Michael Cornthwaite on Closing the Downtown Cocktail Room

After 18 years on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street, the Downtown Cocktail Room is closing its doors. As documented in a lovely article by our friend Janna Karel at Vegas Eater, the groundbreaking lounge was ahead of its time and set the stage for the Downtown evolution. From the no-frills exterior and trick door entrance (originally designed to keep out drunks) to the inventive cocktail menu, which changed at least four times a year, the Downtown Cocktail Room was a moody, atmospheric hangout that helped usher in a new era for drinks in Las Vegas. Owner Michael Cornthwaite looks back on the legacy of his business and shares some bittersweet memories.

Is it fair to say the Downtown Cocktail Room played a role in shifting Vegas away from Long Island Iced Teas and the Vodka Cranberries to craft cocktails, absinthe service, and the punchbowl revival?

“A hundred percent. A 22 year old never thought of Downtown Las Vegas 20 years ago and now, it's the preferred destination for that demo. We've literally gone through hundreds and hundreds of cocktails. The Downtown Dill is one that lived on. It was our take on a Bloody Mary. We debuted the Watermelon Cooler around 2010 and it’s come back almost every summer ever since because it was so popular. There was one called the Orthodox Caveman that was so unique and unusual. It had elements of peaty Scotch and smoke. It just knocked your socks off and people still talk about it.

“The punch bowl occurred to me 15 years ago. It's fun to revisit things from the past and make them modern. Bringing back absinthe and making that part of the cocktail culture was fun.”

Mike Morey's Sip'nTip was a bar within a bar at the Downtown Cocktail Room. How did that come about?

“In the early days, we didn’t have a lot of customers. And there was one gentleman, an attorney in the Downtown area, who I’d say on the conservative side, came in four or five days a week. He was just the most generous, entertaining, and engaging guy you ever met. The nicest guy. So he became a staff favorite. I think every bar or restaurant has their favorite regulars and for us, that was a guy named Mike Morey. He was always willing to help out too. He became a fixture and there were days he would stay from opening until close. He was just a really wonderful person and a pleasure to have around. So when he passed away, I wanted to pay a little homage to his memory.

“I bought a lot of Mike Wardle artwork (for the Downtown Cocktail Room) over the years and he certainly was a fixture in the bar and around Downtown in general. Very talented, very smart. He was quite a conversationalist and storyteller — and a pretty fun guy to be around too.”

That's kind of what the legacy of a good bar is really about, right? The people that came through it.

“No doubt, yeah … I think the legacy is in the coming of age of Las Vegas as a world-class city. The Downtown Cocktail Room contributed to the culture and vibe. Ultimately, we're leaving Downtown Las Vegas in a much better place than where we found it.”