🎙 Pouring Stories Ep.18 – Giambrone sits down with Nathan Grates, co-owner of The Sand Dollar LV, Sand Dollar Downtown, and La Casa De Juliette, to talk about the grind behind building three of Las Vegas’ most respected cocktail and live-music destinations.

From brutal late nights as a beverage manager to wild college bar shifts, Nate opens up about the real costs of success: Physical, emotional, and financial. We dive deep into cocktail competitions, sobriety in the industry, Las Vegas dram shop laws, and why authenticity beats hype every time. If you care about Las Vegas bars, cocktail culture, or the business of hospitality, this episode is pure gold.

💡 Why Watch / Listen

✔ Inside story of The Sand Dollar Las Vegas-from concept to cult status

✔ Brutally honest look at the hospitality industry: burnout, sobriety, and creative passion

✔ Cocktail nerd talk: Trinidad Sour, additive-free spirits, and Martingale Cognac

✔ Lessons on entrepreneurship, partnership, and staying authentic in a world of influencers

⏰ Chapters & Key Moments

00:00 Intro Teaser

01:04 Ole Bison Bourbon – Tasting room with Jeremy Wilkinson

02:30 Building a foundation

04:19 Beverage Manager Hell – “It Destroyed Me Physically & Emotionally”

07:55 First moments bartending – “Is this legal?”

11:26 Enthusiasm for bartending

12:18 Cocktail Competitions (Presentation)

14:18 Cocktail Competitions (Scoring bias)

15:45 Over-drinking & Sobriety in the beverage industry

18:35 D.U.I., Taking their Keys, & Dram Shop Laws in Las Vegas

22:45 Davey’s Locker

24:40 Bartending a College Bar – “I overserved everybody”

27:20 Media Dinners!

29:46 Concierge

31:31 Trinidad Sour – What did G do wrong?

35:00 G realizes his mistake!

37:00 Additive Free in the news!

42:55 Ghost Busters44:10 Corrected Trinidad Sour (after 2 bottles of ango)

45:54 La Casa De Juliette

50:00 No Smoking at The Dollar!

52:25 Girls love the most horrific content – Last Podcast on The Left

55:10 Nate & Jamison – Origins of true partnership

1:08:00 Born to work – It’s how you’re raised

1:14:00 10 Years of The Sand Dollar (Cancelled Comp?!)

1:26:00 Additive vs. Additive Free

1:28:10 Martingale Cognac

1:31:00 Guillaume Vallet – Louis XIII

1:32:00 “Certain cultures are notoriously poor at making beer”

1:33:50 Vegas Brewers

1:37:00 People who talk but never do

1:38:30 Bringing authenticity to content creation

🍹 Featured Drink – Trinidad Sour

The Giuseppe Gonzalez recipe:

1.50 oz Angostura Aromatic Bitters

1.00 oz Orgeat

0.75 oz Lemon Juice

0.50 oz Rye Whiskey

Shake with ice, double strain into a Nick & Nora, garnish with a lemon peel.

🎧 Pouring Stories

Hosted & Produced by Michael Giambrone & Kyler Fleming

Executive editor: Kyler Fleming

Follow for more conversations with bartenders, spirits pros, and the people shaping cocktail culture.

For more info on Nate's venues click the links below.

https://lacasadejuliette.com/

https://thesanddollarlv.com/