Elton John to open Vegas Champagne bar

Flamboyant singer-songwriter Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish are to open a Champagne bar in Sin City. As reported on db.com, Fizz Las Vegas is set to open in October inside Caesar’s Palace next to the hotel’s renowned Colosseum theatre. The 2,750-square-foot bar is a $3.2m collaboration between John, Furnish and nightlife operators Michael Greco and Steven Kennedy of Marvel Management and Marketing.

With Champagne-coloured interiors, low-hung chandeliers and photographs from the couple’s personal collection, Fizz will serve Grandes Marques Champagne by the glass, Champagne cocktails and a small plates menu including caviar and charcuterie. Designed by TAL Studio, the bar aims to lure Colosseum theatregoers pre and post performance

"Fizz is an extension of our personal style. Spending so much time in Las Vegas with Elton's performance schedule, we wanted a space that would reflect our personal style and become an extension of the way we entertain at home,” said Furnish. Despite Elton John’s glam rock roots, the music at Fizz will have more of a house feel.

While the Vegas strip already boasts two Champagne bars ­– Laguna at Palazzo and Napoleon’s at Paris, Fizz is the first celebrity-backed venture. The newest addition to Caesar’s Palace is the 181-room Nobu Hotel. The first hotel from Nobu Matsuhisa’s restaurant group, actor Robert de Niro is one of the key shareholders in the project. 

Wine o’ clock

Rather than holding out until Friday night, Brits are most likely to open their first bottle of wine of the week at 6.53pm on a Wednesday. According to a study by drinks bottler Cobevco, men usually have their first sip of wine at 6.40pm on a Wednesday while women are slightly more restrained, waiting until 7.07 before letting rip with a corkscrew.

The study also found that 75% of Brits prefer to drink wine at home rather than heading out to a pub, bar or restaurant. In terms of style of wine, red proved the most popular, with 37% opting for a glass of vin rouge, 36% preferring white, 20% choosing rosé and just 6% fizz. 

“As our working week becomes longer and stress takes its toll, people are turning to wine as a midweek treat and a bit of an escape, whether from office life or their family,” offered Gillian Walters, sales and marketing director at Cobevco. The study asked 2,000 UK adults about their wine preferences and drinking habits.

Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds)

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then Brett Berish, CEO of Sovereign Brands, must be blushing. It was only a matter of time before a rival to his hugely popular Armand de Brignac Champagne brand entered the market. And it’s a Brit whose giving Jay-Z’s favourite fizz competition, in the form of Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds).

The brainchild of 29-year-old Shammi Shinh, founder of Knightsbridge-based Prodiguer Brands, Goût de Diamants is made from 100% Grand Cru grapes grown at the 8-hectare, family-owned, Champagne Chapuy in Oger. Shinh’s partnership with Chapuy mirrors Berish’s collaboration with Champagne Cattier in Chigny les Roses, with both using the history of their respective houses as a quality cue.

Each bottle of Goût de Diamants is adorned with a Swarovski crystal in the centre of a diamond-shaped pewter design resembling the Superman logo. Taking inspiration from Ace of Spades, the rear boasts a hand-engraved pewter label featuring details of the blend inside.

The Goût de Diamants range comprises a brut, a rosé, a blanc de blancs and a vintage offering. Swarovski crystals are pink on the rosé bottles and clear on the blanc de blancs and the brut, which is aged for 40 months before release including four months post disgorgement.

Liam Payne of British boy band One Direction was recently photographed drinking the Champagne at Nigerian rapper Wizkid’s birthday party at a London nightclub, while Nigerian producer Don Jazzy, RnB singer Connor Maynard and Olympic medal-winning gymnast Louis Smith are also fans of the brand.

In June, Shinh collaborated with British Nigerian luxury product designer Alexander Amosu on a limited edition bottle of Goût de Diamants priced at an eye-watering £1.2m, making it the world’s most expensive bottle of Champagne. The bespoke bottle saw the diamond logo crafted from 18-carat solid white gold while the Swarovski crystal was upgraded to a 19-carat flawless white diamond.

They say a diamond is forever – it will be interesting to see how long this fledgling fizz lasts.

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