The Manual received an invite to experience the rustic and classic ambiance of The Barbershop Cut and Cocktails at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas shortly after its opening. An old school-style, three-chaired barbershop with a hidden speakeasy? It seemed too good to be true, so we felt obligated to see what it was all about.
We were welcomed by a poster of Freddie Mercury, framed century-old straight razor blades, and one question: Bulleit bourbon or Casamigos tequila? As much as tequila tickles our fancy, we opted for the Bulleit, neat.
The Barbershop’s barbers, lead by master barber Jose Sosa, are handsomely attired and talented artists who know no detail is too small – much like a painter surveying his canvas. We asked for a simple, easy shape up around our sideburns, neckline, and cheeks.
What we received was exactly what we imagined and more. Our barber, former tattoo artist and classic cut composer, Mikey Escobar, worked fantastically around the edges, leaving behind a freshly lined beard with a bold border while leaving the thickness and fullness we were trying to conceptualize, but couldn’t quite communicate. Then again, that’s what barbers are for.
The shop exclusively features LXVE Alchemy products, which also happens to be the salon where lead barber Sosa and some of his comrades work when they’re not supplying fresh cuts to affluent gamblers at The Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails. And it’s not because they have to – they use these products because they work.
They work so well, in fact, that all of their products sell out days after they’re restocked; it almost seems as if men’s grooming products are becoming the new sneaker fad. Let’s call grooming fans groomingheads from now on. Well, maybe not. But you get what we’re throwing here.
But the shop isn’t just for hair cutting. As the sun descends and the day is put to bed, The Barbershop directs guests not waiting for a haircut or shave to an unassuming door disguised as a janitor’s closet. There you’re led through to a speakeasy grill. Hello!
Knock twice and you gain entry to a secluded cocktail lounge that features a 1800s Prohibition-era bar from Kentucky, a stage for live bands, deejays, and karaoke entertainment, as well an incredible barrel-aged whiskey program that serves up riffs on vintage staples.
The barrel-aged whiskey collection spotlights spirits from all over the world. American bourbons and Scottish, Irish, Japanese, and Canadian whiskies — you name it, The Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails likely has it on hand. It also offers some of the best craft beer you can find along the strip, as well as a small sample size of tequila, mezcal, and other sipping beer, wine, and spirits.
We elected for a Danger17 drink, the lounge’s take on a Blood and Sand. This simpler rendition subbed out scotch for a Japanese whiskey (I asked for Yamazaki 12 year single malt), which was complemented with solerno orange liqueur and cherry brandy. It was smooth, delicate, and still retained a smokiness with a nice bite at the end.
With a fresh beard trim, a stiff cocktail in hand, and a local duo playing funky, upbeat, eclectic covers featuring the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen, we began to realize why The Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails was so hyped. It’s a modern barbershop and speakeasy that captures the vintage aura and retro enigma many yearn to keep alive.
And, they do it in style.
To schedule your own cut, check out the shop’s official site, or better yet, book yourself a room at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
