It’s a steady stream of on-the-go assignments, deadline crunches, and ordered chaos at our Lifestyle Desk. The occasional breather — yes, we admit even of the cocktail drink variety — is a welcome distraction. We found the idyllic mid-week spot to imbibe at the now two-year-old Macau Gaming Lounge and Bar last week. As we pull up barside seats at the watering hole set in the midst of Macau’s array of slot machines, baccarat, blackjack and roulette games, bar supervisors Donovan Boothe and Jermaine Christie go to town to whip up signature drinks for us to sip. The talented duo’s mixology skills do not disappoint. There’s a fab frothy ale punch, the ace aquamarine ‘Cash Out’ concoction, and the satisfying subtle kicker dubbed ‘The Real Macau’. Share a drink with Thursday Life.

— Omar Tomlinson

(Photos: Joseph Wellington)

HEINE-KICK

Ingredients

1 oz Margarita mix

1 oz Jose Cuervo Gold

1 oz Strawberry Mix

1 oz lime juice

1/2 oz Grenadine

1 bottle of Heineken

Method

Combine ingredients in a shaker.

Shake and pour over ice.

Top up glass with 2 oz of Heineken.

Rim glass with sugar.

Garnish with a wedge of lime.

CRAZY PASSION

Ingredients

2 oz Smirnoff Passion Vodka

3/4 oz Appleton Genesis

3/4 oz Smirnoff Vodka

2 oz pineapple juice

1/2 oz strawberry syrup

Splash of lime juice

Method

Combine ingredients in a shaker, add ice, and shake.

Add ice to hurricane glass and pour drink.

Garnish with apple slices and cherries.

CASH OUT

Ingredients

Bottom Half

1/2 oz Coconut Rum

1/2 oz Smirnoff Vodka

1/2 oz Blue Curacao

1/2 oz pineapple juice

Top Half

1/2 oz simple syrup

1/2 oz Overproof White Rum

1/2 oz Bacardi Lemon

Method

Blend ingredients of bottom half and pour into a cocktail glass.

Blend ingredients of top half and layer onto bottom.

Garnish with pineapple wedge and cherry.

REAL MACAU

Ingredients

1/2 oz Appleton Special

1 oz Coconut Rum

1 oz Smirnoff Vodka

1/2 oz Overproof White Rum

1/2 oz Cherry brandy

1 oz pineapple juice

Method

Pour ingredients into shaker.

Shake well.

Pour over rock glass with ice.

Garnish with slices of lime.

GUINNESS PUNCH

Ingredients

1 oz Bailey’s Rum Cream

1 oz Stone’s Ginger Wine

1 oz Coconut Rum

1/2 oz Crème de Cacao

1 oz overproof white rum

1 bottle Guinness

2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

Method

Blend ingredients and pour into chilled glass.