The Vault, the moody cocktail redoubt lying behind an unmarked golden door near the cage at Bellagio, is showcasing some serious pour power in 2026 with Liquid Legends, a yearlong guest series honoring the bartenders, writers and historians who have helped define modern cocktail culture.
The series features three bar legends, each of whom will appear for a two-night special event while also collaborating on limited-run cocktail menus inspired by key moments in cocktail history.
Legends starts shaking Jan. 16 with Dale DeGroff, often called the King of Cocktails, who is widely acknowledged as one of the founders of modern mixology through decades of crafting, teaching and mentoring.
His Legends menu draws on his tenure at the Rainbow Room (itself equally legendary) in New York City, with a Negroni and Between the Sheets from 1988; the Fitzgerald, an original creation from the late 1990s; and classics such as the Boulevardier and King’s Manhattan that feature spirits from his current DeGroff Spirits project.
The series continues on March 5 and 6 with Robert Simonson, a longtime New York Times contributor and the author of several books on cocktails and spirits that have brought wider public understanding of cocktail culture.
David Wondrich, a leading historian of cocktails and spirits, appears Aug. 6 and 7. Wondrich’s work has helped revive forgotten spirits such as Old Tom gin and crème de violette and lost techniques such as oleo saccharum, a syrup that involves macerating citrus peel in sugar over several days to draw out essential oils for concentrated aroma and flavor.
The Liquid Legends menus will be offered at The Vault through 2026. For required reservations, visit @thevaultbellagio on Instagram.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.