‘Go big, or go home!’
Strolling the Strip or Fremont Street is a thirst-inducing tradition that the oversized souvenir cup was created to quench.
Larger resorts have standardized these reusable containers, opting for simple cups emblazoned with a hotel name, but more creative drinking vessels can be found, particularly on the Fremont Street Experience.
The four-block stretch between Main and Fourth streets is home to no fewer than a half dozen outdoor bars, each with a variety of novelty plastic cups. Some are simple: the “yard,” the football and the massive 60-ounce stein with notations on how intoxicated you should expect to be as you empty it to various points. But there are also more inventive options, such as the cowboy boots and showgirl leg in fishnet stockings of Binion’s Whiskey Liquor Bar and Cowgirl Up, or the plastic replicas of The D Las Vegas’ lingerie-clad bartenders.
Portions range from 20 to 60 ounces and can be filled with any drink, including beer or mixed drinks. Some of the most popular are the pre-batched frozen drinks available to mix and match in 21 flavors outside The Golden Gate, and 18 at The D. Be warned, however. Those slushy concoctions come out of the machines averaging 12 percent alcohol by volume before party-hearty tourists are offered the chance to boost them with extra shots.
“This is only getting me started,” said Deborah Chandler as she eyed a 60-ounce mixture of pina colada, watermelon and margarita with some extra hard liquor added on a recent Friday night. “I’m from Texas, so it’s go big, or go home!”