Mark Del Monte is more than just the general manager of Public House at The Venetian. Besides his managing duties, Del Monte is also a certified level-one cicerone, the beer equivalent of a wine sommelier.
“It’s just not pouring beer and talking about it; it’s a whole history behind beer,” said Del Monte, who oversees 250 bottled beers and 24 drafts—and he’ll happily teach you about each and every one.
The Cleveland native immersed himself in the food and beverage industry the moment he graduated from high school, attending culinary school in Baltimore. “I knew right away what I wanted to do for a career,” he said. After graduating, he apprenticed as a butcher. “I learned how to break down all meats, fish, make sausage, jerky. I loved it,” he said.
During the next three years, while managing and cooking at a Cleveland gastropub (that he also co-owned), Del Monte discovered a passion for beer and decided to turn that passion into an education. “I just kept studying, learning all about beer.” With his experience up to that point, Del Monte knew where he needed to be next: Las Vegas. “It’s the food and beverage mecca,” he said. “This is where it all happens.”
Union Escape
He moved here in 2006 and worked until he found the perfect fit at Pubic House, joining the gastropub about three years ago. Del Monte’s affection for the pub is apparent, and he pulls you right into his love affair.
Union Escape
It’s all about beer at Public House. They’re creating some interesting beer cocktails, too—what the bartenders like to call “beer alchemy.” One of the most popular is the Union Escape, which mixes Get Up Offa That Brown ale by Golden Road Brewing, Phillips Union vanilla whiskey and Frangelico, garnished with shaved coffee beans. There’s a wonderful whiff of coffee as the glass touches the lips, then a sip that’s a journey for the tastebuds, both sweet and tart, and a finish that’s smooth and lingering.
