps you will when I tell you that a can of Coke was €7.00, or $9.71 to my friends in the States. I told you it was a place for the rich.

While working the Grand Final I also had the chance to take part in a little poker media trivia segment filmed for broadcast on EPTLive. I know my poker history, and I love how in the final product I come across as the smart one. Check it out:

I had a lot of fun over the last few weeks, but I’m happy to be heading home. I’ll be working a Mid-States Poker Tour in the middle of this month, and then on the 22nd I’ll be heading out to Las Vegas for my fifth WSOP with PokerNews. I’ll also be attempting to defend my title in the Event #1 Casino Employees. I imagine I’ll have a blog post or two from some Sin City debauchery.

Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ChadAHolloway for more poker articles, stories and musings from the tournament trail.